Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Two-Year Agreement with a One-Year Option to Extend with Life-Assist, Inc. to Purchase Emergency Supplies and Equipment for a Total Amount Not-to-Exceed $600,000, Utilizing National Purchasing Partners Government Division Contract No. PS25830. (Fire 10032260)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Alameda Fire Department (AFD) maintains an inventory of pharmaceuticals, airway equipment, cardiac care supplies, trauma supplies, infection-control products, diagnostic equipment, and related emergency medical supplies necessary to support continuous emergency medical operations. AFD must regularly restock its inventory to maintain operational readiness and ensure continuity of patient care.
AFD requests City Council authorization for the City Manager to execute an agreement with Life-Assist, Inc. to purchase emergency medical supplies and equipment, using pricing established under the National Purchasing Partners Government Division (NPPGov) Contract No. PS25830. The proposed agreement, included as Exhibit 1, covers an initial two-year term at a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 per year, with the option to extend for one additional year at $200,000, for a maximum not-to-exceed amount of $600,000. This authorization also includes execution of any supporting documentation necessary to utilize the NPPGov Master Agreement.
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda's (City) Purchasing Policy (Administrative Policy and Procedure No. 5, Cooperative Purchasing) authorizes the City Manager to enter into cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies, provided the process used by the other jurisdiction is a lawful process under California law and Alameda Municipal Code. Cooperative purchases exceeding $75,000 require City Council authorization prior to payment.
The City is a member of NPPGov, a national cooperative procurement organization offering publicly solicited contracts to government entities nationwide. Their contracts are created through public solicitation and award processes by designated lead public agencies. More information about NPPGov is available at <https://nppgov.com>.
DISCUSSION
On May 12, 2025, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC), acting as Lead Contracting Agency on behalf of NPPGov, issued Request for Proposal No. 2535 for Medical Products, Monitors, Software, Data Transmission, and Related Services along with the accompanying synopsis (Exhibit 3). The solicitation was publicly advertised in USA Today and the Daily Journal of Commerce (Oregon) and posted on the LOC and NPPGov websites. The solicitation remained open through August 5, 2025, following two properly noticed extensions. Seven vendors submitted proposals, which were evaluated using a documented best-value methodology considering pricing, product line breadth, marketing support, customer service, proven experience, geographic coverage, and conformance with solicitation requirements.
Contracts were awarded on October 2, 2025. Life-Assist, Inc. was one of six vendors awarded and executed a Master Price Agreement, PS25830, with LOC, effective November 19, 2025, for an initial four-year term with an option to extend. This Master Price Agreement is included as Exhibit 2.
The City of Berkeley has independently reviewed this same Master Price Agreement and is currently utilizing it for the identical purpose pursuant to a resolution adopted July 28, 2026.
City staff reviewed the LOC RFP No. 2535 process and determined that it satisfies the City's competitive procurement requirements for the following reasons:
● Same materials and services: RFP No. 2535's scope (medical products, monitors, diagnostics, life-support equipment) matches the emergency medical supplies and equipment AFD intends to purchase from Life-Assist.
● Comparable competitive process: LOC's RFP was a publicly noticed, competitively bid, best-value-evaluated solicitation, structurally consistent with the evaluation methodology the City uses for comparable medical equipment procurements, including the City's own RFP for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Replacement and 5-Year Maintenance (issued July 25, 2025).
● Local business status: Life-Assist, Inc. is headquartered in Rancho Cordova, California, and is incorporated in the State of California.
● Cooperative membership: the City holds active membership in the NPPGov cooperative purchasing program (Member ID M-5750904) and will execute a Participating Agency Endorsement and Authorization under the League of Oregon Cities Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement prior to utilizing the Master Price Agreement.
Utilizing this competitively procured cooperative agreement allows the City to obtain favorable pricing, reduce administrative costs, eliminate the need for a separate City procurement process, and ensure continuity of emergency medical operations.
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Life-Assist, Inc. for the purchase of emergency medical supplies and equipment using pricing established through NPPGov Contract No. PS25830, and to execute any supporting documentation necessary to utilize the NPPGov. The proposed agreement, included as Exhibit 1, covers an initial two-year term at a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 per year ($400,000 total), with the option to extend for one additional year at $200,000, for a maximum not-to-exceed amount of $600,000.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may consider the following alternatives to the staff recommendation, as well as other alternatives not identified below:
● Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement with Life-Assist, Inc. at a different not-to-exceed amount than proposed. Staff does not recommend this alternative, as the proposed amounts are based on AFD's historical purchasing levels and projected operational needs.
● Decline to authorize use of the cooperative agreement, which would require AFD to conduct an independent City procurement process. This alternative is not recommended, as it would require substantial staff time and resources and is unlikely to produce more favorable pricing than that already available through the competitively solicited NPPGov cooperative purchasing agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The annual expenditure under this agreement will not exceed the amounts described above; however, actual expenditures each fiscal year will be determined by operational demand.
City Council previously appropriated General Funds for Fiscal Year 2026-27 in AFD’s operating budget account: 10032260-51060 -Medical Supplies. Funding for subsequent fiscal years is subject to future City Council appropriation of General Fund resources.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The proposed authorization is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code and the City's Purchasing Policy Section III.B.5, Cooperative Purchasing.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a two-year agreement with a one-year option to extend with Life-Assist, Inc. to purchase emergency supplies and equipment for a total amount not to exceed $600,000, and to execute any supporting documentation necessary to utilize the NPPGov Master Agreement
Respectfully submitted,
Nicholas Luby, Fire Chief
By,
Anne Iturraran, Fire Administrative Services Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Exhibit 1 - 2026 Service Agreement
2. Exhibit 2 - Executed Master Price Agreement PS25830
3. Exhibit 3 - League of Oregon Cities Request for Proposal No. 2535