To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Golden State Fire Apparatus Purchase Contract for One Heavy Rescue Apparatus
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a purchase contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc., for the manufacture and sale of one (1) Heavy Duty Rescue vehicle, in an amount not to exceed $1,800,000.
FISCAL IMPACT:
80% Federal Grant Funds 20% Fire District General Operating Fund
This expenditure is grant-funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Federal share of this grant is $1,454,545, and the District match is approximately $145,454. This purchasing authority includes an additional $200,000 to allow for contingencies. The District will purchase this vehicle using the District’s Operating Fund Balance and will receive reimbursement from the grant.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is an all-hazards response agency, which includes technical rescue and disaster response. According to the USGS, the San Francisco Bay Area has a one in three chance of producing an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater in the next decade. An earthquake of this magnitude could have substantial impacts on Contra Costa County and would likely result in the collapse of buildings and have infrastructure impacts.
Technical rescue apparatus is specialized and classified by the California Office of Emergency Services based on the type of equipment carried and the types of calls to which it can respond. The District currently has two apparatus that are considered Type 2 Medium Duty Rescues. These rescues are mobile and carry a large complement of equipment that can mitigate a number of rescue calls but do not carry the tools necessary for heavy breaching and breaking of concrete floors and rubble that would likely result from a significant earthquake.
The proposed grant-funded Type 1 Heavy Rescue will augment the current two Type 2 Medium Duty Rescues owned by the District. The new vehicle will have additional equipment and the capacity to respond to large-scale, extended rescue operations, structural collapse incidents involving failure of heavy floor, pre-cast concrete, and steel frame construction, high angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, mass transportation rescue and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) incidents.
The Type 1 Heavy Rescue acquisition will positively impact District operations and public safety. Investing in the District’s rescue fleet will allow the District to have modern, reliable equipment and increased response capacity during large-scale events.
The purchase contract contains an indemnification provision from the District to Golden State Fire Apparatus.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval, the District would have to identify alternate means to acquire the new apparatus. This will negatively impact the District's ability to provide large-scale rescue operations and disaster response. Delaying this purchase will lead to future cost increases and the loss of grant funding.