9.1 - City of Watsonville

City Council 9.1
By Carlos J. Palacios at 2:59 pm, Jun 23, 2011
City of Watsonville
Fire Department
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
June 23, 2011
TO:
Carlos J. Palacios, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Bisbee, Fire Chief
SUBJECT:
Report on Aerial Ladder Truck
AGENDA ITEM:
June 28, 2011
By Mark Bisbee at 11:33 am, Jun 23, 2011
City Council
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council accepts this report on the aerial ladder truck.
DISCUSSION:
The Watsonville Fire Department has purchased a 1999 KME aerial ladder truck which is currently
being refurbished by Fire Trucks Plus in Rancho Cucamonga. DMV paperwork is complete, listing the
City of Watsonville as owner and a comprehensive bumper-to-bumper inspection has been performed by
our personnel in conjunction with Fire Trucks Plus staff. The 4-6 month detailed refurbishment process
has been underway since December 2010.
While the wait has indeed been much longer than any of the involved parties originally anticipated (see
explanations below) we are confident that this is an exceptional purchase and gives us a very reliable
aerial ladder truck -that matches our current one almost exactly- at a fraction of the market price.
In March 2006, an alternative CDBG request of $850k was submitted for the purchase of a second
ladder truck. (Historically, the City has had two, and it fulfills the WFD’s policy of building up a
redundant fleet system that withstands mechanical breakdowns, disaster staffing, and high-peak usage
needs for this regional resource.)
Upon notification by the Redevelopment and Housing Director -which handles CDBG funding for the
City- that the project may be funded up to $225k, we began to shop for a used truck instead of a new
one. After a nationwide search, only one used tiller ladder truck was on the market, with the potential of
another one available in the near future. On April 1, 2008 a letter of Intent was sent to Fire Truck Plus
listing a 1992 Pierce and the 1999 KME.
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On April 9, 2008, Fire Captain Ron Rackley and Phil Adkins from the Public Works Department went
to the Los Angeles area (travel expenses were paid by Fire Trucks Plus) to view both aerials. They
reported back that the 1999 KME was far superior to the 1992 Pierce, and advised that if we were
patient for the KME to become available, it would be well worth the wait. We decided to purchase the
1992 Pierce because it was currently on the market, with the caveat that if/when the KME became
available, we could obtain that truck in place of the Pierce.
The reason the KME is much more suitable to our needs is that it is newer –and so has a longer service
life- and it also matches our current ladder truck in specifications: from the compartment configuration
to the size of the water tank and all mechanical features. This allows the WFD to stock parts, and
maintain a fleet of matching fire engines and matching ladder trucks. Maintaining and operating from
this perspective is directly in line with the WFD’s Fleet Management Plan.
Two main external factors are responsible for the extended time frame in obtaining this vehicle. The first
delay was due to internal resistance within the City of Pasadena regarding the release of the 1999 KME.
The Pasadena Fire Department’s (PFD) fleet manager, Battalion Chief Scott Dandridge, had to
overcome challenges in convincing the City’s Fleet manager to agree to a plan for releasing the KME
sooner than expected.
The PFD had two types of ladder trucks: medium and heavy. The KME is considered a heavy, due to
the size, construction, overall weight and load capacity of the aerial ladder. The Seagrave Company, by
contrast, has what is considered a medium truck, with a lighter tip load capacity. The PFD has Seagrave
engines and trucks in its fleet, and desired the medium truck specifications.
The internal resistance within the City of Pasadena held up their releasing of the KME because it was
contingent upon their ability to purchase another Seagrave ladder truck and obtain Council approval.
Paul Batista of Fire Trucks Plus gave me regular updates on this process, which I believed could be
resolved in relatively short order (although it ended up dragging on for quite some time). It still
appeared to be a viable option to the 1992 Pierce, and it still seemed as though patience would pay off as
these issues were addressed in Pasadena.
The second external factor influencing the delay in delivery came when the PFD became aware that the
City of Long Beach had a Seagrave ladder truck up for replacement. When this occurred,
Paul Batista, of Fire Trucks Plus, offered to act as a broker, purchasing the Seagrave truck from Long
Beach as a means of facilitating a three-way deal that would allow Pasadena to release the KME for
refurbishment.
After the purchase had been agreed to with the City of Long Beach, the new Finance Director there
noticed that there were internal purchasing procedures that needed to be resolved. This further delayed
the process and caused Fire Trucks Plus to eventually purchase the Seagrave, but at a higher price than
originally agreed. Once the bid for the Seagrave was accepted, the PFD then released the KME with title
to Fire Trucks Plus for refurbishment and delivery to Watsonville Fire.
The refurbishment process is being conducted by Fire Trucks Plus and covers all of the items listed in
Attachment A.
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An additional on-site inspection of the truck was conducted in April by Chief Martin Del Campo and
Equipment Mechanic III Martin Martinez, touring the Fire Trucks Plus facility and viewing all three
trucks in question. In addition, they inspected and test drove the KME.
It should be noted that throughout this entire process, Paul Batista of Fire Trucks Plus has kept City staff
informed and has honored the original purchase price, despite the fact that this process has taken up
much of his time and the fact that we will be receiving an aerial ladder truck that is newer, in
outstanding condition, and a sister unit to the one we have.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This staff report is directly related to the 2009-2011 Strategic Plan goal of a Safe and Healthy
Community.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total amount of CDBG funding is $225,000 for the apparatus only. The equipment to be carried on
the truck is funded through Fire Impact fees at $174,000.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
A: Refurbishment list
B: Invoice
C: DMV Registration
D: Truck Equipment List
cc:
City Attorney
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