This article is an example of how the City uses sole-source justification to avoid competitive bidding.
In this case the Fire Department wanted to buy 200,000 dollars worth of “cardiac monitoring and defibrillation supplies”. I suspect that would include some actual units since pads and batteries appear to the most common supplies and $200,000 would be a whole bunch of them, but maybe I am wrong here.
The notarized sole source affidavit indicates that the vendor is the sole source for “External Defibrillators with the name LIFEPAK 500, LIFEPAK 12, LIFEPAK 15…for the City of El Paso Fire Department”.
The documents attached to the agenda are here:
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/06-26-12/06261208E.pdf
A quick search on the web shows several companies that offer to sell the units and the supplies. They claim that they offer the manufacturer’s warranty.
Some examples are here:
http://www.aedstoday.com/Medtronic-Physio-Control_c_15.html
http://www.aedprofessionals.com/Medtronic-LIFEPAK-500.html
http://www.aedsuperstore.com/physio-control-lifepak-1000.html
http://www.aed.com/physio-control-lifepak-1000-aed.html
http://www.aedbrands.com/defibrillator/medtronic/accessories/lifepak-1000
In fairness to the Fire Department a quick search on the web returns results showing that the manufacturer signs sole-source documents regularly. Maybe they convinced the Fire Department that they are a sole-source supplier.
I have a harder time believing that the city Purchasing Department did not know that multiple sources exist. They should have checked.
It is against the law in Texas to defeat the bidding process.
It is against the law in Texas to falsify a public document.
These items should have been bid.
Maybe when we get a new Fire Chief this kind of activity will stop.
We deserve better.
elpasospeak 