Purchase of Five (5) New Fire Truck Pumper

Chatham County, Georgia is soliciting competitive sealed bids for the purchase of five new fire truck pumpers through Invitation to Bid 26-0053-3, with bids due by 2:00 p.m. on May 28, 2026. The procurement seeks complete, new, and unused fire truck pumpers that must comply with NFPA 1900 standards and include specific technical requirements such as a 1500 GPM Hale Q-Max pump with SAM control system, a Cummins L9-450 diesel engine (450 horsepower), an Allison 3000EVS automatic transmission, a 1000-gallon water tank capacity, stainless steel compartments with 198 cubic feet of storage, and comprehensive electrical and lighting systems. All equipment must be manufactured within the continental United States by a single-source manufacturer capable of designing and producing both the rolling chassis and apparatus body modules, and vendors must submit detailed technical specifications, construction drawings, weight certifications, brake horsepower curves, and proof of liability insurance coverage ranging from $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 depending on coverage type. Bidders must demonstrate equivalency in design, performance, components, and construction through complete documentation, with failure to provide sufficient evidence resulting in disqualification; award will be determined based on lowest unit price and may consider delivery timeframe, with the County reserving the right to award based on lowest cost, earliest delivery, or a combination of both. All pricing must include delivery on an F.O.B. destination basis, labor, materials, tools, and equipment necessary for a complete working unit, along with all warranty costs included in unit pricing. Qualified bidders must submit a 5 percent bid bond at time of proposal submission, and successful bidders must provide a 100 percent payment and performance bond prior to contract execution; brokers and resellers are ineligible to bid.

Chatham County has established a 30 percent combined Minority/Woman Business Enterprise (M/WBE) participation goal for this project, requiring bidders to make good faith efforts to subcontract with or purchase from qualified M/WBE firms. All bidders must comply with federal, state, and local compliance requirements including E-Verify employment verification, drug-free workplace certification, non-discrimination commitments, and debarment status certification, with failure to complete all required certifications and affidavits resulting in bid disqualification. Vendors must provide project references demonstrating relevant experience; for bids of $500,000 or more, bidders must submit information on the five most recent projects with similar scope, and if the contractor has performed work for Chatham County Government within the past five years, at least one reference must be from an appropriate party within the County. The successful bidder must obtain a current Chatham County Tax Certificate and maintain required insurance coverage with minimum limits of $1,000,000 for commercial general liability and $1,000,000 for business automobile liability. All bids must be firm for sixty days from the bid opening date, and while no specific budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents, the total contract value for five units will be determined by the lowest qualified responsive bid; additional costs for extended warranty options and required pre-construction and final inspection conferences at the manufacturer's facility (transportation, lodging, and meal costs borne by the successful bidder) should be factored into pricing considerations.