To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Budget Amendment for purchase of SCBA equipment
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting in its capacity as the Board of Directors for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE Budget Amendment No. BDA-25-00160 to appropriate fund balance in the amount of $5,500,000 from the Fire District Fund Balance to the Fire District General Operating Fund (7300) under medical & lab supplies and equipment, for the purchase of SCBA equipment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Due to the failure to secure federal Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) funds, the full amount of $5,500,000 for the purchase of SCBA equipment will be covered by Fire District reserves. The District is requesting to transfer $5,500,000 from the Fire District’s General Operating Fund Balance to the Fire District’s General Operating budget (FY25-26).
BACKGROUND:
This budget amendment is necessary to support the board action of November 4, 2025 approving the purchase of SCBA equipment.
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), along with the firefighter’s personal protective equipment, is the primary safety equipment that allows firefighters to operate in smoke and heat filled environments that are immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH). Operating in IDLH environments, whether to effect a rescue of a fire victim, find and extinguish a fire within a structure, extinguish a vehicle fire or any other fire involving toxic or hazardous smoke, or wearing a hazardous materials entry suit, all require the use of a SCBA.
The District has applied for AFG funds to support this project for the last three years, but has been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant award. As a result, the District must purchase this necessary safety equipment without external funding support.
The purchase will be made pursuant to a HGAC cooperative purchasing competitive solicitation (HGACBuy Solicitation EE11-24 contract) along with an additional substantial discount from the fire equipment distributor, Allstate Fire Equipment, Inc.
The total anticipated costs of the purchase are $5,324,955 including sales tax of 8.75%. The maximum total amount in this board action is proposed at $5,500,000 to account for unforeseen cost increases. This purchase will consist of 435 SCBA with mask-mounted regulators for fire suppression uses, 16 SCBA with mask-mounted regulators for hazardous materials response uses, 800 air cylinders, 700 facepieces, 300 additional mask-mounted regulators, and various other necessary parts and equipment to fully outfit the District’s needs, and completely replace the current aging SCBA equipment in use at all fire stations and on all fire apparatus.
It is anticipated the SCBA equipment would be delivered no later than March, 2026 with a projected in-service date and full conversion to the new equipment by the end of May, 2026.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The District would not be able to issue the purchase order for SCBA equipment as approved by the Board of Directors on November 4, 2025.