REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Award of Purchase Orders to Fire-Dex, LION First Responder PPE, L.N. Curtis, Ricochet Manufacturing Company, and/or their Authorized Dealers for the Purchase of Personal Protective Equipment for Santa Clara Fire Department Emergency Response Personnel, in an Aggregate Maximum Compensation Not-to-Exceed Amount of $2,737,817.
Report
BACKGROUND
The Santa Clara Fire Department (Fire Department) provides emergency services including fire suppression, emergency medical response, hazardous materials mitigation, and technical rescue operations. To safely perform these duties in hazardous environments, firefighters rely on specialized Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as turnout coats, pants, helmets, gloves, boots, and protective hoods.
To ensure consistent safety and performance across the fire service, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) establishes consensus-based standards and codes that public agencies widely adopt. NFPA Standard 1851 (Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting) establishes requirements for the selection, care, and maintenance of firefighting PPE to reduce health and safety risks associated with improper maintenance, contamination, or damage. Under this standard, PPE must be retired no later than 10 years from the date of manufacture, regardless of its condition. In addition to NFPA 1851, NFPA 1971 (Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting) establishes the design and performance requirements for structural firefighting protective ensembles, focusing on protection from thermal, physical, and blood-borne hazards.
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Recent research has highlighted health concerns associated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are commonly used in turnout gear to provide water and oil-repellent coatings properties. Studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have detected PFAS chemicals in multiple layers of firefighter PPE, raising concerns about potential dermal exposure. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to several health issues, such as increased cancer risk. Elevated PFAS levels have been documented in the blood of firefighters, likely due in part to prolonged exposure to contaminated gear.
Consequently, there is an ongoing push from fire departments and firefighter organizations to transition to alternative materials that contain limited PFAS. In response, organizations including the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the NFPA are advancing initiatives to lower PFAS levels in PPE. Fire departments are transitioning to new turnout gear that contain less PFAS chemicals, aiming to protect the health and safety of their personnel. On September 18, 2024, NFPA 1970 (Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Firefighting, Work Apparel and Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services) and Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) took effect. This consolidated standard integrates former NFPA 1971, 1975, 1981, and 1982 standards and sets measurable limits for PFAS content in PPE materials. Manufacturers of PPE were granted a one-year transition period to begin producing compliant, PFAS-reduced PPE.
In alignment with these evolving standards, California Assembly Bill 1817, effective January 1, 2025, prohibits the sale of new textile articles that contain intentionally added PFAS above established thresholds. Accordingly, the Fire Department is actively pursuing vendors that can provide PPE with reduced PFAS materials. As of October 2025, a PPE moisture barrier for structural firefighting gear with lower levels of PFAS has become available. Therefore, all three layers of structural firefighting gear (outer shell, moisture barrier, and internal thermal layer) are now available to purchase, and the Fire Department plans to begin transitioning to compliant gear in FY 2025/26.
Firefighter Staffing and Turnout Gear Demand
The Fire Department’s PPE replacement program ensures that firefighters are equipped with safe, serviceable gear and that the City remains compliant with NFPA and Cal/OSHA safety requirements. Annually, several sets of gear reach or exceed their 10-year lifecycle, requiring replacement.
The department currently has 155 public safety personnel who require PPE. Each firefighter is issued two complete sets of turnout gear upon hire to ensure availability for decontamination and rotation during emergency operations. A “set” includes:
• Structural fire turnout coats, pants, and suspenders
• Structural fire boots, helmet, gloves, and hood
• EMS jacket
• Eye protection
• Wildland fire turnout coat, pants, boots, helmet, gloves, and googles
• Structural fire and wildland gear bags
• Specialized technical rescue PPE based on assignment
The Fire Department typically conducts a fire academy for new hires every two years. Replacement quantities vary annually based on the number of damaged or expiring items. The PPE replacement schedule (Attachment 1) anticipates replacement of approximately 25-40 sets of turnout coats and pants each year, in accordance with NFPA guidelines. The remaining PPE equipment purchased annually includes the replacement of wildland fire PPE or miscellaneous equipment that has either been damaged or is nearing the end of its life.
DISCUSSION
Given the variability in gear fit, comfort, and durability across manufacturers, the Fire Department requires flexibility to test and procure turnout gear from multiple vendors periodically. Differences in material design, mobility, and heat protection can significantly affect performance and safety. To support this need while maintaining compliance with the City’s procurement policies, staff is requesting City Council authorization to issue purchase orders under multiple cooperative purchasing agreements.
This approach allows the Fire Department to test and evaluate various NFPA-compliant gear from different manufacturers, select the most appropriate models, and streamline the procurement process without issuing separate solicitations for each requirement.
Use of Multiple Cooperative Agreements
Pursuant to Santa Clara City Code Section 2.105.270(c), the City may, without observing competitive procurement requirements, contract directly with a vendor under a contract awarded using pre-established cooperative purchasing agreements when such agreement results from a competitive bid process that meets or exceeds the City’s competitive bid process.
After reviewing available cooperative options, the Purchasing Division and Fire Department identified four cooperative agreements available through Sourcewell that provide access to a wide range of NFPA-compliant turnout gear vendors. Sourcewell is a service cooperative established by the Minnesota legislature as a local unit of government, governed by local elected municipal officials and school board members. In November 2023, Sourcewell conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) for firefighting PPE, apparel, and accessories. Nineteen proposals were received in response to the RFP, and multiple vendors were awarded contracts through a competitive process. The term of the contracts with the awarded vendors includes an initial four-year term through March 27, 2028, with three one-year options through March 27, 2031. These agreements, summarized in Table 1, enable the Fire Department to purchase PPE directly from approved manufacturers at competitive, pre-negotiated discounts.
Table 1 - Summary of Cooperative Agreements
|
Cooperative |
Contract # |
Vendor |
Manufacturers of Turnout Gear Carried |
Discount |
|
Sourcewell |
010424-FDX |
Fire-Dex |
Fire-Dex |
45% off list |
|
|
010424-LIO |
LION First Responder PPE |
LION |
10-35% off list |
|
|
010424-LNC |
L.N. Curtis & Sons |
Globe, Innotex, Crewboss, Lakeland, and PGI |
10-37% off list |
|
|
010424-RIC |
Ricochet Manufacturing Company |
Ricochet |
40% off list |
Aggregate Authorization Requested
Staff is seeking City Council authorization to issue purchase orders to Fire-Dex (Attachment 2), LION First Responder PPE (Attachment 3), L.N. Curtis & Sons (Attachment 4), Ricochet Manufacturing (Attachment 5), and/or their authorized dealers for firefighter turnout gear and related PPE. The total aggregate maximum compensation requested is $2,737,817, inclusive of a 10% contingency of $248,893.
This authorization will allow the Fire Department to purchase new and replacement sets of NFPA-compliant turnout gear and other PPE for existing staff and future fire academy recruits in accordance with the department’s replacement schedule. Table 2 below summarizes the estimated turnout gear needs and cost assumptions by fiscal year.
Table 2 - Estimated Turnout Gear and PPE Expenditures by Fiscal Year
|
Fiscal Year |
Recruit /Academy Gear (Sets) |
Replacement Gear for Existing Staff (Sets) |
Total Estimated Cost for PPE, Equipment, and Services |
|
FY 2025/26 |
20 |
37 |
$345,957 |
|
FY 2026/27 |
0 |
35 |
$527,219 |
|
FY 2027/28 |
20 |
25 |
$326,403 |
|
FY 2028/29 |
0 |
35 |
$531,600 |
|
FY 2029/30 |
20 |
25 |
$420,888 |
|
FY 2030/31 |
0 |
35 |
$585,750 |
|
10% Contingency |
|
|
$248,893 |
|
TOTAL |
60 |
192 |
$2,737,817 |
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total aggregate maximum compensation for the purchase orders through March 27, 2031, is $2,737,817, which includes a 10% contingency of $248,893. Funding for purchases in FY 2025/26 is approved in the Fire Department’s Operating Budget. Funding for subsequent years is subject to annual budget appropriations.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute purchase orders consistent with the pricing, terms, and conditions of the Sourcewell cooperative agreements with Fire-Dex, LION First Responder PPE, L.N. Curtis, Ricochet Manufacturing Company and/or their authorized dealers for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment for the Fire Department through March 27, 2031, in a total aggregate maximum compensation amount not-to-exceed $2,737,817, inclusive of a 10% contingency and applicable taxes, subject to the appropriation of funds and review and approval as to form by the City Attorney.
Staff
Reviewed by: Ruben Torres, Fire Chief
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. PPE Forecasted Budget
2. Fire-Dex Contract
3. LION First Responder Contract
4. L.N. Curtis Contract
5. Ricochet Manufacturing Company Contract