The Fire Department seeks to place this purchase request on the Consent Agenda for the June 6, 2022 Village Board Meeting.

Firefighting turnout gear is used on a daily basis in many applications including structural firefighting, auto extrications, EMS calls, training, technical rescue calls, and etc.  During use, the gear is exposed to many known cancer-causing chemicals.  It is necessary to clean the turnout gear after exposure to these chemicals. The Fire Department can launder the gear but there is a need to outfit personnel during this process.

This turnout gear replacement and second set program will reduce the repeated exposure to carcinogens in two primary ways.  First, by providing a second set, the firefighter has clean gear while the other is being laundered. Second, the new firefighting turnout gear will not contain the chemical per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. PFAS is a known cancer-causing chemical.

The Fire Department is working diligently toward protecting its members from exposure to cancer causing agents and this purchase will help the Fire Department accomplish this goal sooner than anticipated. Once fully implemented, the Turnout Gear Replacement and Second Set Program is an ongoing program designed to reduce exposure and to spread the costs out over time.

This purchase is made possible as a result of a budget transfer from the surplus funds of 2021 that were discussed at the March 21, 2022 Board Meeting. In addition to those funds, the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Board is also providing funds to purchase 62 sets of gear.  The price for a set of Firefighter turnout gear is $3,285, for a total of $203,670.

W.S Darley & CO is the current supplier of turnout gear for the Fire Department.  W.S Darley & CO has the sole rights by Honeywell to sell to the Arlington Heights Fire Department.

Funding for these improvements is available in the following Accounts:

Capital Projects Fund Account No. 401-3501-572.50-15 EQ9502 in the amount of $180,000

Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Fund Account No. 227-3701-512.50-15 in the amount of $23,670

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Village Board waive competitive bidding requirements and authorize the purchase of Honeywell Morning Pride turnout gear form W.S Darley & CO.  This turnout gear meets the standards of NFPA for Firefighter turnout gear. W.S Darley has written a custom specification for the Arlington Heights Fire Department that meets all of our needs and standards.  W.S Darley & CO has been a responsible vendor to the Village in the past.