Title
Fire Department First Responder Supplies and Equipment
Action
Action:
A. Approve the purchase of first responder supplies and equipment from a cooperative contract,
B. Approve a unit price contract with Rhinehart Family Company for the purchase of first responder supplies and equipment for a term of one year under North Carolina Sheriff’s Association contract #26-03-0521, and
C. Authorize the City Manager to renew the contract for additional terms as long as the cooperative contract is in effect, at prices and terms that are the same or more favorable than those under the cooperative contract.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Reginald Johnson, Fire
Jeff Matthew, Fire
Explanation
§ The Charlotte Fire Department purchases miscellaneous fire equipment for new apparatus and life cycle management. This equipment includes, but is not limited to, rope rescue equipment, hand tools, ladders, breathing apparatus parts, and other tools and devices that may be required for emergency response.
§ NC General Statute Section 143-129(e)(3) allows local governments to purchase from formally organized cooperative purchasing contracts.
§ A cooperative purchasing agreement results from the consolidation and competitive solicitation of multiple public agency requirements. By aggregating common needs, all agencies can leverage economies of scale, such as volume discounts, improved terms and conditions, reduced administrative costs, and access to professional and technical expertise.
§ Annual expenditures are estimated to be $420,000.
Charlotte Business INClusion
Cooperative purchasing contracts leverage contracts established by other governmental agencies and do not involve the city conducting a bidding process and are thus exempt from CBI Program goals. Subcontracting opportunities are typically not feasible under cooperative purchasing arrangements.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Fire Operating Budget