Item - 2022.GL28.8

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the Fire Chief and General Manager - Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive agreement with MetalCraft Marine Limited, for the supply and delivery of a shallow draft, high speed Firefighting vessel on the following terms and conditions:

a. the term of the contract will be for the supply, delivery, and training as required for the vessel specified, commencing at the time of purchase order issuance to July 02, 2023, with the amount of this non-competitive agreement being $2,948,169 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($3,000,056 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries); and

b. conditional upon terms and conditions that are satisfactory to the Fire Chief and General Manager-Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The purpose of this report is to seek City Council authority for the Fire Chief and General Manager - Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive agreement with MetalCraft Marine Limited for the supply and delivery of a 50 foot twin diesel engine, jet propulsion, shallow draft firefighting vessel in the amount of $2,948,169 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($3,000,056 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries). This purchase will assist Toronto Fire Services in maintaining operational readiness to respond to emergency and critical incidents throughout the Toronto waterfront, specifically with emergency responses to the east and western beach areas, the marina and shallow areas of the Toronto Island, and tributaries feeding Lake Ontario.

Toronto Fire Services currently utilizes two (2) firefighting vessels. The William Lyon Mackenzie, manufactured in 1964, is an 82 foot steel hull tugboat operated for significant firefighting water-flow at emergency scenes, heavy water rescue operations outside the harbour, and ice breaking within the harbour limits to reduce ice damage and maintain ferry traffic.

The second vessel, the William Thornton, manufactured in 1982, is a 75 foot aluminum hull repurposed Canadian Coast Guard vessel, used for faster response for medical emergencies and a back-up to the larger vessel if it is out of service for maintenance. If kept in service as currently outfitted, the vessel requires significant up-fitting to make it compliant to the revised National Fire Protection Administration and Transport Canada marine standards to be a fully functional fire response vessel.

Toronto Fire Services is seeking a non-competitive contract to purchase a replacement for the William Thornton due to a lack of qualified manufacturers with experience in building such specialized vessels. A request for information and notice of intended procurement were posted on the city's website to notify as many potential suppliers as possible.

Multiple Suppliers were researched and contacted referencing the basic type of vessel required. Only one response was received from MetalCraft Marine that indicated they produced this type of marine firefighting and rescue style vessel. Additionally, this manufacturer is located locally in Kingston, Ontario where they maintain a sole manufacturer/dealer/repair facility, providing access to warranty service and parts necessary for repairs or replacement.