RP003_25 Inv Combined.pdf

RP015-24 Inv - v2 - Fire comments & DW

January 3, 2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RP003-25

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified vendors for the Purchase of Firefighter Turnout Gear on an Annual Contract with four (4) options to renew for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Proposals must be returned in a sealed container marked on the outside with the Request for Proposal number and Company Name. Proposals will be received until 2:50 P.M. local time on February 4, 2025 at the Gwinnett County Financial Services - Purchasing Division – 2nd Floor, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. Any proposal received after this date and time will not be accepted. Proposals will be publicly opened and only names of submitting vendors will be read at 3:00 P.M. A list of vendors submitting proposals will be available the following business day on our website www.gwinnettcounty.com.

A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. local time on January 14, 2025, at Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters, 408 Hurricane Shoals Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. All vendors are urged to attend. Questions regarding proposals should be directed to Casey Beauston, Purchasing Associate II, at casey.beauston@gwinnettcounty.com no later than 3:00 P.M. local time on January 22, 2025. Proposals are legal and binding upon the vendor when submitted. One (1) unbound single-sided original, five (5) exact bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy on a USB flash drive should be submitted.

A fitting session will be conducted following the pre-proposal conference. Further information and instructions are included within the specifications.

Gwinnett County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to its programs or activities. Any requests for reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open meeting, program or activity of Gwinnett County Government should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center, 770-822-8165.

The written proposal documents supersede any verbal or written prior communications between the parties.

Selection criteria are outlined in the request for proposal documents. Gwinnett County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive technicalities, and to make an award deemed in its best interest.

Award notification will be posted after award on the County website, www.gwinnettcounty.com, and vendors submitting a proposal will be notified via email.

We look forward to your proposal and appreciate your interest in Gwinnett County.

Casey Beauston Purchasing Associate II

The following pages should be returned as part of your proposal package:

Delivery ARO Response, Pages 4-5 Vendor Information, Page 19 References, Page 20 Code of Ethics, Page 21 Contractor Affidavit and Agreement, Page 22 http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/ mailto:casey.beauston@gwinnettcounty.com http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/

RP003-25 Page 2

I. GENERAL

A. Scope Gwinnett County is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors for the provision of turnout gear.

Gwinnett County is located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia and has a land area of 437 square miles.

Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, rescue, advanced life support emergency medical services, and transport for the entire County. The department currently operates 31 Fire Stations. Gwinnett County currently has an authorized strength of 1,056 firefighters, paramedics, and support staff. The department has historically purchased approximately 250 - 300 sets of turnout gear per fiscal year. It is the intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) to describe the minimum requirements for turnout gear and related components.

Vendors will be asked to demonstrate best performance, guaranteed availability and delivery, customer service excellence, accountability, knowledge, experience and cost.

B. Adherence to Specifications The specifications contained herein are not for restrictive purposes or to limit competition, but to assist vendors in determining the standard of quality and basis of design Gwinnett County is seeking.

It shall be understood that items equaling or surpassing the quality level are also acceptable.

Gwinnett County shall be the sole determinant of acceptability of all approved equivalents. It is the vendor’s responsibility to prove equivalent products equal or exceed the quality level of the product(s) specified. If quoting an equivalent product, those specifications must be submitted with bid. The County reserves the right to request additional information and/or make further investigations to determine the acceptability and capabilities of the vendor and their bid submittal. Statements using “must,” “will,” or “shall” are non-negotiable and failure to comply with these requirements may result in a low score given in the “adherence to technical specifications” portion of scoring criteria. All exceptions to specifications must be clearly spelled out in the proposal submission.

All specifications included herein, and all proposals/turnout gear submitted, shall comply with NFPA 1970-2025 edition.

Vendors are invited to submit their latest design that meets or exceeds specifications. Vendors may submit more than one product if they choose; however, vendors must have a separate proposal submittal for each product proposed addressing criteria requested under Section IV of this RFP “Preparation of Proposals and Scoring Criteria.”

II. AWARD

A. Recommendation to award to the highest scoring firm will be submitted the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners at the completion of the evaluation process.

B. Awarded vendor must deliver a complete fitter line by the contract effective date to the user department. Fitter line must be clearly marked with “RP003-25 Fitter Line” and include a packing slip of garments in the shipment, shipped to:

Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services 450 Hosea Road Lawrenceville, GA 30046

C. Requirements of Successful Supplier After Award

1. It is the intention of the County to place an order upon award of this contract. This gear is required to replace the County’s safety stock and replacement of fitter line and recruits;

therefore, the successful vendor will be required to provide gear no more than 30 days after receipt of the Purchase Order. If this lead time will present potential challenges, it is the vendor’s responsibility to specify same. The Purchase Order will be for gear with common sizes; sizes will be specified at the time of order.

2. Tracking Software: Upon request, the manufacturer should be capable of providing a Windows-compatible software program for the tracking of care, cleaning and

RP003-25 Page 3 maintenance of the department’s Personal Protection Equipment. This should be a stand-alone program and not a web-based application. This tracking program should meet or exceed all record-keeping requirements of standard NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. The manufacturer should be capable of providing onsite or internet training to department personnel who are involved with the daily use of this tracking program, and if there is an additional cost involved for this service, the supplier must disclose those costs with proposal. Upon delivery to the County, the awarded vendor shall provide electronically an Excel spreadsheet form to assist with uploading the information for equipment tracking;

this is to include a list of all items ordered with size serial numbers and manufacturing dates.

3. The manufacturer should have in place a computer-maintained traceability program that provides for the assignment of a production control number to each garment. The traceability program should be capable of tracing the garment through production, from the bolts of cloth used in all three layers of the garment composite construction, to the assignment of the garment to the individual firefighter. This production control number should be visibly located on the garment label and on other protected areas of garment.

4. To ensure a perfect fit, sizing should be based on actual measurements taken of the firefighter by a trained measurement specialist, or sizing try-ons, or both. Fittings/sizing measurements are to be provided during normal business hours of 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M., Monday - Friday at a designated location (Fire Resource Management Warehouse or Fire Academy). The successful vendor should be responsible for measuring Gwinnett County employees for proper fit as required per department and maintain record for each employee fitted regardless of order quantity or total price. The successful vendor should also train department personnel in the proper method for measuring Gwinnett County employees for proper fit as required per department.

5. Seller agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer from any and all licenses, royalty and proprietary fees or costs, including legal costs, which may arise out of Buyer’s purchase and use of goods supplied by the seller. It is expressly agreed by Seller that these covenants are irrevocable and perpetual.

D. Each vendor shall read all sections of this request for proposal including the instructions, and all attachments hereto. Vendor’s proposal response should follow the format of the sections/subsections within, and clearly indicate the section/subsection being addressed. The vendor should sign the Vendor Information page with their usual signature by an authorized representative and shall give their full business address.

E. Vendors are requested to submit one (1) unbound single sided original, five (5) exact bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy on a flash drive should be submitted. Please label the electronic media with the submitting vendor name and reference the proposal number.

F. A Cost Proposal will be requested after the completion of Phase 2 of the evaluation. Vendors that advance to Phase 3 must submit the Cost Proposal by the date noted in the request. The Cost Proposal must be in a sealed envelope, clearly defined with the RP#, company’s name and marked “COST PROPOSAL.” The Cost Proposal is to be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. The Cost Proposal should not be included in the technical portion of vendor’s submittal.

G. The County asks that vendors include any exceptions to contract, terms and conditions, or proposal requirements in their submittal. Any exceptions must be clearly stated in the submittal.

If no exceptions are stated, it is assumed that the vendor fully agrees to the provisions contained herein.

H. In order to evaluate the proposals fairly, each Vendor is required to describe how each specification or requirement of the proposal will be satisfied. It is not sufficient to state for example: “Acknowledged”, “Understood”, “Will Comply”, etc. Failure to provide complete, clear, concise, and definitive responses may result in rejection of the Vendor’s proposal. The format of the response should follow the format of the proposal and reference the page number and paragraph that each requirement is addressing.

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I. Proposing vendors are invited to submit their latest design that meets or exceeds the specifications herein.

III. FITTINGS/SAMPLES

A. Upon request, samples must be provided at no cost and must be sized specifically to the County employee.

B. The samples will be evaluated in real-life scenarios and may be damaged.

C. Samples may be returned to the proposer after the evaluation is completed or the proposer has been eliminated from the process.

D. The fittings process for the samples will be conducted directly following the pre-proposal conference. If vendors are unable to attend the pre-proposal conference, contact Casey Beauston, Purchasing Associate II, to schedule fittings. Fittings should be completed by January 21, 2025.

E. County Evaluators will be assigned an identifying number. Short-listed vendors moving on to

Phase 2 will be assigned an alphabet letter when wear test sets are requested. The vendors are to cover the NFPA label with a piece of fabric made of the same liner material, labeled with the vendor alphabet letter assignment and assigned Evaluator number.

F. Short-listed vendors will have six (6) weeks from the date of request to deliver the samples to

Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services. Samples are to be sent separately and directly to:

Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services Attn: Yvonne Shannon 450 Hosea Road Lawrenceville, GA 30046

Failure to deliver the samples by the close of business on the dates specified in the request may be cause for rejection of the proposal.

G. All samples must be submitted in sealed boxes clearly marked with the RP#, company name, and “SAMPLES.” Samples submitted for evaluation shall represent what the proposer is offering to Gwinnett County.

H. All samples will be subject to performance exercise testing in conjunction with the use of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), boots, helmets, and gloves as required.

IV. PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS AND SCORING CRITERIA

Cover Letter At the beginning of the proposal, provide a cover letter to include: description of your company’s history, and the manufacturer’s facility and scope of operations.

PHASE 1: TECHNICAL EVALUATION

A. Delivery Terms (20 points)

The manufacturer should provide a user information guide for the garments, which complies with user information requirements of NFPA 1970-2025 edition. Topics should include, but not necessarily be limited to: pre-use information, preparation for use, inspection frequency and details, don/doff, use consistent with NFPA 1970-2025 edition, maintenance and cleaning, and retirement and disposal criteria and considerations. This document should be packaged with each garment along with a specification summary sheet describing garment custom options, sizing and production details.

Vendor shall state the Delivery ARO below for the given ordering scenarios. Given quantities are estimates and could change based on County needs and the allocation/availability of funds.

Please specify whether or not Delivery ARO will change based on the scenario and provide additional information as needed. Vendors may include additional sheets in their proposal to cover this information.

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Approx. 50 complete sets of turnout gear, ordered 3 - 4 times per year Delivery ARO:

Approx. 85 second sets of turnout gear, typically 1 order at the beginning of the year Delivery ARO:

Replacement sets of turnout gear ordered as needed Delivery ARO:

B. References (10 points)

Vendors should include list of references as part of their proposal submission. Vendors are required to demonstrate successful performance of the proposed turnout gear and customer service level by submitting references from three (3) user departments during the past three (3) years. The vendor should provide references from user departments of similar size, climates, comparable number of employees, and similar call type and volume.

Name and contact numbers must be for a liaison within the respective Fire Department who has an in-depth working knowledge of the performance and wear/tear of the proposed turnout gear.

C. Understanding and Adherence to Specifications (5 points) Include a section in the proposal that demonstrates vendor’s understanding of the basic scope of services and performance requirements stated in the Request for Proposal. Include in this section information on service and F.O.B. delivery terms.

Scoring the composite makeup of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gear and the level of thermal insulation provided will be based on the adherence to specs and the overwhelming factor of safety. It is the County’s preference that no materials that may contribute to a loss of protective performance over time and/or after exposure to heat, sweat, etc., be used in the construction of the PPE garment composite.

D. Gear Specifications (5 points) Vendors should submit a comprehensive and detailed description of the proposed product.

Include manufacturing materials, procedures, testing, specifications, diagram, drawings and/or photos. Describe your company’s process for fitting and sizing throughout the contract period.

Any exception or variation in construction, materials, performance, testing, or items of equipment between this specification and the proposal shall be detailed and submitted on a separate sheet(s) along with the proposal in sequence, citing page and item number. Vendors must explain in detail (with full supporting data) how the proposed deviation meets or exceeds the specifications.

1. Gear Miscellaneous

i. Coat and trouser shall be manufactured by the same company to ensure uniformity, complete protection, and compatibility. NO EXCEPTIONS.

ii. Include the available size increments for both men and women and detail the percentage of gradation for the proposed product.

iii. This Request For Proposal defines the minimum requirements for blood borne pathogen resistant (BPR) firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide limited protection to fire fighters against adverse environmental effects during structural firefighting operations and certain other emergency operations where there is a threat of fire or where certain physical hazards are likely to be encountered, such as during non-fire-related rescue operations, emergency medical operations, and victim extraction, as defined by NFPA 1970-2025 Edition.

In the absence of comment on a particular point, industry standard practice should be presumed to prevail. Workmanship and material should be first quality throughout. Vendor must provide documentation for minimum Total Heat Loss (THL) and Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) in Coat and Pants and minimum Conductive and Compressive Heat Resistance (CCHR) in knees and shoulders. In

RP003-25 Page 6 the absence of comment to a specific point, the vendor is required to furnish a wholly compliant garment.

iv. The protective gear as a set (coat and pant) shall meet the Standard on Protective

Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting, 1970-2025 Edition. Vendor should include in their response the THL and TPP overall composite of the proposed gear.

v. Protective gear shall meet current NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. Cleaning Shrinkage

Resistance Test. Supplier should include in their response the Cleaning Shrinkage Resistance Test results.

vi. Current NFPA 1970-2025 Edition standards applicable to this product specification express values for measurement requirements in SI (metric-based) units, followed by US (inch/pound) approximate equivalents in parentheses. For the convenience of the department, this product specification reverses the order and presents the more familiar US approximation first, followed by the SI requirement in parentheses.

vii. Labels shall be permanently and integrally printed onto materials that meet all the requirements for labels of NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. The garment shall be clearly labeled to fully identify the material content of all three (3) layers: outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal liner.

viii. Labels on each separable part of the garment should include a standard style interleaved 2 of 5 barcode containing, at a minimum, an individualized serial number for asset tracking purposes.

ix. The manufacturer should furnish, free of charge, reasonable quantities of NFPA

1970-2025 Edition certified thread, materials and other supplies to allow the department to manage its own ongoing internal maintenance efforts. The manufacturer should provide on-call at no charge, during normal business hours, a liaison for the repair department to assist the County on a telephone consultation basis, on all maintenance or repair questions that might arise. Additionally, the manufacturer should agree to expedite, on its own cost-only basis, all repairs that must be performed at the manufacturer’s plant, rather than in department, over the life of the contract. All thread used in structural seams should be Nomex® or equivalent of minimum Tex size T 70. Thread should match the fabric as close as possible.

x. Reinforcements (black in color) made of Ara-Shield or equivalent shall be provided at cuffs, knees, and pockets and should meet the requirements of NFPA 1970-2025 Edition.

a. For cuff reinforcements only: Manufacturer must provide cuff reinforcements made of Ara-Shield or equivalent material at no additional cost. If the purchaser specifies reinforcements made of materials other than outer shell material, the manufacturer should identify any additional cost for the specified material.

b. For pocket reinforcements only: Ara-Shield or equivalent material must be used in the reinforcement of the pocket.

c. For knee reinforcements only: Ara-Shield or equivalent material must be used to reinforce knee area of pants.

xi. Excluding where required by NFPA 1970-2025 Edition standard, necessary for functionality, or specifically called out in the custom option sections, all materials used in the construction of the garments should be breathable and all moisture barrier material must be as specified in the following materials section.

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xii. The breathability requirement includes but is not limited to: collar, chinstrap, storm shield, fly, water wells, front coat facings, and reinforcement cushioning where applicable.

xiii. Areas where non-breathability is allowed (absent Custom Features specifications):

trim, hook and loop fastening, hardware or hardware backing, and external pocketing.

xiv. All points of stress (e.g., storm flap attachments; reinforcements on waists, gaiters, coats, cuffs, large openings; pocket corners; attachment points for accessories on outside; liner attachment points) shall be reinforced with sturdy heavy duty bar tacks or equivalent. Rivets are not acceptable because of their potential for rust and electrical or heat conduction.

xv. All hook and loop material used for closures shall have finished edges. Unfinished edges will not be accepted.

xvi. To assure maximum freedom of movement and reduced kinetic resistance, the coat and pants ensemble should provide comfort and mobility during EMS / firefighting activities and be natural shaping to promote free movement of arms and legs. Coat construction should be designed in an ergonomic cut to limit physiological stress on the wearer and so as not to interfere with movement while wearing SCBA over coat. Pants should follow this ergonomic cut design to not interfere with movement of legs while bending crawling stooping or walking during wear.

xvii. The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services has determined that the following are the ONLY acceptable combination of materials to be used.

a. Outer Shell PBI MAX Gold, or equivalent. Safety Components: 7.0 oz; 70% PBI/DuPont Kevlar, or equivalent; 30% DuPont Kevlar filament, or equivalent.

Or Kombat Flex Gold Tencate or equivalent; 6.9 oz.; 70% PBI/DuPont Kevlar, or equivalent; 30% DuPont Kevlar filament, or equivalent.

b. Thermal Lining

The thermal barrier shall be part of the GORE® PARALLON™ or equivalent liner system from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. The GORE® PARALLON™ or equivalent liner system consists of three separable layers. The outermost layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system X1 or equivalent, is comprised of a 3.3 ounce per square yard Nomex® IIIA or equivalent woven pajama check substrate laminated to a proprietary GORE ePTFE or equivalent film. The middle layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system M2 or equivalent is comprised of a 4.1 ounce per square yard Meta-armaid/Para-aramid or equivalent three-dimensional non-woven batting laminated to a proprietary GORE ePTFE or equivalent film. The innermost layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system B2 or equivalent, which functions as the moisture barrier, is comprised of a 3.6 ounce per square yard 86% aramid/ 14% FR rayon or equivalent twill weave facecloth laminated to an enhanced bicomponent membrane from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. The membrane is comprised of an expanded PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, for example Teflon®) matrix having a continuous hydrophilic (i.e. water-loving) and oleophobic (i.e. oil-hating) coating that is impregnated into the matrix.

All GORE® PARALLON™ liner system X1 and B2 or equivalent seams shall be sealed with GORE-SEAM® or equivalent tape using a Series 6000 (or higher) GORE-SEAM™ or equivalent sealing machine. The GORE® PARALLON™ liner system M2 or equivalent seams shall not be sealed.

Further mention of “Specified Thermal Barrier” in this specification shall refer to this section.

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c. Moisture Barrier The moisture barrier shall be part of the GORE® PARALLON™ or equivalent liner system from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. The GORE® PARALLON™ or equivalent liner system consists of three separable layers. The outermost layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system X1 or equivalent, is comprised of a 3.3 ounce per square yard Nomex® IIIA or equivalent woven pajama check substrate laminated to a proprietary GORE ePTFE or equivalent film. The middle layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system M2 or equivalent, is comprised of a 4.1 ounce per square yard Meta-armaid/Para-aramid or equivalent three-dimensional non-woven batting laminated to a proprietary GORE ePTFE or equivalent film. The innermost layer, GORE® PARALLON™ liner system B2 or equivalent, which functions as the moisture barrier, is comprised of a 3.6 ounce per square yard 86% aramid/ 14% FR rayon or equivalent twill weave facecloth laminated to an enhanced bicomponent membrane from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. The membrane is comprised of an expanded PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, for example Teflon®) matrix having a continuous hydrophilic (i.e. water-loving) and oleophobic (i.e. oil-hating) coating that is impregnated into the matrix.

All GORE® PARALLON™ liner system X1 and B2 or equivalent seams shall be sealed with GORE-SEAM® or equivalent tape using a Series 6000 (or higher) GORE-SEAM™ or equivalent sealing machine. The GORE® PARALLON™ liner system B2 or equivalent sealed seams provide the required chemical and bacteriophage penetration resistance performance.

Further mention of “Specified Moisture Barrier” in this specification shall refer to this section.

xviii. If exterior pockets are specified in either the “Coat Custom Features Specifications and Placement” or in the “Pant Custom Features Specifications and Placement” the following requirements should apply to all such custom option specified exterior pockets:

a. All pockets and flaps shall be reinforced at the top corners with heavy duty bar tack or equivalent stitching, or approved equivalent.

b. All pockets shall have enlarged tabs for easier grip with a gloved hand.

c. All pockets shall be reinforced with an extra layer of NFPA 1970-2025 Edition-certified outer shell, moisture barrier, or other NFPA 1970-2025 Edition-certified reinforcement material for extra durability. The exact location of the reinforcements shall be identified in the custom features specification section(s) as indicated above.

d. All pockets shall have a means to drain water and should have a means of closure.

e. All pocket closures shall be made either with hook and loop fastener tape a minimum of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide, with a flap, or with snaps. The specific placement of the closure system should be declared at the time of order.

xix. Particulate blocking shall be included into the construction of the Coat cuffs and cuffs of the pants only. The particulate blocking material shall not be included at the waist of the coat. Each particulate barrier shall be constructed of material that is at least 90% efficient at blocking .1-.01-micron size particles at each interface.

The closures on each interface should be constructed in a manner to which they will inhibit the products of combustion from entering into the ensemble through the coat cuffs, coat and pant interface and the cuffs of the pants. The installed system shall be tested to be compliant with NFPA 1970-2025 Edition for particle inward leakage testing on the entire PPE ensemble.

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2. Coat

i. The coat composite (all layers) should not gap when the firefighter is bending, crawling or climbing. Gapping should be determined as defined by NFPA 1970- 2025 Edition with both arms fully extended overhead and wearer bending to rear, sides and front. The actual length of coats (shorter or longer) will be determined by each individual’s torso length. Coat must interface properly with standard height pants.

ii. Garments should feature a tailored ergonomic cut design throughout the outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal liner layers. Garments featuring alternative assembly or construction will be evaluated but care should be taken not create irritation to the wearer while wearing an SCBA. To facilitate individual tailoring needs, the major A & B seams joining the one-piece back to the right and the left front body panels (outer shell and all interior layers) should be located at the most lateral position when the coat is laid flat for inspection.

iii. Specifications as stated within this section will supersede any previous specification as long as the required certifications are not compromised.

a. Coat cuffs should be reinforced with Ara-Shield or equivalent material.

b. Liner label should be configured as an inside liner pocket.

c. Trim pattern should be Project FIRES style, Lime Yellow 2-Tone Scotchlite or equivalent. All trim shall be attached with lock stitching.

d. An embroidered American Flag patch shall be sewn on the right shoulder with stars facing forward and shall be made of flame-resistant (FR) material.

e. Provide a sewn on lettering back patch made from black Kevlar/Nomex or equivalent outer shell material with sewn-on, three-inch, Lime Yellow Scotchlite or equivalent letters: “GWINNETT”

f. Centered on the bottom rear of the coat provide a replaceable hook and loop name patch made from two layers of black Kevlar/Nomex or equivalent outer shell material. There should be four snaps, one at each corner to help secure the patch. Each patch should have sewn-on, Lime Yellow, two-inch Scotchlite or equivalent letter: “FF LAST NAME” or “1st INITIAL + LAST NAME” which will be indicated at the time of order. The patch will be provided by the gear manufacturer.

g. Outside storm flap closure should be by means of four (4) evenly spaced snap hooks and “D” rings with the inner facings closure accomplished by use of an YKK or equivalent zipper with an oversized zipper pull.

h. On the lower front coat facings provide outer shell material half hi bellows pockets that are approximately 7” H x 9” W x 1.5” D lined on all four (4) sides with 8-ounce Kevlar 2/1 twill. Pocket flaps should close by means of 1.5-inch hook and loop, full hook across the top leading edge of the pocket body with three vertical strip of hook and loop pile evenly spaced beneath the pocket flaps. On the right-hand pocket, there shall be placed a metal D-style attachment to clip accessories onto the pocket. The D-style metal attachment shall be rivetted on the bottom front corner of the pocket.

i. Hand warmer pockets shall be provided behind each bellows pocket and lined with Nomex fleece.

j. There shall be an outer shell radio pocket positioned on the right chest approximately 9”H x 4.5” W x 3” D with the pocket flap notched towards the wearer’s right. The radio pocket shall be divided into two segments, one

RP003-25 Page 10 measuring 1” wide and the other 3.5” wide. The height shall be full height of the pocket.

k. Center a 0.5” H x 2.5” W outer shell mic tab above the radio pocket.

l. On the left chest there should be a large downward facing snap hook on an outer shell patch which is then sewn to the coat. Place an outer shell w/hook and loop flashlight strap below the snap hook.

m. On the left chest center a another 0.5”H x 2.5” W mic tab above the snap hook and even with the mic tab on the right chest.

iv. A firefighter Drag Rescue Device shall be installed in each coat, which shall comply with the requirements of NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. Please state in the proposal submission the design and functionality of the DRD of the proposed gear.

v. Wherever garment linings are specified, including but not limited to thermal linings and moisture barriers, each such lining layer should be tailor-graded to fit within the overall garment composite of all layers without causing bunching or binding when the garment is worn.

vi. The liner system should incorporate a hook and loop port at the lower right front body panel to allow for field inspection of the “internal” condition of the moisture barrier membrane, seam sealing and thermal insulating layer / quilt stitching.

vii. The moisture barrier/thermal liner shall be completely detachable from the outer shell for ease of cleaning by the use of hook and loop, zippers, and snaps. There should be a zipper down each front facing, hook and loop along the neck to interface with collar as well as snaps or zippers at each sleeve end. No hook and loop will be accepted in sleeve ends.

Liner sleeves should be attached at the outer shell cuff by means of snaps on two

(2) sets of outer shell fabric tabbing strips per cuff. These snaps should be isolated by the tabbing material so that they will not abrade against the outer shell. Zippers for cuff end attachment will also be accepted. Hook and loop attachments will not be accepted in the cuffs of the coat.

To provide continuous moisture protection and pathogen protection at the neck, the liner should be positioned so that it is sandwiched between an outer-facing pathogen shield and an inside facing of the specified outer shell material, both folded over and sewn in at the neck seam.

The liner system design should not allow products of combustion or other contaminants to move into the liner interior between the moisture barrier and thermal liner. For instance, separately hemmed and bar tacked liner and moisture barrier with open edge designs would not be acceptable.

Attachment should be by means of four (4) glove straps or zipper attachment that penetrates only the layer of the attachment facing towards the liner, so that metal contact at a wearer’s neckline is completely eliminated.

viii. The collar should be of layered construction, which meets or exceeds the minimum requirements set forth in the NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. Please describe the construction of the proposed gear’s collar in the proposal submission.

ix. There should be no vertical or horizontal seams or stitching in the body of the collar, since this may weaken collar integrity. Left outside of collar should have a sewn piece of 3-inch x 5-inch (7.6-cm x 12.7-cm) hook and loop fastener hook tape to ensure maximum adjustability when engaging chinstrap-to-collar closure. Each collar should be graded to individual coat sizes.

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x. Chinstrap should be 8” long across the top corners, 11” long across the bottom corners, and a minimum 4” vertical height measured at the center. The chinstrap should be mounted to the collar by means to allow the chinstrap to be adjustable to accommodate different neck sizes and provide proper coverage.

xi. An 80-pound (36.3 kg) tear strength hang-up loop should be provided at the interior collar seam. The loop should be constructed of triple layers of the specified outer shell material, lock stitched to the coat. Webbing is not acceptable.

xii. To prevent stove piping, sleeves should be individually graded by coat size and sleeve length. For maximum freedom, sleeve design should feature extra full cut one-piece outer shell set-in sleeves with built-in bellows. To reduce the chances of possible top seam failure in that high thermal exposure area, the sleeve Major A seam should follow the underside of the arm and should not cross over the outside of the elbow joint. Sleeve seam and sleeve attachment to coat body in all layers should be 100% double feld and double stitched for maximum strength.

xiii. Every coat should feature a 100% Nomex or equivalent knit inner wristlets protected by a flame-resistant and moisture-resistant water well. This water well must pass the NFPA 1970-2025 Edition Whole Garment Liquid Penetration Test.

This inner water well assembly should be interface capable with the appropriate glove to provide wrist protection. Please describe in detail in the proposal submission the construction and materials used for the inner wristlet and waterwell of the proposed gear.

xiv. There should be long style Nomex or equivalent knit inner wristlets which should provide a thumb attachment by means of Nomex or equivalent tabbing material bar tacked or equivalent at each end approximately 2” apart at the cuff opening.

Knit wristlet material should not cover the palm of the wearer’s hand. Only full knit wristlets will be considered.

xv. Every coat should feature a 2.5-inch (6.4 cm) long 100% Nomex or equivalent knit outer wristlet, which should be mounted to the end of each outer shell sleeve to prevent liquid and debris movement up the sleeve between the outer shell and the moisture barrier/ thermal liner assembly.

xvi. Cuff extensions should be provided at the sleeve end to protect the interface area of the glove and coat cuff. Extensions should be made from same composite at the coat and should be installed with hook and loop to facilitate removal, cleaning and replacement.

xvii. Two-inch-wide (5.1 cm-wide) panels of breathable moisture/ pathogen barrier and specified thermal liner materials should be provided at coat front closure facings to preclude any type of break in the protective envelope. The entire circumference of a closed coat should consist of specified shell, moisture barrier and thermal liner materials.

xviii. The proposed PPE must pass the required NFPA 1970-2025 Edition Whole Garment Liquid Penetration Test and should pass the Particle Inward Leakage Test. Please indicate in the proposal submission the construction methods used to achieve this standard.

xix. A dead air space or other thermal protection system shall be provided in the high heat load areas of the upper back/ shoulder/ chest, outside of the upper arm with a break at the elbow, and continue down the top of the forearm to the end of the thermal liner/ moisture barrier.

3. Pants

i. The pant should be of a traditional waist-high-only design to facilitate full torso ventilation of front, rear, and sides of trunk for maximum body cooling effect to help minimize firefighter heat stress, which meets or exceeds the NFPA 1970-2025 Edition standards.

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ii. Garments should feature a tailored outer shell with moisture barrier and lining. A pant with a four-piece moisture barrier and thermal liner should be provided, at no additional charge, when and if an individual’s tailoring needs require it.

iii. Specifications as stated within this section will supersede any previous specification as long as the required certifications are not compromised.

a. The pants should have 3”, circumferential cuff trim, Lime Yellow 2-Tone

Scotchlite or equivalent and should be attached using lock stitching.

b. Pant cuffs should be higher at rear in all three layers and should be reinforced in the high wear areas with black Ara-shield or equivalent.

c. On the out seam of each thigh provide outer shell material bellows pockets that are approximately 9” H x 9” W x 1.5” D lined on all four sides with 8-ounce Kevlar 2/1 twill. Pocket flaps should close by means of 1.5-inch hook and loop full hook across the top leading edge of the pocket body with three vertical strip of hook and loop pile evenly spaced beneath the pocket flaps.

The pants should be adapted for the “Fire Innovations” Arapaho Class II harness. There should be seven (7) evenly placed 1.0 inch retaining tabs placed around the waist. The pants should have NFPA 1970-2025 Edition-compliant attachments to attach the harness on the outside of the pants.

There should be loops on the outside of the outer shell to fasten the leg loops of the harness to the outer shell.

d. Each pant shall be provided with a Kevlar or equivalent Class II harness which closes at the front by means of a military grade, COBRA style parachute buckle with length adjustment. The harness should be made by Fire Innovations or equivalent, Model: Arapaho Class II escape harness.

Harness should be certified to NFPA 1970-2025 Edition.

e. Right pocket will be used as a bail out pocket. Pocket should be same dimensions as left pocket, should have oversized flap to protect bailout components and internal organization features to accommodate bailout system components.

f. Removable pocket inserts shall be provided to protect from damage or wear to internal or external pocket or pants components when storing tools or other accessories in the pocket. The insert shall be made of durable material and meet durability and flame-resistant requirements equivalent or greater than that of the bunker coat and pants. Insert should fit the pocket close to the same dimensions of the pocket itself. The tool pouches should be two different tiers for different depths. The first set of slot depths should be seven (7”) inches deep, and the second tier of slot depths should be five (5”) inches deep; both tiers should be the width of the pocket insert (as close to the full width of the pocket). Both top and bottom tiers should have three (3) slots. The insert should also have a system of attachment so as to not be sloppy or loose in the pocket or create any undue wear to the pocket.

iv. The moisture barrier and thermal liner assembly should be attached to the outer shell at the cuff by means of two (2) Nomex® or equivalent webbing snap assemblies per leg, and to the waistband, at the waist, with zipper attachment.

The liner system design should not allow products of combustion or other contaminants to move into the liner interior between the moisture barrier and thermal liner. For instance, separately hemmed and bar tacked liner and moisture barrier with open edge designs would not be acceptable.

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The liner system should incorporate a hook and loop port at the right side of the fly to allow for field inspection of the “internal” condition of the moisture barrier membrane, seam sealing and thermal insulating layer / quilt stitching.

v. Wherever garment linings are specified, including but not limited to thermal linings and moisture barriers, each such lining layer should be tailor-graded to fit within the overall garment composite of all layers without causing bunching or binding when the garment is worn.

vi. Pant should have a wide-style, traditional bunker pant fly that close in the opposite direction, with a left-over-right motion. The inner fly positive closure should be a zipper with oversized zipper pull and for the outer fly closure use 1.5-inch hook and loop with one glove snap located at the top leading outside edges of the fly.

The outer shell fly should be lock stitched to the left side of the front opening and should be in proportion to waist size and crotch rise in both length and width. Fly inner lining should extend at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) to the left of the outer shell fly attachment seam and should be constructed of certified breathable moisture barrier and thermal liner. The right front pant opening should have an internal facing extending at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) to the right and constructed of specified fabric. In combination with the liner, the system should offer 360-degree protection without gaps during movement of the outer shell moisture barrier and thermal liner.

Closure should be by means of a minimum 1.5-inch-wide (3.8-cm-wide) hook and loop fastener, and all construction techniques used should provide liquid penetration protection under the NFPA 1970-2025 Edition Whole Garment Liquid Penetration Test and pass the Particle inward leakage test. The fly should be graded to the waist size of garments and crotch rise.

vii. Trouser knee design should be constructed with a comfort/mobility design in all layers and consist of:

a. Use the specified outer shell material to provide the reinforcement at the sides of the knee pads and use black Ara-shield down the center.

b. Outer Ara-shield material should have reinforced stitching lines to prevent stitch unraveling. These reinforcements and/or designs should move seams away from abrasion or wear areas of the knee.

c. The area of reinforcement should be a minimum of 12”H x 8’W (30cm x 20cm).

d. Knee area shall be padded under the Ara-shield or equivalent.

e. Pads shall be secured in place to prevent movement.

f. An additional layer of a thermal liner shall be sewn to the knee area between the moisture barrier and the thermal liner. The additional layer of thermal liner shall be approximately one inch smaller than the knee reinforcement on the outer shell.

g. Vendors shall include in their proposal the type of material used, construction details, and the design elements of the reinforced cushioned knee used in the proposed PPE.

viii. Provide outer shell horizontal suspender loops placed on waist. Attachment should be by means of heavy-duty bar tacks or equivalent.

ix. Install 8-point attachment, quick adjusting, padded shoulders suspenders made from two-inch wide cotton webbing and two-inch wide heavy-duty elastic. The suspenders should also include 2” wide lime yellow, 2-tone Scotchlite or equivalent

RP003-25 Page 14 trim in the upper chest, shoulders and upper back. Attachment to the suspender loops inside the pant waist should be accomplished by the end of each elastic strap being passed through the suspender loop and snapping to itself by means of two 12-pound glove snaps per elastic strap. This type of attachment will prevent the suspender of rotating when pants are being donned.

E. Innovation (10 points)

This is defined as additional features not listed in the requirements that are deemed beneficial to the Department or personnel. Such benefits include but are not limited to: features that improve physiology performance to the wearer, cancer prevention features, care and maintenance programs, or additional warranty. Documentation explaining features in detailed must be provided.

PHASE 2: WEAR TEST

F. Wear Test (40 points)

After Phase I (Technical Evaluation) is evaluated and scored according to criteria above, the selection team may shortlist to the highest scoring firms to participate in the wear test. Please note: After the pre-proposal conference, the County will complete the fitting process. This will be done in an effort to minimize lead time. Any preparation performed by the vendor prior to receiving confirmation that the company has been short-listed will be at the vendor’s own risk. Gwinnett County will not be responsible for reimbursing for any samples. Five (5) fire personnel will evaluate the gear based on the above listed criteria. This test will be done independently of Phase 1 and 3. The results will be reported to the Evaluation team along with any supporting documentation of the wear test.

The evaluation process will consist of 20 scenarios during which fire personnel will wear each sample while performing daily operations where there is a threat of fire or when certain physical hazards are likely to be encountered, such as non-fire-related rescue operations, emergency medical operations, and victim extrication. The evaluation will include live fire exercises. The County reserves the right to conduct the Wear Test phase over multiple shifts and multiple seasons of the year. Evaluation of the samples will include laundering. Each evaluator will score each sample independently and an average of these scores will be recorded as the final score for this portion of the evaluation.

Note Exhibit A (attached) for more details of how the Wear Tests will be performed and how they will be scored.

V. CERTIFICATION/AFFIDAVITS

The Vendor’s Proposal shall be responsive to the specific range of issues described in this Request for Proposal. Vendors are asked to read the Request for Proposal carefully to ensure that they address the specific requirements of this Request and submit all requested information. Proposals shall address the following informational requests and should include the following certifications, justification, understanding, etc. required in this RFP.

A. Include your company’s understanding of the NFPA 1970-2025 Edition, Standard for Protective

Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting, for coats and pants.

B. All materials and construction shall meet or exceed NFPA 1970-2025 Edition, Standard for Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting. All materials used in construction of the garments shall be tested by Underwriters Laboratories and proof of certification shall be denoted by the Underwriters Laboratories certification label.

C. The manufacturer must certify that the garments proposed meet or exceed all requirements of NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. The manufacturer must also list and label this product with Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

D. (UL) or Safety Equipment Institute (SEI), as the third-party certification organization prescribed in NFPA 1970-2025 Edition. All certification testing and test preconditioning must have been performed by an ISO 17025-certified laboratory. UL, SEI or a UL Authorized Client Test Data Program laboratory will fulfill this requirement.

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E. Certification shall include, by definition, the scope of protection as follows: Coat shall provide limited protection resistance to bloodborne pathogens to the upper torso including the arms but excluding the head and neck interface area and the hand and wrist interface area. The pant shall provide limited protection resistance to the lower torso including the legs but excluding the foot and ankle interface area. The coat and pant overlap shall provide limited protection resistance to the coat/ pant interface area.

F. Manufacturer must provide, on request, third party certification of the required interface bloodborne pathogen resistant capability.

G. The…