HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 - Emergency Purchase of Breathing Air CompressorCouncil Agenda
March 26, 2002
Item No. 10
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Timothy Riley, Fire Chief
Subject: Notification of Emergency Purchase of Breathing Air Compressor
RECOMMENDATION
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BACKGROUND
As part of the normal 2001 /2002 budget process, the Fire Department has budgeted for
and developed specifications for the replacement of its self - contained breathing air
compressor unit. This unit is used to refill our firefighter self - contained breathing
apparatus (SCBA) bottles as well as our lifeguard self - contained underwater breathing
apparatus (SCUBA) bottles with high - quality breathing air. The current unit is a 1983
Bauer compressor unit, 19 years old, that does not meet the capacity or safety
specifications required to meet the rigid air quality and personnel safety standards of
today.
Fire Department staff has researched the available compressors available in the market
today and determined that only the Bauer Unicus II compressor meets our department
requirements. This new unit will be a skid - mounted unit as opposed to a truck - mounted
unit. This allows us to meet our air needs and eliminate one piece of motorized
equipment from our fleet. The total purchase price for this unit, including delivery and
setup is $39,590.89.
Staff had prepared the purchase order and intended to bring this item before the City
Council for approval at the March 26, 2002, council meeting. Two weeks ago, the air
produced by our existing compressor unit tested in the contaminated range. Since that
time, we have been going to Costa Mesa Fire Department to fill our bottles. After two
weeks of testing by qualified service technicians, it was determined that the cylinder head
was leaking and contaminating the breathing air with oil, rendering the air unfit for fire or
lifeguard use. The estimated cost to repair the unit was $3,000.00. Staff feels that a repair
bill of $3,000.00 on a unit scheduled for immediate replacement was both untimely and
unwise.
The City's Purchasing Guidelines authorize the City Manager to waive the formal
purchasing guidelines if the City Manager feels if it is in the best interest of the City. The
City Manager, the Administrative Services Director and the Fire Chief all agree that the
replacement of our breathing air compressor under these circumstances constitutes an
urgent situation. Therefore, the City Manager has approved the issuance of an emergency
purchase order for the air compressor unit described in the attached quotation. Sufficient
funds are authorized in the current Fiscal Year 2001/2002 budget.