DEM ForestGuard II Hose

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), specifically the Division of Forest Environment, is seeking a vendor to procure replacement fire hose for its Forest Fire Program's Hose Loan Program, which provides local Fire Departments with equipment for wildfire fighting. The solicitation requests 16,500 feet of Mercedes Textiles Limited ForestGuard II Hose, specifically requiring 100-foot lengths with a 1-1/2-inch diameter, quarter-turn couplings, a single jacket, and a service test pressure of 300 PSI/2070 KPA. No product substitutions or alternate hoses will be accepted. The procurement process is entirely electronic through the Ocean State Procures platform, with the solicitation opening on December 3, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST and closing on January 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST. Vendor questions must be submitted by December 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST through the Ocean State Procures Q&A Center, and proposals submitted by mail, email, fax, or hand-delivery will be rejected.

The solicitation requires Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation, mandating that MBEs and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) be awarded a minimum of 15 percent of the total contract value. All vendors must register in Ocean State Procures and complete vendor certifications addressing debarment, suspension, conflict of interest, licensing, insurance maintenance, and compliance with state and federal laws. The State reserves the right to make one or multiple awards or reject all bids, and a contract administrative fee of 0.33 percent of the total annual contract value will be withheld from invoices effective January 1, 2026. The contract term begins upon issuance of a purchase order, with delivery terms set as Free On Board (FOB) Destination. No specific budget range or award value was explicitly stated in the solicitation, and no costs beyond parts and labor will be authorized, with out-of-pocket expenses like travel or mileage explicitly prohibited.