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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-04-2002 - 8sr2 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 4, 2002 Action Agen Item No. SUBJECT: Confirmation of Plans to Purchase Replacement Initial Response Vehicles DEPARTMENT: Purchasing and Central Services/Emergency Management ATTACHMENT(S): Staff Analysis — EMS, Vehicles INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jones, 245 -2652 Nick Waters, 644 -3030 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 336 -227 -2031 PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No PURPOSE: To consider confirming steps being taken by staff to purchase replacement vehicles for the Emergency Management Department. BACKGROUND: Since 1996, Orange County has had in place an award- winning program for delivery of Emergency Medical Services through the deployment of paramedics driving Initial Response Vehicles (IRVs). It is essential to this critical County service that the vehicles involved be highly safe, reliable and functional. As the County's fleet of IRVs has accumulated increasingly high mileage and emerging maintenance issues, funds were included in the current and previous years' Capital Investment Plans (CIP) to address replacement of these vehicles. The Orange County Purchasing Department staff generally purchases vehicles from contracts bid and awarded by the State of North Carolina. This eliminates the need for the Board of Commissioners to take formal action to award a bid as long as the vehicles are purchased in accordance with the Capital Investment Plan and budgetary Bever) BI he absre Iacementirvs0604.doc Pa e , . • appropriations as approved by the Board. However, in recognition of the Board's recent comments regarding the desirability of examining the potential delay of various capital expenditures due to the constrained financial landscape under which the Countyls now operating, staff are asking the Board to authorize this specific purchase of replacement EMS vehicles. The Emergency Management Department has conducted an assessment over the past year to determine the most appropriate type of vehicle for use in as an initial response vehicle (IRV). As the Board may recall, when the IRV program was undertaken in October 1996, because of their immediate availability, the program utilized surplus Sheriffs vehicles as the response vehicle. However, due to a variety of reasons, as outlined in the accompanying staff analysis, the assessment results indicate that an SUV would be more serviceable and appropriate to serve as the IRV. The results of the analysis have only recently become available and unfortunately, the contract model period for the SUVs has expired. The low bidder for the 2002 model apparently underbid his vehicle such that there is no profitability to sell them under the State contract. As a result, the dealer brought in no extra vehicles to accommodate end of year purchases as might be customary in a normal situation. However, it has come to our attention that as many as ten vehicles were rejected by the State (the State wanted 16 inch wheels on their vehicles — these have 15 inch wheels which meet Orange County's needs) and returned to the dealer. As of Friday, May 31, 2002, it is our understanding that nine vehicles remained available for purchase at the awarded State contract price of $21,535. These vehicles are also available for purchase by other local governments at the State contract price or to the public at market price. It is likely that the dealer will attempt to minimize as much of the impact of his unprofitable bid as possible, so it is not likely the vehicles will remain available for an extended period. While the County could bid these vehicles independently, it is not likely to obtain a better price, if in fact the vehicles are available at all from any other source. Since the model year has closed, dealers would be bidding what is on their own or other dealership lots, which may or may not be consistent with the County's specifications. It is more likely that the vehicles could not be purchased until the bid is awarded by the State for the 2003 model (award anticipated in the October - December 2002 timeframe), with actual delivery and placement of the vehicles in service several months later than that. Since,it is highly likely that the 2003 model year vehicles will be substantially higher in cost and since funds have been appropriated for this purchase in the 2001 -2011 CIP, staff is recommending that the Board take advantage of the vehicles turned back to the dealer and authorize their immediate purchase. FINANCIAL IMPACT: A maximum of nine vehicles would be purchased at a cost of $21,535 per vehicle. With additional per vehicle costs of about $2,500 to fully equip each with emergency lights, communications devices, and the like, the total cost of the purchase is estimated at $216,315. Adequate unexpended funds are available through the 2001 -02 EMS Equipment and EMS Vehicles Capital Project Ordinances to support this purchase. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the board authorize the Director of Purchasing and Central Services to execute an order for 2002 Dodge Durangos as turned back Bevel BI he - absre Iacementirvs0604.doc Pa e 3 Bever) BI he - absre Iaciementirvs0604.doc Page 4 r 4 Orange County Staff Analysis Emergency Medical Services Vehicles Background: In 1996, the Emergency Management Department initiated the County's award- winning Initial Response Vehicle (IRV) program. At that time, in an effort to minimize start -up costs for the program and to ensure prompt implementation of the IRV system, the County elected to use surplused Sheriffs vehicles instead of purchasing new vehicles. Currently, the program has ten Initial Response Vehicles (IRVs) assigned to its fleet. Four of the vehicles are ones that were transferred from the Sheriffs fleet to EMS over the last few years. The year model of those vehicles ranges from 1992 to 2000. The County purchased five of the remaining six IRV's new in 1998 and the last one in 2000. The following table lists the make, model year and mileage of the assigned IRV vehicles: * Make Model Mileage Year Chevrolet Caprice* 1994 .156 432 Chevrolet Caprice* 1995 179,559 Ford Crown Victoria* 1997- 141,000 Ford Crown Victoria 1998 143,343 Ford Crown Victoria 1998 102,750 Ford Crown Victoria 1998 109,643 Ford Crown Victoria 1998 107,370 Ford Crown Victoria 2000 87,776 Ford Crown Victoria* 1992 145,000 denotes Sheriff Department surplused vehicles ** denotes wrecked vehicles not currently in operation It is important to note that two of the assigned vehicles outlined above are not operational because they were damaged in automobile accidents last year. Since one of these vehicles was a surplus vehicle from the Sheriff Department and both had high mileage, their value is quite low and it would not be economically feasible to repair them. The EMS division was scheduled to receive two additional vehicles from the Sheriffs department during fiscal year 1999 -2000, in conjunction with three new paramedic position's approved that year. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the vehicles were never transferred. Need: • Staff has conducted an assessment during the past year to determine the most appropriate type of initial response vehicle for use. For the following reasons, staff has determined that a sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a more appropriate vehicle to use than the currently used sedan vehicle: o The volume and type of equipment being used is causing occasional injuries to the ** Ford Crown Victori a** 1998 109,220 Beverly BI he • absre acementirvs0604.doc _ Pa e5- paramedic's back and shoulders from lifting the equipment from the trunk of the sedans. The department has experienced four paramedics having 4 to 6 days of sick leave each this year because of injuries. o The medical standard of care has advanced over the past five years, requiring an increased amount of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and supplies to be carried in each IRV. The amount of equipment stored in the current sedans makes much of the equipment inaccessible and ergonomicalIV awkward to remove from the vehicle for use. o .Sport Utility Vehicles could better accommodate this increased amount of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and supplies required, allow for quicker and safer access to the equipment, and provide easier access .to scenes off the road and during inclement winter weather. Request: • Staff recommends purchasing nine (9) four -wheel drive Dodge Durango SUVs. • Other surrounding jurisdictions (i.e. Durham and Wake counties) currently use SUVs for their Quick Response Vehicles (QRVs). Most are utilizing either Chevrolet Blazers or Chevrolet Suburbans, which are considerably more expensive than Dodge Durangos. • In cost comparison, a four -door sedan base price is $19,655, while a Dodge Durango is $21,535, a cost differential of $1,880. • To outfit each vehicle with the necessary equipment (i.e. light bars, strobe sets, sirens, radios, etc.) will cost an additional $2,500 per vehicle. • The table below outlines the estimated cost of the request: Base Vehicle Cost $21,535 Cost to Outfit Vehicle $2,500 Total Estimated Vehicle Cost $24,035 # Vehicles Requested 9 Total Request $216,315