**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

STRATEGIC SOURCING CONTRACT

  • Bid pricing must be completed online through Alameda CountyStrategic Sourcing Portal (Online Bid Process).
  • The following pages require signatures and must be scanned and uploaded to Alameda County Online Bid Process:
  1. Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, Bidder Information and Acceptancepage
  2. Must be signed by Bidder
  3. Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, SLEB Partnering Information Sheet
  4. Must be signed by Bidder
  5. Must be signed by SLEB Partner if subcontracting to a SLEB

Please read EXHIBIT A – Bid Response Packet carefully,INCOMPLETE BIDS WILL BE REJECTED. Alameda County will not accept submissions or documentation after the bid response due date. Successful uploading of a document does not equal acceptance of the document by Alameda County.

COUNTY OF ALAMEDA

REQUEST FORQUOTATION No.901146

for

Fire Equipment and Supplies

For complete information regarding this project, seeRFQposted ator contact the County representative listed below. Thank you for your interest!
Contact Person:Gina Temporal, Contracts Specialist I
Phone Number: (510) 208-9606
E-mail Address:

RESPONSE DUE

by

2:00 p.m.

on

October 25, 2013

through

Alameda County, GSA–Purchasing

Online Bid Process

Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain.

If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper.

COUNTY OF ALAMEDA

REQUEST FORQUOTATION No. 901146

SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS & CONDITIONS

for

Fire Equipment and Supplies

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I.STATEMENT OF WORK

A.INTENT

B.SCOPE/BACKGROUND

C.BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

D.SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

E.REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST GUIDELINES

F.DELIVERABLES / REPORTS

II.CALENDAR OF EVENTS

G.NETWORKING / BIDDERS CONFERENCES

III.COUNTY PROCEDURES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS

H.NOTICE OF RECOMMENDATION TO AWARD

I.TERM / TERMINATION / RENEWAL

J.QUANTITIES

K.PRICING

L.AWARD

M.METHOD OF ORDERING

N.WARRANTY

O.INVOICING

P.ACCOUNT MANAGER / SUPPORT STAFF

IV.INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

Q.COUNTY CONTACTS

R.SUBMITTAL OF BIDS

S.RESPONSE FORMAT

ATTACHMENTS

EXHIBIT A -BID RESPONSE PACKET

EXHIBIT B - INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

EXHIBIT C - VENDOR BID LIST

EXHIBIT D - REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST

Specifications, Terms & Conditions

for

Fire Equipment and Supplies

I.STATEMENT OF WORK

A.INTENT

It is the intent of these specifications, terms and conditions todescribethe fire equipment and supplies being requested by the Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD).

The County intends to award a 3-year contract (with option to renew) to the bidder selected as the lowest responsible bidder whose response meets the County’s requirements.

B.SCOPE/BACKGROUND

There are currently 26 fire stations operated by Alameda County with approximately 400 hundred firefighting personnel. The ACFD requires fire equipment, clothing, and supplies for all firefighting personnel.

The Countyrequires specific manufacturers and part numbers for the fire equipment and supplies due to fire fighter safety. A considerable amount of time and money are spent each year training County firefighters on the use of specific equipment. Changing brands requires a very large training component and having several different types presents a safety concern. The County is standardizing inventories to remove this safety issue and requires specific brands for this reason; therefore, bidders may not propose equivalent products.

ACFD requires specific styles and fabrications of the protective clothing utilized by the firefighting personnel. Exhibit D, Requirements Checklist, contains the exact requirements of the ACFD with regard to the firefighting protective garments. The contractor(s) must be in complete compliance, as deemed solely by the County, with all stated product requirements outlined in Exhibit D.

C.BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

1.BIDDER Minimum Qualifications

a.Bidder shall have a minimum of seven (7) years business experience in the provisioning of fire, rescue, safety, wild land, hazardous materials and confined space equipment and supplies. Experience shall have been gained within the last ten (10) years.

b.Contractor shall have a minimum of at least five (5) years’ service to one (1) or more large urban metropolitan city and/or county fire jurisdiction(s).

c.Contractor shall have an East Bay warehouse/distribution facility that maintains inventory of commonly sold items as determined by the ACFD.

d.Contractor shall have a verifiable service history of satisfactory responsiveness to product repairs, warranties and/or product defects.

e.Throughout the term of the contract and any subsequent renewal terms, the vendor shall possess current and valid permits, licenses and professional credentials necessary to supply product and perform services as specified under this RFQ.

D.SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

  1. All fire fighter equipment and supplies sold to the ACFD shall meet NFPA industry standards where applicable.
  2. Contractor shall be able to provide delivery services of all fire fighter equipment and supplies to the County on an as needed basis.
  3. Contractor shall have the ability to supply special or non-standard orders on products.
  4. Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting
  5. The ACFD has very specific requirements concerning the style and fabrication of protective clothing for its firefighting personnel. Please refer to Exhibit D, Requirements Checklist, for exact ACFD requirements. The County, at its sole discretion, shall have the right to deem acceptable any exceptions stated by bidder.
  6. The specification details design and materials criteria to afford protection to the upper and lower body, excluding head, hands, feet, against adverse environmental effects during structural fire fighting. All materials and construction will meet or exceed NFPA Standard #1971 and OSHA for structural fire fighters protective clothing.
  7. Jackets and Pants shall be manufactured in the United States.
  8. Sizing by Vendor

(1)Both male and female sizing samples shall be on hand for use when sizing. Measuring with a tape measure is not acceptable.

(2)The vendor shall be available to perform all sizing requirements within 96 hours of written notice.

(3)Sizing errors by the vendor shall be corrected at no-charge to ACFD.

  1. Garment Training and Support
  2. OSHA requires employees be trained on the capabilities and limitations of their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The selected vendor shall provide the following:

(1)Onsite care and maintenance training shall be provided by the manufacturer. Training shall comply with NFPA 1851, 2008 edition, at the conclusion of which each participant shall receive a certificate of completion.

(2)Onsite OSHA mandated training on the Knowing the Limits of Your PPE shall be provided at no-charge. The training shall include structural firefighting helmet, hood, coat, trouser, gloves and boots.

(3)PPE Specialists as needed during the life of the contract to work with ACFD, training and safety staff to ensure that any ongoing training needed is provided for Alameda County Fire Department employees.

  1. Inventory
  2. Contractor shall stock 15 sets of protective clothing per ACFD specification at all times for emergency replacement for ACFD.
  3. Contractor shall continually stock all products listed on the Online Bid Form.
  4. Manufacturer Delivery
  5. Manufacturer deliveries must be 45 – 60 days from the time of order being placed by the Department.

E.REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST GUIDELINES

Vendors must submit, with their response, a fully completed Exhibit D,Requirements Checklist. Responses submitted without the Requirements Checklist will be deemed non-responsive.

A “Yes” response to a specification sentence in the “Complies” column will mean that the vendor intends to comply with the exact specification, as described in the “Requirements Checklist.” If the vendor is able to comply with the specification stated, and states “yes” in the “Complies” column, no further action is required.

A “No” response to a specification sentence in the “Complies” column will mean that the vendor is unable to comply with the specification provided by the County. The vendor must then clearly state any and all exceptions to the specifications listed in the “Exceptions” column.

A response of “N/A” or no response to any specification column will mean that the vendor is unable to comply with the specification provided by the County and the vendor may be deemed non-responsive.

In the Exhibit D, Requirements Checklist, Exhibit D, the specifications are not meant to limit the vendor; they are guidelines to minimum qualifications. The vendor shall indicate their compliance or non-compliance for each line of the specification as described in the previous paragraphs of the Requirements Checklist section. An “equivalent or better” may be offered by the vendor, subject to evaluation and acceptance by the County. It is the vendor’s responsibility to provide, at vendor’s expense, samples, test data, or other documentation that the County may require to fully evaluate and determine acceptability of an offered substitute. The County reserves the sole right to reject or disqualify a substituted component that it determines does not or will not meet or exceed County standards.

F.DELIVERABLES/REPORTS

1.Delivery Report

a.A packing list or other suitable shipping document shall be contained within each shipment and include the following:

(1)Contractor’s Name, Address, Phone Number

(2)A description of the product(s) shipped, including the item number, quantity, number of containers and package numbers, as applicable.

II.CALENDAR OF EVENTS

EVENT / DATE/LOCATION
Request Issued / September 5, 2013
Written Questions Due / by 5:00 p.m. onSeptember 27, 2013
*Networking/Bidders Conference #1 / September 26, 2013 @ 10:00 a.m. / at: General Services Agency
Room 1107, 11th Floor
1401 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
*Networking/Bidders Conference #2 / September 27, 2013@ 2:00 p.m. / at: AC Fire Department
Administration Office
City Manager’s Large Conference Room, 2nd Floor
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Addendum Issued / October 11, 2013
Response Due / October 25, 2013by2:00 p.m.
Evaluation Period / October 25 – November 22, 2013
GSA Letter Recommending Award Issued / December 6, 2013
GSAConsideration Award Date / December 13, 2013
Contract Start Date / February 1, 2014

*Includes a tutorial of how to register and use Online Bid Process.

Note:Award and start dates are approximate.

G.NETWORKING / BIDDERS CONFERENCES

Networking/bidders conferences will be held to:

1.Provide an opportunity for Small Local Emerging Businesses (SLEBs) and large firms to network and develop subcontracting relationships in order to participate in the contract that may result from this RFQ.

2.Provide an opportunity for bidders to ask specific questions about the project and request RFQ clarification.

3.Provide the County with an opportunity to receive feedback regarding the project andRFQ.

4.Provide the bidders with tutorials on how to register and use the Online Bid Process.

All questions will be addressed, and the list of attendees will be included, in an RFQAddendum following the networking/bidders conferences.

Potential bidders are strongly encouraged to attend networking/bidders conference(s) in order to further facilitate subcontracting relationships. Vendors who attend a networking/bidders conference will be added to the Vendor Bid List. Failure to participate in a networking/bidders conference will in no way relieve the Contractor from furnishing goods and/or services required in accordance with these specifications, terms and conditions. Attendance at a networking/bidders conference is highly recommended but is not mandatory.

III.COUNTY PROCEDURES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS

H.NOTICE OF RECOMMENDATIONTO AWARD

1.At the conclusion of the RFQresponse evaluation process (“Evaluation Process”), all bidders will be notified in writing by e-mail or fax, and certified mail, of the contract award recommendation, if any, by GSA – Purchasing. The document providing this notification is the Notice of Recommendation to Award.

The Notice of Recommendationto Award will provide the following information:

a.The name of the bidder being recommended for contract award; and

b.The names of all other parties that submitted proposals.

2.At the conclusion of theRFQ process, debriefings for unsuccessful bidders will be scheduled and provided upon written request and will be restricted to discussion of the unsuccessful offeror’s bid.

a.Under no circumstances will any discussion be conducted with regard to contract negotiations with the successful bidder.

b.Debriefing may include review of successful bidder’s proposal with redactions as appropriate.

3.The submitted proposals shall be made available upon request no later than five (5) business days before approval of the award and contract by GSA.

I.TERM / TERMINATION / RENEWAL

1.The term of the contract, which may be awarded pursuant to thisRFQ, will be 3-year.

2.By mutual agreement, any contract which may be awarded pursuant to this RFQ, may be extended for an additional two-year term at agreed prices with all other terms and conditions remaining the same.

J.QUANTITIES

Quantities listed herein are annual estimates based on past usage and are not to be construed as a commitment. No minimum or maximum is guaranteed or implied.

K.PRICING

1.All pricing as quoted will remain firm for the term of any contract that may be awarded as a result of this RFQ.

2.Unless otherwise stated, Bidder agrees that, in the event of a price decline, the benefit of such lower price shall be extended to the County.

3.All prices are to be F.O.B. destination. Any freight/delivery charges are to be included.

4.Any price increases or decreases for subsequent contract terms may be negotiated between Contractor and County only after completion of the initial term.

5.All prices quoted shall be in United States dollars and "whole cent," no cent fractions shall be used. There are no exceptions.

6.Price quotes shall include any and all payment incentives available to the County.

7.Bidders are advised that in the evaluation of cost, if applicable, it will be assumed that the unit price quoted is correct in the case of a discrepancy between the unit price and an extension.

8.Federal and State minimum wage laws apply. The County has no requirements for living wages. The County is not imposing any additional requirements regarding wages.

9.Prevailing Wages: Pursuant to Labor Code Sections 1770 et seq., Contractor shall pay to persons performing labor in and about work provided for in Contract not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a similar character in the locality in which the Work is performed, and not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for legal holiday and overtime work in said locality, which per diem wages shall not be less than the stipulated rates contained in a schedule thereof which has been ascertained and determined by the Director of the State Department of Industrial Relationsto be the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for each craft or type of workman or mechanic needed to execute this contract.

L.AWARD

1.The award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder who meets the requirements of these specifications, terms and conditions.

2.Awards may also be made to the subsequent lowest responsible bidders who will be considered the backup Contractors and who will be called in ascending order of amount of their quotation.

3.Small and Emerging Locally Owned Business: The County is vitally interested in promoting the growth of small and emerging local businesses by means of increasing the participation of these businesses in the County’s purchase of goods and services.

As a result of the County’s commitment to advance the economic opportunities of these businesses, Bidders must meet the County’s Small and Emerging Locally Owned Business requirements in order to be considered for the contract award. These requirements can be found online at:

For purposes of this bid, applicable industries include, but are not limited to, the following NAICS Code(s): 313310 as having no more than1,000 employees; 315210,315220, 315240, and 339113, as having no more than500 employees; and 423850 as having no more than100 employees, over the last three (3) years.

An emerging business, as defined by the County, is one that has less than one-half (1/2) of the preceding amount and has been in business less than five (5) years.

4.The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses that materially differ from any terms contained in this RFQor from any Exhibits attached hereto, to waive informalities and minor irregularities in responses received, and to provide an opportunity for bidders to correct minor and immaterial errors contained in their submissions. The decision as to what constitutes a minor irregularity shall be made solely at the discretion of the County.

5.The County reserves the right to award to a single or multiple Contractors.

6.The County has the right to decline to award this contract or any part thereof for any reason.

7.A contract must be negotiated, finalized, and signed by the recommendedawardee prior toGSA approval.

8.Final Standard Agreement terms and conditions will be negotiated with the selected bidder. Bidder may access a copy of the Standard Services Agreement template can be found online at:

The template contains minimal Agreement boilerplate language only.

9.The RFQ specifications, terms, conditions and Exhibits, RFQ Addenda and Bidder’s proposal, may be incorporated into and made a part of any contract that may be awarded as a result of this RFQ.

M.METHOD OF ORDERING

1.A written PO and signed Standard Agreement contract will be issued upon Board approval.

2.POs and Standard Agreements will be faxed, transmitted electronically or mailed and shall be the only authorization for the Contractor to place an order.

3.POs and payments for products and/or services will be issued only in the name of Contractor.

4.Contractor shall adapt to changes to the method of ordering procedures as required by the County during the term of the contract.

5.Change orders shall be agreed upon by Contractor and County and issued as needed in writing by County.

N.WARRANTY

1.Bidder expressly warrants that all goods and services to be furnished pursuant to any contract awarded it arising from the Bid will conform to the descriptions and specifications contained herein and in supplier catalogs, product brochures and other representations, depictions or models, and will be free from defects, of merchantable quality, good material and workmanship. Bidder expressly warrants that all goods and services to be furnished pursuant to such award will be fit and sufficient for the purpose(s) intended. This warranty shall survive any inspections, delivery, acceptance or payment by the County. Bidder warrants that all work and services furnished hereunder shall be guaranteed for a period of 1-year from the date of acceptance by the County.