Fire Pumper Units (REVERSE AUCTION)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Division of Forestry, operating through Elliott County, is conducting a reverse auction procurement for thirteen (13) wildland fire pumper units. Each unit must meet rigorous technical specifications including a National Fire Fighter model NFF2 with a 24-horsepower Honda engine, Mercedes two-stage centrifugal pump capable of 103 gallons per minute at pressures up to 428 psi, a 200-gallon poly tank with baffling per NFPA standards, a Hannay electric hose reel with 200 feet of booster hose, a Chemonics foam proportioning system, and a Foam Pro 1600 series control system. All units require a minimum three-year warranty on pump and tank components and must comply with NFPA Standards for Wildland Fire Type 6 engines. Delivery is required to Frankfort, Kentucky with 24 hours advance notice, and vendors are subject to one percent per day penalties for late delivery. The procurement timeline includes questions due February 14, 2019, unpriced technical responses due February 26, 2019 at 1:30 PM ET, eBridge training scheduled for March 1 and March 4, 2019, and the reverse auction bidding event tentatively scheduled for March 6, 2019 at 2:00 PM ET. Award will be made on a best value basis considering warranty terms and submission of blueprints or digital pictures verifying pump specifications. The initial contract period is one year from the date of award with four optional one-year renewal periods.

Kentucky resident bidders receive reciprocal preference per KRS 45A.494, Kentucky Correctional Industries receives a twenty percent preference, and qualified bidders (nonprofits or agencies employing individuals with severe disabilities for at least seventy-five percent of direct labor hours) receive a fifteen percent preference. All bidders must complete a notarized Annual Affidavit demonstrating compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, tax obligations, sales and use tax registration, and restrictions on boycotts of open trade jurisdictions, with failure to comply potentially resulting in disqualification. No incumbent vendor is identified in the solicitation documents. Pricing will be established exclusively through the reverse auction process with bids submitted through the eBridge Business Solutions electronic platform; bidders must accept eBridge's Terms and Conditions and pay a three percent transaction fee on the final awarded purchase price. Prices must be quoted F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, exclusive of Federal Excise Tax and Kentucky Sales or Use Tax, and must remain valid for a minimum of sixty calendar days after the Phase 2 bid due date. Price increases are prohibited during the first twelve months of the contract and limited to one increase thereafter based on industry-wide price changes with thirty days' written notice.