To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Purchase of Two Tractor-Drawn Aerial Fire Apparatus
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus for the manufacture and purchase of two Tractor Drawn Aerial ladder trucks, in an amount not to exceed $5,500,000, including indemnity by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The apparatus will be acquired using the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) cooperative purchasing program. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will pay cash on delivery, which is expected in 2027. This payment will be budgeted in FY 2027-28. During FY 2024-25, the District will establish an apparatus replacement fund. The District anticipates accumulating funds in the apparatus replacement fund annually. This fund will be used to make this payment in FY 2027-28. Alternatively, the District could finance this purchase before the anticipated delivery date in August 2027. (100% CCCFPD General Fund).
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) has made significant capital purchases of fire apparatus in recent years; however, the need exists to continue replacing front-line engines and trucks. The demand for ladder truck service has increased as the District has expanded service across the district and opened additional stations.
The District now operates seven (7) front-line ladder trucks. These apparatus range in age and mileage. In addition to the front line, the District maintains several reserve ladder trucks. The Walnut Creek incident last year involving Truck 1, where that unit was taken out of service for an extended period of time, added significant stress to the District’s reserve fleet, highlighting the need for reliable reserve ladder trucks. The best way to improve the reliability of the reserve fleet is to replace front-line trucks with highly reliable reserves. This purchase will accomplish that goal.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1901 (Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus) and 1911 (Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus) both recommend front-line apparatus be retired into a reserve status after 15 years of service. This is primarily for safety reasons. Older apparatus do not afford firefighters the same level of safety as modern apparatus due to cab designs and inherent safety features incorporated into modern fire apparatus, such as airbags, modern braking systems, and other considerations. The standards further recommend that all reserve apparatus be removed from service after no more than 25 years of total service. The standards comment on high use, mileage, and other factors as additional determinants to retiring front-line apparatus sooner than 15 years. In our District, our front-line apparatus's high use and mileage suggest retirement sooner than 15 years.
The acquisition of the apparatus in this order will accomplish several objectives. The new apparatus will directly and immediately impact the District's ability to provide increased reliability for emergency response, as compared to the existing fleet, with reduced out-of-service time for maintenance and repairs. The new apparatus will also have a direct and immediate impact on reducing maintenance costs now and into the future not only because of the age of the apparatus but also the quality of the apparatus being acquired. The new apparatus will enable the District to comply with NFPA 1901 and 1911 recommendations, increasing firefighter safety and fleet reliability. The need for safe, reliable, and modern fire apparatus is paramount to fulfilling the District's mission.
If approved, these two new TDAs will arrive in approximately 37 months and will be in service shortly after delivery. The older apparatus will rotate to reserve status.
Under the contract, the District shall indemnify Golden State Fire Apparatus for losses arising from the District's use of the TDAs after delivery.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If not approved, the District cannot acquire these new TDAs. The current age and condition of the fleet would continue to deteriorate and negatively impact the District's ability to provide safe, reliable, and effective emergency response. Additionally, increased maintenance costs would adversely impact the operational budget, and mechanical breakdowns would increase out-of-service time for fire crews.