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2 <br />by an annual purchase of two ambulances every year. The goal is to maintain a frontline and <br />backup fleet consisting of nine ambulances allowing for an effective rotating replacement cycle. <br />Working together, Emergency Services and Public Works identified the following key decision <br />points: <br />• All ambulance purchases would conform to 2010 emissions standards leading to decreased <br />green house gas emissions; and <br />• Ambulances will be purchased with medium duty chassis and drivetrain to increase in <br />service uptime. Medium Duty drivetrains are more capable of handling on-scene idling, <br />have stronger braking, cooling and suspension components, and are critical for a system <br />such as Orange County with increasing call volume; and <br />• Purchases will demonstrate a continued focus on crew and patient safety; and <br />• The new ambulances would be capable of operating on a diesel fuel blend of up to twenty- <br />percent biodiesel (B-20). <br />EMS systems require one front-line ambulance for every crew and 1 back-up (reserve) <br />ambulance for every 3 front-line units to maintain a reliable system. In addition, Orange County <br />Emergency Services routinely provides special events coverage requiring the use of additional <br />ambulances. This results in a need for nine ambulances in the fleet. Further efficiencies <br />related to fleet management are related to future system response using AVL (Automatic <br />Vehicle Locators), which allows E911 telecommunicators to dispatch the closest unit resulting in <br />decreased response times, reduced fuel consumption and improved service delivery. <br />Staff has identified a vendor that has a demonstrated history of successfully remounting its <br />patient care module onto a new chassis. In the future this allows the option to recycle the <br />module at the end of the chassis' useful life, which is intended to reduce fleet costs. <br />Emergency Services staff began research by contacting and interviewing eleven EMS fleet <br />managers from various systems along the east coast including seven from North Carolina. <br />Staff identified two preferred chassis styles all featuring medium duty drive trains. Based on <br />those findings, Public Works determined the optimal drive train from an emissions and <br />serviceability perspective. Staff undertook a process to identify a vendor who could provide the <br />drive train combination package. Emergency Services staff identified the vendor who best met <br />these criteria and who also had a strong reputation for providing successful remounts to its <br />ambulances. <br />North Carolina General Statute 143-129 allows local governments to make purchases without a <br />separate bidding procedure. This type of acquisition can be made from any contractor that has, <br />within the past 12 months, contracted to furnish the item to: (1) the federal government or any <br />federal agency; (2) the State of North Carolina or any agency or political subdivision of the <br />state; or (3) any other state or agency or political subdivision of that state, if the contractor is <br />willing to extend the same or more favorable price and other terms to the local government. <br />This process is called "piggy-backing" a bid. <br />Staff proposes to "piggy back" on the Florida Sheriff's Association bid that was awarded to <br />Excellance, Inc. of Madison, Alabama on December 10, 2009 for Type I ambulances mounted <br />