R2011-187 AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF PURCHASE ORDER

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t COUNCIL COMMUNICATION Iff DECATUR FIRE DEPARTMENT 11-03 November 18, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor Michael T. McElroy City Council Members FROM: Ryan P. McCrady, City Manager Matthew J. Sekosky, Fire Chief Ron Neufeld, Finance Director RE: Scott Self Contained Breathing Apparatus SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: In 2004 the Fire Department purchased 54 Scott Air-Pak NxG2 self contained breathing apparatus. At the time of the purchase the Department was using Scott Air-Pak 4.5 units; however they were nearing the end of their useful life and needing replacement. The Department applied for and received an Assistance to Firefighter Federal Grant (AFG) to replace the Scott 4.5 units. Last year staff began experiencing problems with the electronics in the NxG2 units. The problem was corrected under warranty; however, the correction has now led to another issue that Scott has not been able to rectify to our satisfaction. As a possible remedy Municipal Emergency Services, Inc. has offered to convert the NxG2 units to the Scott Air-Pak 75. This unit has all current NFPA required technology but eliminates the feature of the NxG2 which caused the problems. The conversion would cost $55,357.00 and include a full warranty, extending our current warranty seven years until 2026. We like this remedy and believe it will save the Department over the life of the units $112,875. BACKGROUND: The self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is an essential piece of equipment each fire fighter utilizes at fires and at emergencies when the air is unsafe to breathe. Essentially, the SCBA unit is as important to each fire fighter as is their fire protective clothing. The department has one SCBA (Scott Air-Pak NxG2) unit for every firefighter on duty each day and additional SCBA units for back-up when needed. This accounts for a total of 54 SCBAs. Each member of the Department has their own face piece that attaches to the SCBA unit. At the beginning of each shift, firefighters place their face piece onto the SCBA unit to insure the unit is working properly. The SCBAs are mounted in the seats of each fire truck (except for the driver) so firefighters can put on the unit while en-route to fires.