Item - 2021.EC24.18

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council authorize the Chief and General Manager, Toronto Paramedic Services to amend Purchase Order Number 6045009, issued to Bramic Creative Business Products Ltd. for the provision of servicing, parts and maintenance of Toronto Paramedic Services' specialized dispatch consoles in its Central Ambulance Communications Centre, by an additional amount of $280,950 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($285,895 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) and to extend the contract validity date for an additional five years from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2026.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council approval for the Chief and General Manager, Toronto Paramedic Services to amend Purchase Order Number 6045009 issued to Bramic Creative Business Products Ltd. for the provision of servicing, parts and maintenance of Toronto Paramedic Services' highly specialized dispatch consoles in its Central Ambulance Communications Centre, for an additional amount of $280,950 net of HST ($285,895 net of HST recoveries), and to extend the contract validity date for an additional five (5) years from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2026.

Toronto Paramedic Services' current dispatch consoles are manufactured by Bramic and were procured between 2007 and 2018. The consoles continue to be used in a high-demand, 24/7 emergency dispatch environment and, as a result, experience ongoing wear and tear. As the manufacturer, Bramic holds exclusive rights and is the only vendor certified to provide servicing, parts and maintenance (including specialized cleaning) of the consoles.

In 2017, a non-competitive purchase order was issued by PMMD for Bramic to service and maintain the consoles under a five (5) year contract. This has enabled Toronto Paramedic Services to extend the operational life and reliability of the consoles versus complete replacement which would cost approximately $1.0 million. The current service and maintenance contract expires on December 31, 2021.

This report seeks an additional five-year, non-competitive contract with Bramic to ensure uninterrupted provision of service and maintenance to further extend the operational life of the consoles while avoiding significant replacement costs.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195 - Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment for each vendor, under Article 7, Section 195- 7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of HST allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71 - Financial Control, Section 71-11A.

Approval of the contract is not expected to result in financial implications in 2021 or future years as all expenditures are eligible for 100 percent funding from the Ministry of Health (MOH).