S12-E25833 – Sole Source Purchase of Bell Helicopter Flight and Maintenance Training Services for the Houston Police Department.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
The Chief of the Houston Police Department and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve the sole source purchase of Bell Helicopter flight and maintenance training services from the Bell Helicopter Training Academy’s Flight Safety International, Inc., in the total amount of $129,940.00 for the Houston Police Department’s Air Support Division (ASD), and that authorization be given to issue a purchase order to Flight Safety International, Inc.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires licensed pilots to complete a flight review/ and training biennially. The ASD has in its helicopter fleet a twin engine Bell 412EP helicopter; a complex multi-mission aircraft utilized for search and rescue operations and terroristic response/SWAT insertion. This factory authorized Bell Helicopter training (aka myFlightSafety®) is for the recurrent training of five (5) ASD pilots and the initial training for two (2) ASD pilots of the Bell 412EP helicopter. This training is imperative to the pilots gaining and maintaining Bell 412 flight proficiency in standard and emergency flight procedures, including autoprop descent, as promulgated and regulated by the FAA and the Airborne Law Enforcement Association. Training will be conducted at the Flight Safety International’s DFW Learning Center which utilizes the only full-motion Bell 412 flight simulator in North America.
The maintenance portion of the Bell 412’s PPPT6T-3DF Twin Pac powerplant (twin turbine engines) is factory authorized by the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC). This training will provide ASD’s mechanics basic knowledge of the Bell 412's powerplant function and operation, including performing line and base maintenance in accordance with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR’s).
This factory based and authorized training is imperative to protect and prolong the life of an aerial asset valued in excess of 8 million dollars. The ASD flight and maintenance training participants will also have an opportunity to receive factory authorized certification.
This recommendation is made pursuant to Chapter 252, Section 252.022 (a) (7) (A) “a procurement of items that are available from only one source because of patents, copyrights, secret processes, or natural monopolies” of the Texas Local Government Code for exempt procurements.
Hire Houston First:
The proposed contract requires compliance with the City’s “Hire Houston First” (HHF) ordinance. Bids/proposals were not solicited because the department is utilizing a sole source contractor for this purchase.
M/WBE Subcontractor:
M/WBE Zero Percentage Goal document approved by the Office of Business Opportunity.
__________________________________ ___________________________________
John J. Gillespie, City Purchasing Officer Department Approval Authority Signature
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division