Title
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A LEASE-PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH EXCELLANCE, INC. FOR A REMOUNT AMBULANCE VEHICLE FOR USE BY THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Executive Summary: Since 2004 EMS has been replacing its ambulances every 6 years, one every two years. This allows the EMS Department to control their repair costs, as the drive train warranties are 5 years or 100,000 miles, and at the same time keep the fleet reliable. EMS has chosen to once again remount the ambulance rather than replace the vehicle. This action results in a savings of over $92,000.
Body
Legislative History
Res. No. 13-134 Entered into a lease agreement with Excellance, Inc. to remount an ambulance.
Res. No. 15-147 Entered into a lease agreement with Excellance, Inc. to remount an ambulance.
Purpose & Explanation
Due to maintenance and reliability issues that EMS was experiencing with its ambulances, beginning in 2005 we reduced the life cycle from nine years to six years. This has significantly improved our operations by reducing down time and major repairs.
Council has tentatively approved, via the five-year plan, the lease/purchase of a replacement ambulance in 2018.
Excellance, Inc., the original manufacturer of this ambulance, has presented the option of remounting our old ambulance box onto a new chassis. The cost to perform this remount is $126,538.96. This will be the second remount for this ambulance box. With every remount, the box is structurally warrantied for 25 more years. We also receive a new 10-year electrical component and wiring warranty.
As we did with the last ambulance remount, we have added a power-cot with loading system to the contract, allowing us to spread the $45,758.39 cost of the cot system out over the 5-year life of the internal note, rather than spending capital funds upon delivery of the remounted squad.
The total contract cost for the remounted ambulance and power-cot system is $172,297.35
The current cost of a new ambulance with identical features as our current one, with the addition of a new power-cot & load system, is estimated to be $265,000.
In an effort to reduce expenditures and to continue with the established replacement cycle, staff recommends remounting the old ambulance box on a new chassis.
Timing Considerations
The delivery of our old ambulance to the manufacturer is estimated to be in mid to late February of 2018. At that time EMS will be running with two ambulances and putting the Emergency Incident Support Unit (4016) into service if one of the remaining units is out for maintenance.
With Council approval, the contract will be signed and the order placed in December of 2017. Expected delivery of the newly remounted ambulance to Hudson is May 31, 2018.
Fiscal Impact
X Currently Budgeted (approved in the Five-Year Plan)
Supplemental Appropriation Required
Appropriation Not Required
Recommendation
Suggested Action
Staff recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement for the purchase of a remount ambulance for the Emergency Medical Service and selecting Excellance Inc. of Madison, Alabama, as the lowest and best bidder.
Submitted by,
Jane Howington, City Manager
Jerry Varnes, Fire/EMS Chief