Scba Reductions

[AFD2181]

Just wondering if anyone has recieved a SCBA Reduction letter, and if so can you post what you asked for in terms of dollars, and what they wound up giving you.
Also if you appealed that would be great also..........

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

30 minutes w/2 bottles has been $5k, 45 min cylinders has been up to $5200. Little more for 1 hour bottles.

[ktb9780]

I can't believe they are asking him for a $1000 a set reduction off a $4400 grant request for 37 sets. I don't know where they are coming from on this! I have seen up to $4800 per set funded this year. Has me baffled for sure.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Definitely doesn't sound right.

[ktb9780]

We are getting our ducks in a row for a full frontal assault come Monday!

[Greenacres2]

One i wrote for a neighbor was awarded at $4,165 for 30minute/spare/mask. 20 sets, plus mobile caxcade and fill station. No reduction letter, first round award. Hope this helps.

earl

[Limeforever]

Earl, I would love to get a copy of that if possible. That is exactly what one department is looking at, along with a compressor to fill the cascade with. They currently take their bottles 45 minutes out of district to get them refilled.

[Greenacres2]

I'll check with the department involved. At least one of their guys will be in the LaPorte seminar, so you'll hear the whole bidding story too.
earl

[ksmith31]

Amounts

We were awarded $322,056 (total project) in the first round for complete SCBA replacement. The project consists of 56 complete packs (harness, quick connect regulator, facepiece with bag, (2) 45 min/4.5 carbon cylinders, buddy breathing ... the works) for $5359 each unit. It also includes 55 facepieces and bags at $220 each set and 3 complete RIT packs. That was our original proposal and we didn't receive anything hinting at a reduction. We proposed them all inclusive.

[Nozzleman216]

Must be nice to even get an award for SCBA. I know there are a lot of departments hurting for them but I would be curious as to how many still wear something similar to the old 2A Scotts we still have. Yea we have some 2.2's mixed in but not many and the newest ones came with our last new truck in 99.

[Limeforever]

I have one department that still has all of the packs that they bought in the late 70/ early 80's. They don't have but about 18 structure fires a year, so that was not their priority last time. But it will be this time. They replaced a 1957 model pumper that last time.

[FFCOPEMT]

I'm not sure of the criteria, but....

I really wish I knew what criteria they were using to determine reductions. It may be my fault in that I spec'd everything seperately instead of as a whole unit.

They cut us to $4000 per 45 min pack (4500 lb), HUD, Integrated PASS, buddy breather, etc. $750 per spare cylinder. Less than what we asked for for sure, but way better than nothing so we are working to come up with the extra funding to make up the difference. I admit I did not try to appeal, or plea my case for fear of loosing everything or delaying the grant.

They may be using a more subjective approach in determining final funding.......I just don't know. It does make it a little difficult for some to come up with a workable budget. But who is complaining? All in all we are going to end up paying more like 10% of the equipment total, rather than the 5%.......but 90% is more than a lot of departments got and I would rather see extra funding go to them. It will be no cakewalk to come up with the extra, but we've ben behind the 8-ball before.

[ncvfc17]

What about appealing to your vendor??

Less than what we asked for for sure, but way better than nothing so we are working to come up with the extra funding to make up the difference. I admit I did not try to appeal, or plea my case for fear of loosing everything or delaying the grant.

Can you go to your vendor to get a better price instead of trying to find additional matching funds? If they are about to lose a sale for a few bucks, they might help a bit. I had a similar problem in 2004 using our NJ State Contract pricing, but the vendor went below the number to help us out.

[FFCOPEMT]

Already been there

Already did that....we did get a little reduction, but they know they were our best bid and we are not going to turn down the money.

One of the real problems I have with some of these companies such as SCOTT, is that they only allow a select one or two vendors to cover a specific sales territory. (no competetion) Our main SCOTT vendor here is almost impossible to deal with because they have the market cornered, (plus we have had a load of other problems with them in the past) and I have contacted the regional sales rep for SCOTT to find a way to buy their products using another vendor. The best they could do was to suggest an "industrial service" vendor in a nearby city that "sometimes sells to fire departments"...these guys could have cared less about us and wanted to charge full list price. The rep won't let anyone else sell to us, so it looks like we are going to go with a different vendor. Their loss

[SLY4420]

One of the real problems I have with some of these companies such as SCOTT, is that they only allow a select one or two vendors to cover a specific sales territory. (no competetion) Our main SCOTT vendor here is almost impossible to deal with because they have the market cornered, (plus we have had a load of other problems with them in the past) and I have contacted the regional sales rep for SCOTT to find a way to buy their products using another vendor. The best they could do was to suggest an "industrial service" vendor in a nearby city that "sometimes sells to fire departments"...these guys could have cared less about us and wanted to charge full list price. The rep won't let anyone else sell to us, so it looks like we are going to go with a different vendor. Their loss

Oh what a topic! While I haven't had this issue specific with Scott, we've had multiple other issues with other products. (Gear for this 2006 grant as well)

What a crock of ****.