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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Mike Kaufman, Assistant Fire Chief
Jim Birchall, Chief Public Facilities Officer
DATE: April 10, 2025
SUBJECT:
I request that the director of purchasing be authorized to issue the necessary purchase orders to purchase and install a new Plymovent vehicle exhaust system at Fire Station #7 in the amount of $80,288 to Hastings Air Energy.
PURPOSE:
This purchase would provide a new vehicle exhaust system to Fire Station 7. The current system is inefficient and creates health and safety concerns for our personnel.
BACKGROUND:
Fire Station 7 was built in 2018 and was outfitted with an "Airvac 911" exhaust system at the time (see picture #1). This system consists of five exhaust units that sit at the ceiling level of the apparatus bay. The system is designed to activate when the vehicle is powered on and pulling in or out of the station and effectively remove the exhaust fumes. When the system was initially installed, the idea was to take advantage of new technology that would allow for easier function and less maintenance for the department. Unfortunately, the system has proven to be inefficient, even though properly maintained by our firefighters. There is a constant buildup of soot on the inside walls and sound-dampening panels. There are also older, reserve vehicles stored at station 7 that tend to push out more exhaust than the newer vehicles, which causes a larger risk to our personnel. Personnel have expressed that when the reserve engine starts in the morning, they can smell the exhaust in the kitchen area due to the close vicinity of the exhaust pipe to the kitchen entry door (see pictures #2,3). Maintenance for this system requires our personnel to be in encapsulated suits and respiratory protection while removing the old filters full of concentrated particles of combustion. This maintenance occurs monthly while working from a large A-frame ladder at ceiling level.
All other Aurora fire stations, as well as the sta...
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