Mobile Breathing Air Cascade System Grant #5172701

The City of Edinburg, Texas is soliciting competitive bids for a Mobile Breathing Air Cascade System under Grant #5172701, funded through the Office of the Governor's FY 2025 Border Zone Fire Departments (BZFD) Grant program serving Hidalgo County. This procurement seeks a comprehensive mobile breathing air system mounted within a minimum 8' x 16' cargo trailer, designed to supply high-pressure breathing air for refilling Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) cylinders and support emergency fire department operations. The required system must include a six-bank cascade system, a diesel-powered high-pressure breathing air compressor, a control panel, fill stations with blast protection, air reels for quick fill connections, and custom graphics. The bid is structured with seven line-item categories covering the cargo trailer, breathing air cascade system, compressor system, air reels, accessories and additional features, warranty provisions, and delivery and testing. Bidders must comply with House Bill 89, Senate Bill 13, and Senate Bill 19 verifications, maintain registration in the System for Awards Management (SAM), and adhere to federal regulations under 2 CFR Part 200. The submission deadline was March 11, 2025, at 3:00 pm, with questions due by February 28, 2025, and a minimum two-year warranty required for most components. Electronic bid submissions were required through the City's electronic bidding system with time-sensitive mechanisms synchronized to U.S. Nuclear Time for secure receipt and opening.

The procurement documents do not specify explicit set-asides or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses; however, the City reserves the right to award contracts to multiple vendors and may extend a preference to local vendors whose bids fall within 5 percent of the lowest bid price. Six specialized equipment vendors expressed interest in the contract opportunity, including Casco Industries Inc., MES Fire, Siddons-Martin, NAFECO, Breathing Air Systems, and Diamondback Emergency Vehicles, creating a competitive bidding environment. The documents do not identify incumbent vendors or current contractors related to this system, nor do they reference existing infrastructure requiring integration beyond the general requirement that the system be mounted in a cargo trailer. The specific budget or award value for this procurement is not disclosed in the available documentation; however, the project is funded through the state-level Border Zone Fire Departments Grant, suggesting substantial financial resources allocated for this specialized emergency response equipment. All vendors must be prepared to meet the City's technical and compliance requirements as outlined in the Request for Bids.