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-rep...
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