March 11, 1999
To:Emergency and Protective Services Committee
Budget Committee
From:Barry H. Gutteridge, Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services
and Alan F. Speed, Fire Chief
Subject:Status Report - Evaluation of standardized Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for the Toronto Fire
Services.
Purpose:
To provide members of the Budget Committee with a status report on the Fire Services' project to test and evaluate various
suppliers' self-contained breathing apparatus.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
There are no funding implications associated with this report. Funding is contained in the 1999 Capital Budget as approved
by council.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that council receive this report as information.
Reference/Background/History:
In August 1998, the Fire Chief established a task force to develop evaluation criteria and to conduct tests of the various
vendors' SCBA offerings to identify SCBA products suitable for acquisition by the Fire Services.
The objectives of the task force were:
(a)to notify and invite manufacturers and/or agents to participate in extensive product testing,
(b)to test and evaluate each product presented, and
(c)to recommend the purchase of those models of self-contained breathing apparatus meeting the established testing and
evaluation criteria.
The SCBA task force members included a cross section of staff including members of management, operations,
professional development/training, mechanical, technical service, and health and safety representatives.
All decisions regarding product elimination were reached by unanimous vote. This process required tough decisions that
were made with integrity and in partnership with the fire fighters' association.
The notification of all interested parties was achieved by newspaper advertising, web-site posting and "Expression of
Interest" mailings to all known SCBA manufacturers or agents.
Eight out of eleven possible manufacturers or agents responded and agreed to participate in a product competition. Each
was invited to present their product to task force members. In addition, manufacturers were requested to provide a list of
fire departments that had recently purchased the make and model of SCBA presently being considered for purchase by
Toronto Fire Services.
Fire fighters conducted field-test exercises to provide them with the opportunity to evaluate aspects of each SCBA during
work-related activities and tasks. More than one hundred and thirty fire fighters, both male and female, participated in eight
days of controlled field testing.
Health and safety issues were of paramount importance throughout the entire SCBA evaluation. Manufacturers were
eliminated from further consideration when significant safety issues were identified and could not be resolved.
After field evaluation, the remaining three manufactures (Scott, MSA and ISI) met with task force members and Toronto
Fire Service technical staff to demonstrate the design service and functional features of their respective SCBA. The purpose
was to allow the task force members to focus on each product's quality, serviceability and field centre support.
Following the completion of the testing and evaluation phases of the selection process, the task force members announced
that both the Scott 50 and the MSA Custom 4500 MMR met the needs and safety requirements of Toronto Fire Services as
it relates to:
(a)Carbon-fiber cylinders
(b)Fast-fill connectors
(c)Records management database
(d)Manufacturer's support
(e)Low pressure supplied air connectors
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
Now that the major issues of identifying preferred suppliers of SCBA have been addressed and resolved, the next phase of
this project will be to conduct a price tender via the purchasing division of the Finance Department.
Conclusions:
The SCBA evaluation and acquisition project is progressing well. Staff of the Fire Services expect to submit a further
report to council in about two month's time recommending the execution of an agreement with one of the two
manufacturers/agents on our short list.
Contact Name:
Alan F. Speed
Fire Chief
Tel: 397-4300 Fax: 397-4325
Alan F. Speed
Fire Chief
Barry H. Gutteridge
Commissioner
Works and Emergency Services
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