CFD $10mn awards TotalCare contract to Lion Apparel

01 Aug '06

3 min read

The Chicago, Ill. Fire Department (CFD) awarded a $10 million TotalCare(R) contract for the supply and maintenance of firefighter protective clothing and equipment to Dayton, Ohio-based Lion Apparel. The contract will begin with an initial order of 4700 turnout coats and 9400 turnout pants and is expected to run through 2008.

The new turnouts, fully certified to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1971, replace aging gear in the field and help accumulate reserve inventory for CFD.

Additionally, the contract provides for a comprehensive care program that helps CFD meet the requirements of NFPA 1851. Lion Apparel's TotalCare portion of the contract includes scheduled cleanings, inspections, repairs and full accountability tracking of the equipment over the life of the contract.

CFD selected Lion Apparel after thorough consideration of offerings and competitive bids from multiple manufacturers. Evaluations included supplier care and maintenance capabilities in addition to site visits, overall cost and in-depth technical product assessments of comfort, fit and construction.

For the first time, turnout pants will be standard issue for this department that has a long-standing history of wearing long coats and three-quarter "day boots" for structural firefighting. "It's a huge step forward that is as important as the adoption of the self-contained breathing apparatus in the 1980s," 1st District Chief Jose Santiago said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

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