Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Fire Medical

To:	Dave Corliss, City Manager
From:	Mark Bradford, Fire Chief
Date:	October 8, 2008
Re:	Protective Clothing Replacement Funding Request

Background:

The Fire Medical department issues and maintains one protective coat and pant to each uniformed member of the department in addition to other related items to complete a full protective clothing ensemble.  Protective clothing has generally been utilized until it was worn to a point that is no longer serviceable and was in immediate need of replacement.  The department implemented an inspection program for personal protective clothing to meet safety requirements established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  Complete inspections of all department personnel were recently completed for 2008.  All Garments were rated overall as needing Replaced, Repaired or Satisfactory. Mixing of current garments can result in differing levels of thermal protection and gaps that can result in burns.  It is recommended that firefighters in the Department us the same gear.

Current Status:

This year’s inspection results revealed approximately 26 coats and 21 pants in need of replacement and others in need of repair.  The total cost for replacement is $34,948.  The current budget line item has approximately $ 39,000 for replacing firefighting safety equipment including protective coats, pants, gloves, helmets, boots, hoods, etc.  All manufacturers recommend matching pants and coats from the same manufacturer. 

Action Request:

The Fire Medical department request sole source purchasing for replacement and repair of personal protective clothing totaling $34,948.  Globe manufacturing is the manufacturer of coats and pants the department Health and Safety Project Team (a labor-management team) selected to meet our requirements in 2005.  They have an exclusive dealer network in Kansas and have identified Municipal Emergency Services (MES) as the sole distributor that may sell to us.  Fair pricing has been verified through contact with others utilizing the same style of protective clothing and comparing specific components and pricing.