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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irving
FROM: David McCabe, Assistant Chief of Services - Aurora Fire Department
DATE: December 13, 2019
SUBJECT:
Resolution authorizing the purchase of one (1) 2020 Wheeled Coach Ford F-550 4x4 diesel Type I ambulance for the amount of $292,826.00 from Fire Service Inc.
PURPOSE:
To purchase one (1) 2020 Wheeled Coach Ford F-550 4x4 diesel Type I ambulance, from Fire Service Inc. to replace a 2015 ambulance that has reached the end of its service life as a front-line vehicle as recommended by Equipment Services.
BACKGROUND:
The Aurora Fire Department routinely replaces vehicles that are nearing or have exceeded their service life for a frontline ambulance as recommended by Equipment Services. Medic 3 is a 2015 ambulance has met the criteria for replacement. The fire department desires to make Medic 3 a reserve ambulance to be housed at Station 7 on the near southwest part of the city.
DISCUSSION:
Fire Service Inc. is the area dealer for the Wheeled Coach brand ambulance. The City of Aurora last purchased a Wheeled Coach ambulance from Fire Service Inc. in January of 2019. The Fire Service, Inc. contract with the City of Aurora contains language that allows the right to add additional units to that contract, with a guaranteed maximum mark-up (tag-on language).
There is an increased cost for the ambulance from January of 2019 (which reflected 2018 pricing) due to material cost increases, increases in prices for patient cot and cot loading system, an upgrade to the vehicle chassis, and a major change to the patient compartment area. Ford also is charging more for the 2020 chassis than the 2019 chassis the last ambulance was built on. The ambulance purchased in January of 2019 was purchased for $262,203.00. The 2020 budget for this vehicle is $300,000.00. By ordering the ambulance now, we will avoid an additional price increase that will take place in 2020. Fire Service, Inc. has agreed to hold this pricing until January 30, 2020.
The cost to build this ambulance as it was purchased last January would be $277,392.00. The difference between the amounts is broken down into four areas. First, the payload of the current ambulances on the Ford F450 chassis is over 300 pounds less than the Ford F550 chassis. The payload capacity of our current ambulances at times is exceeded by the weight of the power cot and loading system, crew members, and patients. When a critical patient requires additional crew members to treat them, especially larger patients, the payload capacity is surpassed. The F550 will allow more weight to be carried in the ambulance without surpassing the payload capacity. The price difference for the chassis is $2,215.00.
Second, the new ambulance would be equipped with four-wheel drive. This will make the ambulance safer to drive in inclement weather. It will also be less likely to get stuck in heavy snow, which has happened to Aurora Fire Department ambulances in the past, requiring a fire apparatus or a snow plow to respond to pull the ambulance out of the snow with a tow strap. This increases the danger to the crews, as well as delays the patient getting to the hospital for definitive treatment.
Third, the price of the Stryker Power Cot and Power Load system has increased by $2,750.00 and $511.00, respectively. The cot and load system have been instrumental in helping reduce back injuries to the fire department personnel. The cot also has a higher load rating to be able to accommodate bariatric patients in the safest way possible.
The last change to result in an increase to the cost of the vehicle is related to the design of the patient compartment. Traditionally, there are pieces of equipment and medications that may be needed to treat a patient while enroute to the hospital that can't be reached from the patient attendant seats. This results in crew members needing to remove their safety restraints to stand up and lean across the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. The new ambulance design will allow crew members to remain seated with seat belts fastened while still being able to reach all of items regularly needed to treat a critical patient. This will allow for more efficient patient care while at the same time provide for increased safety of the crew members riding in the ambulance. While this design will look different from the fire department's current fleet of ambulances, we plan to make this patient compartment the standard for future ambulance purchases.
Fleet services has been consulted for these changes to the ambulance, and they recommend both the F550 chassis and the four-wheel drive for our future ambulance purchases.
Attached is the Northwest Municipal Conference documentation which shows pricing for a vehicle similar to ours at $292,244.00, which does not include the Power Load (electric) patient cot and loading system, which adds over $40,000 to the cost of the ambulance. The Houston-Galveston Area Council, which the City of Aurora is a member of, does not list a Ford F550 4x4 diesel ambulance similar to ours on their website.
We request the ability to exercise this right and purchase an additional ambulance based on that language. Funds have been approved for 2020, and will be made available in account 255-3033-422.75-30 for this purchase, with a budgeted amount of $280,000.00. An additional $20,000.00 in account 255-3033-422-38.89 has been allocated for garage fees for the ambulance setup. Conversations with Derrick Winston at fleet services reveal an anticipated actual cost from the garage of about $8,000. The two accounts together have $300,000.00 for the ambulance purchase and prep, which is almost exactly what the actual costs appear they will be.
With the purchase of the new ambulance, the fire department also desires to maintain a fifth reserve ambulance. There are currently times when the department has no reserve ambulances available, due to schedule maintenance or mechanical issues. The department has had to borrow an ambulance from Naperville in the past to meet our obligations to provide service to the city. In the fall, the fire department is engaged with the community by providing ambulance standby service to high school football games, with as many as four on a single night. If any of the Aurora FD ambulances is not available, the department has to either send a reserve paramedic engine, or borrow an ambulance from another department. The ambulance would be licensed with the state at the basic life support (BLS) level, until all of the equipment is needed to make the ambulance fully equipped as an advanced life support (ALS) vehicle. The department does have the ability to upgrade the ambulance to ALS level with the equipment from an out-of-service ambulance with the state on a temporary basis as needed.
By keeping the fifth reserve ambulance, the department will also be better prepared for a large incident requiring call-backs of off-duty personnel. The plan would be for this ambulance to be housed at Station 7, in the southwest part of the city. Station 7 currently has the room for this vehicle.
Fire Service, Inc., has offered $5,000.00 as the trade-in value of our reserve ambulance. In 2016 a power cot and load system was installed in the reserve ambulances to help alleviate back injuries among paramedics, as well as to standardize the ambulance fleet. An estimate from a salesperson at Stryker, the cot manufacturer, estimates the value of the cot and load system at about $6,500.00, and over $15,000.00 value if we were to sell outright. We also have three years of warrant left on the loader system.
Fleet services has been consulted on the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the fifth reserve ambulance. Derrick Winston from fleet services expects a minimal increase in maintenance costs for maintaining this ambulance, if any increase at all. Reasons for this include the fact that with five reserves they won't each be driven as much, so that each reserve can have preventive maintenance done every 180 days instead of 120 days. If the vehicle needs to be used on a regular basis, it would be maintained more frequently.
The vehicle replacement request for this vehicle was completed based on using the same template for this ambulance as the last one. However, after consulting with fleet services, it was decided that the heavier duty chassis and four-wheel drive would be a major improvement for the fire department's ambulances. $280,000.00 was estimated as the purchase price for the new ambulance, and $20,000.00 was estimated to be the cost for setup at the city garage. Due to some items the garage traditionally did (such as mounting radio antennas to the roof and running the cables) now being done by Wheeled Coach during the building process, the money paid to the garage will be less. Derrick Winston estimates the garage setup fee will be about $8,000.00.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Maintaining a safe and dependable emergency response fleet enhances the ability of the Aurora Fire Department to provide emergency medical services to the citizens of Aurora. As vehicles increase in age and mileage, their dependability decreases, and the cost of maintenance of the vehicle increases dramatically.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the finance Committee accept the tag on bid from Fire Service Inc. to purchase a 2020 Wheeled Coach, Ford F-550 4x4 diesel Type I ambulance from them in the amount of $292,826.00, and allow the fire department to maintain a fifth reserve ambulance.
cc: Public Health, Safety, and Transportation Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the purchase of One (1) 2020 Wheeled Coach Ford F-550 4x4 diesel type 1 ambulance from Fire Service Inc., St. John, Indiana In the amount of $292,826.00 for the Aurora Fire Department
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Aurora Fire Department has been authorized replace ambulances on a schedule designed to maintain critical levels of response reliability and emergency services; and
WHEREAS, Resolution # R18-1113 approved by City Council on December 18, 2018 authorized the purchase of one (1) 2019 Wheeled Coach Ford F-450 type 1 ambulance for the Aurora Fire Department from Fire Services, Inc., St. John, Indiana. That contract included language that allowed a “tag-on” for additional purchases; and
WHEREAS, Fire Services Inc., has documented the 2020 Ford F-550 4x4 diesel chassis is currently available and applicable costs. The 2020 City Budget contains adequate funding for this item in accounts # 255-3033-422.75-30 and 255-3033-38.89;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois does hereby authorize the purchase of one (1) 2020 Wheeled Coach Ford F-550 4x4 diesel type 1 ambulance from Fire Services, Inc., St. John, Indiana in the amount of $292,826.00 does hereby further authorize its Director of Purchasing to issue the necessary orders to implement purchase of same.