TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bernard Molloy, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: Crystallee Miller, Management Analyst-Fire
SUBJECT:
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Agreement with Johnson Equipment Co. for As-Needed Fleet Maintenance and Upfitting Services for the City of Murrieta
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RECOMMENDATION
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Award a contract services agreement to Johnson Equipment Co. for as-needed fleet maintenance and upfitting services for the City of Murrieta in an amount not to exceed $809,000, for a three (3) year term and
Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On June 3, 2025, the City Council acting as the Board of Directors of the Murrieta Fire District approved Resolution MFD25-225, adopting the Fire District Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025/2026 (Vote 5-0).
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
Provide a high level of innovative public safety.
BACKGROUND
As part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 through FY 2027/28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) adoption, the City Council approved Resolution No. 23-4699, which authorized fire fleet replacement to include associated upfitting costs and appropriated Measure T fleet replacement reserves to support those purchases.
Under this approved CIP authority, Murrieta Fire & Rescue purchased four (4) replacement vehicles in FY 2024/25, with a fifth (5) replacement vehicle planned for purchase in FY 2025/26. Prior to placing these units into front-line service, each vehicle requires specialized safety upfitting, equipment installation, and operational modifications to meet fire service deployment standards.
On August 11, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for vehicle upfitting and as-needed fleet maintenance services. The RFP was published in compliance with City’s Municipal Code Section 3.08 Purchasing System and purchasing policy. Proposals were evaluated by staff using established criteria, including qualifications, experience, and pricing. Based on the results of this competitive evaluation process, Johnson Equipment Co. was selected as the most responsive and responsible bidder.
Johnson Equipment Co. provides the technical fire fleet upfitting and maintenance services necessary to support these vehicles throughout the acquisition and operational lifecycle. An as-needed agreement is required to facilitate timely installation, warranty service, and ongoing maintenance consistent with the adopted CIP and approved budgetary authority.
DISCUSSION
Murrieta Fire & Rescue is implementing the fire fleet replacement plan approved under the FY 2023/24 Capital Improvement Plan (Resolution No. 23-4699). To place replacement vehicles into service, specialized fire fleet upfitting and installation services are required.
While Ordinance No. 617-25 authorizes the City Manager to purchase fleet vehicles within adopted budget limits, it does not include the specialized upfitting services needed to deploy those vehicles. This agreement establishes an as-needed services mechanism to support fleet readiness, standardization, and timely deployment in alignment with the approved CIP and adopted budget authority.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total fiscal impact associated with the approval of this agreement is not-to-exceed $809,000 over a three-year term. Of this total, $759,000 will be funded by Murrieta Fire & Rescue, and $50,000 by the Municipal Services Department.
Fire Department funding for new vehicle upfitting will be supported through the Vehicle Replacement Fund account 7158200-71060, and as-needed fleet maintenance will be funded through the Fire Department Fleet Vehicle Maintenance account 1513540-62200. The Municipal Services Department portion will be funded through the General Fund account 1106560-71060.
The proposed FY 2025/26 and FY 2026/27 operating budgets include funding for these services. Expenditures in future fiscal years are subject to City Council budget approval.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Johnson Equipment Co. Agreement