Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to issue a purchase order for the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units and related supplies for the Division of Fire from Knox Associates. There is a need within the Division of Fire to purchase key secure units ("Knox Boxes") for use in its first response operations, in order to safeguard life, property, and public welfare. Emergency responders must be able to rapidly access locked or restricted areas; a lack of rapid access may result in substantial property damage due to fire extension and forced entry, increased danger to occupants and fire fighters, or an increased risk of injury or death due to a delay in the administration of emergency medical services. The Knox Box Key Retention products are self-contained units that retain a master key in each fire emergency vehicle without dependence on a radio release signal from dispatch, which decreases on-scene time awaiting the arrival of a key holder to allow entry into buildings for mitigation purposes and reduces liability for lost keys. The Knox Box key retention system is currently in use on the Division of Fire apparatus. These key secure units will only work with the Knox key which restricts use to authorized Division of Fire members while also providing full tracking and audit of rapid key usage. Many business and building owners, within the City of Columbus utilize the Knox box retention system on their buildings, and have voluntarily selected to provide rapid key entry to their property to the Columbus Division of Fire in case of fire or medical emergency. The purchase of these key secure units from Knox Associates will increase the number of businesses and building owners providing rapid key entry, and will supplant what the Division of Fire currently uses.
The Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire requests and recommends the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units ("Knox Boxes") and related supplies from Knox Associates to provide the infrastructure needed to safely retain the master key in each of the Division of Fire’s apparatus, and with the City's business owner buildings. This purchase will provide emergency responders with a mechanism to rapidly access locked or restricted areas thereby reducing property damage, reducing the dangers to occupants and emergency responders, and facilitating the delivery of emergency medical services. Competitive bidding is being waived so the Division of Fire may purchase the same Knox Key Retention system ("Knox Boxes") which is currently in use by the business and building owners within the City, and built into and used on the Division of Fire's apparatus. A formal bid process could possibly result in an award being made to a new, different key retention system's product, which would require a change out of systems. A change out of systems would put an undue hardship on every business in the City that currently has a Knox Box on their building, as it would result in each building or business owner incurring a cost of approximately five-hundred ($500.00) dollars, per box, to change out their entire locking system, while also requiring equipment modifications on all of the Division of Fire's apparatus.
Bid Information: Competitive bidding is being waived so the Division of Fire can purchase the same Knox key retention system currently in use by the business and building owners within the City, and also in use with the Division of Fire's apparatus, as going out for formal bid and awarding to a different key retention system company's product would put an undue hardship on every business in the City that currently has a Knox Box on their building. Knox Associates is the only manufacturer, inventor and supplier of the Knox Rapid Entry products and sell the product directly to the end user.
Contract Compliance: Knox Associates - #95-3617858 (Vendor #012806) / Active Contract Compliant (11/25/17).
Emergency Designation: This legislation is to be considered an emergency measure to allow for the immediate use of funds and immediate purchase of this important equipment and placed in service as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $79,960.00 from the existing appropriation within the Safety Voted Bond Fund, specifically authorizing the purchase of these units.
Title
To authorize and direct the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with Knox Associates for the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units ("Knox Boxes") and related supplies for the Division of Fire; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code, Chapter 329; to authorize the expenditure of $79,960.00 from the Safety Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($79,960.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Division of Fire has a need to purchase key secure units ("Knox Boxes") for businesses and building owners to provide rapid key entry for first responder vehicles to rapidly access locked or restricted areas when fire/EMS emergencies occur; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interest to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 for this purchase; and
WHEREAS, it is now necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with the manufacturer, Knox Associates, for the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units ("Knox Boxes") and related supplies; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Fire, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to purchase said equipment and supplies, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Finance and Management be and he is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract with Knox Associates for the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units ("Knox Boxes") and related supplies.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the competitive provisions of the Columbus City Codes, Chapter 329, to permit the aforementioned purchase for the Division of Fire.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $79,960.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized from the Safety Voted Bond Fund, as per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contract or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project; except that no transfer shall be so made from a project account funded by monies from more than one source.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves or vetoes the same.