Request for Authority to Exercise Option Years on Contract Number 47020528 for the Provision of Firefighter's Structural Bunker Suits

At its January 31, 2017 meeting, City Council authorized the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, to negotiate and enter into an agreement with Innotex Inc. (Innotex), being the highest overall scoring proponent meeting the requirements of Request for Proposal (RFP) for the supply and delivery of firefighter's Structural Bunker Suits for five (5) years from the date of award to December 31, 2021, with the option to renew the contract, at the discretion of the Economic and Community Development Committee, with the consideration of including the Social Procurement Policy, if applicable, into the renewals for an additional optional five (5) separate one (1) year periods. The City's Social Procurement Policy (SPP) was in the development stage during the RFP process and consequently the RFP did not include the provisions that would eventually be outlined in the SPP. The SPP was adopted by City Council on May 3, 4, and 5, 2016 and came into effect as of January 1, 2017. The City reached out to Innotex Inc., who has, in the spirit of the SPP, committed to engage organizations or agencies in their region to develop, implement, and maintain a program to help people experiencing economic hardship. It is critical for the Division to have the option of exercising the additional five (5) separate renewal terms to ensure the existing contract is in place for the continued supply and delivery of Structural Bunker Suits. The absence of a contract is not an option as it would significantly risk the health and safety of firefighters.