Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorize the City Manager to execute a sole source contract with Environmental and Lubrication Solutions for the purchase of F-500 Encapsulator Agent (EA). The contract limit will be $22,000 per year for one year with the option to renew annually for up to four consecutive years for a maximum of 5 years.
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Deadline for Action: 5/2/2022
Submitting Department: Fire Department
Contact Name and Phone Number: Dan Griswold, Fire Chief, 713-4220; Tom Van Grouw, Battalion Chief, 713-4265; Crissy Balderama, Administrative Analyst, 713-4513
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to execute a sole source contract with Environmental & Lubrication Solutions for the purchase of F-500 Encapsulator Agent (EA). The contract limit will be $22,000 per year for one year with the option to renew annually for up to four consecutive years for a maximum of five years.
Background Discussion:
The Fire Department entered a sole source contract with Environmental & Lubrication Solutions in February 2017 for the purchase of F-500 Encapsulator Agent (EA). Environmental & Lubrication Solutions is the only authorized distributor of F-500 Encapsulator Agent for the State of California and has provided an exclusive distributorship letter and certificate. The original contract limit was $10,000 annually for up to 5 years. In 2020, the contract was increased to not exceed $22,000 for the last two years of the contract term. The increase was justified to accommodate an increase in structure fires and related F-500 EA use and an increase in the cost of F-500 EA. F-500 is only used on actual fires and the amount used relates to the number and size of the fires the fire department responds to. The increased contract amount required City Council approval. F-500 EA has proven effective, and the Fire Department would like to continue the use of F-500 EA by establishing another contract with Environmental & Lubrication Solutions. The proposed contract amount is set to absorb some cost and/or use increases should Fire Administration choose to extend the contract past the first year as has been done in the past. The proposed contract does allow for the supplier to request a contract increase by Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year in response to inflation. Any contract increase request is required to be reviewed and approved by City staff. If contract increase requests are approved, the total contract amount could increase above $22,000 by the amount a CPI increase would justify.
F-500 (EA) for fire suppression is the only multipurpose agent that enhances the effectiveness of water and makes firefighting more effective on a broad range of Class A (ordinary combustibles), Class B (flammable liquids), and Class D (flammable metals) fires. The multi-class use of F-500 is an advantage over traditional firefighting foams that are specifically designed for a single fire class. Additionally, F-500 is the only product effective on fires involving lithium batteries, magnesium, and titanium. F-500 is also the only product that is biodegradable, non-hazardous, and does not contain carcinogens.
F-500’s fuel encapsulation technology envelopes hydrocarbon fuels and their vapors rendering them non-flammable and non-ignitable. F-500 enhances the effectiveness of water by lowering the surface tension of the water and allowing it to spread rapidly over the fuel area and to penetrate surfaces quickly. Additionally, a solution of F-500 and water absorbs as much as six to ten times the heat that plain water can through steam conversion. The described features of F-500 all contribute to enhancing the overall effectiveness of water allowing for minimized water use.
F-500 is carried in a separate cell on each fire engine. This cell is plumbed in with the fire pump and the operator controls the desired proportion of F-500 and water. The F-500/water solution is then applied using common firefighting nozzles.
Fiscal Impact:
F-500 Encapsulator Agent is budgeted in Fire Emergency Serv/Operations 2222-54450 (Chemicals).
Prior Council Action: None
Other: N/A
Alternatives: None Recommended
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to execute a sole source contract with Environmental and Lubrication Solutions for the purchase of F-500 Encapsulator Agent (EA). The contract limit will be $22,000 per year for one year with the option to renew annually for up to four consecutive years for a maximum of 5 years.
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments:
Attachment #1 - Sole Source Letter - Environmental & Lubrication Solution
Attachment #2 - Visalia Quote - Per Pallet