Montreal to award firefighter hood contract

Summary#

Montréal city council unanimously adopted an orientation to award Protection Incendie CFS ltée a contract for firefighter protective hoods. The city’s position is to award the contract for $1,925,543.81, taxes included, and to evaluate the company’s performance. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.

  • The contract would supply 10,150 hoods over four years, from 2026 through 2029, at $165 each before taxes.
  • The contract was put out to public call for tenders. Three bids were received; CFS was the lowest compliant bidder. One bid was rejected as administratively non-compliant.
  • The proposed contract cost is 11.7% below the city’s estimate.

What it means for you#

  • Montréal firefighters: If the agglomeration council approves the contract, the hoods would be supplied for the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (Montréal Fire Department). City staff say they are intended to replace equipment and meet operational needs.
  • Taxpayers: The agglomeration would pay the full cost from the fire department’s operating budget.
  • Businesses: CFS would receive the contract only if the agglomeration council approves the city’s position.

Money#

The proposed contract costs $1,925,543.81, taxes included.

  • The agglomeration would pay the full amount. The planned costs are $929,572.88 in 2026 and $331,990.31 in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029.
  • CFS’s bid was $422,935.54 lower than the other compliant bid.
  • No renewal option is stated in the materials.

What is unclear#

  • The materials give annual quantities but no more detailed delivery schedule.
  • No publicly available information is provided about the contract’s detailed terms or how the performance evaluation will be carried out.
  • The materials do not explain the difference in price between the two compliant bids.

Case for#

  • City staff say the hoods protect firefighters’ heads and necks from heat and contaminants, and that the purchase would support the department’s equipment needs.
  • Staff say the proposed hoods meet the NFPA 1970 safety standard.
  • CFS was the lowest compliant bidder, and its bid was below the city’s estimate.

Case against#

  • The contract would commit the agglomeration to a cost of nearly $1.93 million over four years.
  • Only two of the three bids received were compliant. The materials do not explain the price gap between those two bids.