NOTICE OF INTENT TO DIRECT AWARD
NOI.005.21
Hydrosub® 60 SALT WATER PUMPS ON TRAILER FOR WOODLANDS FIRE RESPONSE & READINESS
NOI.005.21 document is attached above under Supplier Attachments Exist.
Notice is hereby given that the Corporation of the District of North Vancouver (the "District") on behalf of the District of North Vancouver Fire Rescue Service (the "DNVFRS"), intends to directly award a Contract to the following supplier to provide two (2) Hydrosub® 60 salt water pump units at a value of approximately $400,000.00 Canadian currency including transportation costs, insurance, duties, taxes, etc). Above value is best estimate using exchange rate as at the date of issue of this NOI.
Hytrans® Systems b.v.
Lemsterpad 56
NL-8531 AA Lemmer
The Netherlands
Background:
The DNVFRS, through its successive Community Wildfire Protection Plans (the "CWPP") (2007, 2020) has identified gaps in fire readiness and response capability in the District's Indian Arm communities comprising Woodlands, Sunshine Falls and Cascade (the "Woodlands"). Through the CWPP, it has been identified that incidents of wildfire and wildland interface fire in the Woodlands area of the District would be extremely challenging to action, compounded by areas with no municipal water supply for firefighting operations and with egress/evacuation challenges.
The District, in collaboration with its Utilities Department, explored installing fire hydrant supply feedmain and determined that due to the distance (over five hundred (500) metres) and the complex challenges inherent to an installation of this nature in this area it would ultimately be cost prohibitive.
Following a September 9, 2020 Sunshine Falls wildfire, the District engaged B.A. Blackwell & Associates to undertake a field visit to complete a wildfire evaluation for the District and provide a report of its recommendations. The report notes that to improve the DNVFRS' fire suppression capabilities it recommends locating fire equipment caches in key strategic locations in the Woodlands area of the District. Through a thorough assessment by DNVFRS and its engagement with partners at the District, Metro Vancouver Watershed Protection and BC Wildfire Services it was determined an appropriate approach to this core recommendation would be to acquire and put into service a mobile response-ready cache of fire equipment that would include two (2) mobile salt water pumping stations.
In accordance with applicable trade agreements, the District, on behalf of the DNVFRS, has chosen not to proceed with a competitive process for the following reasons:
a) Time is of the essence for this acquisition in order to deploy this equipment for the 2021 fire season. The fire season typically starts May 1 or when Fire Danger Rating reaches MODERATE, whichever comes first, and extends until October 1st.
b) The Hydrosub® 60 has a delivery lead time estimated to be seven (7) months which will allow the DNVFRS to meet the above timeline.
c) The Hydrosub® 60 is a portable hydraulic driven submersible pump that can access almost all open water, providing a speedy water supply for firefighting operations of any nature.
d) The Hydrosub® 60 can transport seawater from any open source at a rate averaging 880 gallons per minute (GPM) and deliver it, at fire-fighting pressure, to hillside locations elevated hundreds of feet above and miles away from the shoreline.
e) The Hydrosub® 60 has an Alu-Bronze Pump to minimize corrosion and supports the use of salt water, stagnant/brackish, or even polluted water.
f) The Hydrosub® 60 comes with 30 meters of hydraulic hose which enables the submersible pump to be deployed in difficult to access locations.
g) The Hydrosub® 60, designed and assembled in Holland, is known worldwide for its expertise in water handling, is powerful and compact, and the flexible Hytrans Fire System (the "HFS") is the global leader in rapid deployment flood and firefighting equipment.
h) The Hydrosub® 60 is powered by a 55 kW4 4-cyclinder turbo charged diesel engine and is equipped with a lightweight portable hydraulic driven submersible pump mounted in a stainless steel frame complete with floating device.
i) The Hydrosub® 60 can provide wildfire support to areas with limited or no fire hydrant access.
j) The Hydrosub® 60 can be used as an emergency fire hydrant system using seawater for post-earthquake response.
k) The skid version has forklift slots as a standard for easy handling by means of a forklift and can also be airlifted to remote locations via lifting eyes.
l) The Hydrosub® 60 delivers high performance for its compact size and portability.
Suppliers wanting to challenge this decision should submit their detailed written objection prior to the deadline to:
Mary-Lee Tucker, SCMP, CRM
Purchasing and Risk Supervisor
