Pasadena Fire Dept. Wants New Pumper Truck, for Just Under a $1 Million

The Pasadena Fire Department is seeking approval from the City Council to purchase a new 2019 Seagrave model DB50CT Capitol Pumper to replace a Pierce brand pumper which has already logged over 161,000 miles of service with the department.
The new truck would be part of the fire department’s fleet of 13 pumpers, eight of which are frontline pumpers and five are reserve.
The pumper would cost $968,621, according to an Agenda Report prepared by the Department of Public Works for Monday’s City Council meeting.
Public Works said the fire department chose to acquire a Seagrave pumper because of its dependability and standard two-year warranty. The pumper is designed with the “clean cab” design concept, which limits the exposure of toxic carcinogens through the implementation of nonporous interior cab design finish and improved ventilation.
The specific pumper model features increased outside storage and compartment design without increasing the overall length of the apparatus which ensures maneuverability and functionality within crowded or narrow streets in Pasadena.
The exterior storage compartments can be utilized to store personal protective equipment outside the cab, limiting firefighter exposure to contaminated equipment.
To ensure that necessary repairs are made in a timely manner, the City stocks proprietary replacement parts for its current nine Seagrave pumpers, and maintains a multi-year contract with an authorized Seagrave service center in Southern California.
The new truck will be purchased by the City utilizing a contract which Seagrave has with the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC), one of the largest regional planning commissions in the country that manages HGACBuy, a nationwide government procurement service which aims to make the process more efficient.
HGACBuy awards contracts through a public competitive procurement process, and contracts are made available to participating members, including the City of Pasadena. In July 2017, HGACBuy issued an invitation to submit competitive bids for “Fire Service Apparatus, All Types.” Twenty-five bids bids were received, and HGACBuy recommended awarding Seagrave the contract.
The Public Works Department said purchasing the requested pumper through the HGACBuy contract is in the City’s best interest as it reduces the amount of time required to take delivery of new equipment, and eliminates the need to solicit for items that are already competitively priced. The department said there are no vendors located in Pasadena that provide this equipment.
The report said replacement of the old Pierce pumper will eliminate the need for costly repairs. The new fire apparatus will be housed at Fire Station 36, which responds to over 3,500 calls for service annually.
With the new truck placed into frontline service, the old Pierce pumper will be moved to reserve status, according to the report.