Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/069

Contact: Colin Thomas, Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Tel: (01865) 855206

Report by Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer (CMDSSC7).

The  Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities is RECOMMENDED to approve an exemption from the tendering requirements of Oxfordshire County Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and to:

(a)         approve an extension to the existing contract with Lion Apparel Ltd for a period of 6 months, with an option to withdraw sooner if that is feasible;

(b)        delegate authority to the Director for Community Safety and Shared Services and Chief Fire Officer to extend the contract for a further 3 months should the new contract not be operational in sufficient time to allow for a seamless transition.

Due to the delay in the collaborative tendering process and previous inability to use the Yorkshire Procurement Organisation call off contract, the ability to guarantee continuing provision of PPE is in question.  This places an unacceptable level of risk on the operational effectiveness of the service should there be any delay in either the letting of the contract or the implementation of it. For this reason I have chosen to approve an extension to the existing contract with Lion Apparel Ltd. There is also a considerable amount of work that needs to be done prior to implementation of the new contract, for example fitting the new Fire Kit and training officers into how to wear and correctly maintain it.

(a)         approve an extension to the existing contract with Lion Apparel Ltd for a period of 6 months, with an option to withdraw sooner if that is feasible;

(b)        delegate authority to the Chief Fire Officer to extend the contract for a further 3 months or less should the new contract not be operational in sufficient time to allow for a seamless transition.