THE PURCHASING DIVISION AND THE OFFICE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER AND TRAUMA SERVICES RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
The purpose of this contract is to furnish a toxicology analyzer and two extractor instruments, including five years of on-site support, maintenance and consumable supplies for the Office of the Medical Examiner and Trauma Services (ME). The new instruments will be used to replace outdated technology and lead to efficiency in the processing of toxicology examinations. Currently, three of the four Gas Chromatograph/Mass Selective Detector (GC/MSD) instruments in use are no longer supported by Agilent’s standard maintenance agreements and there are no available replacement parts. Furthermore, the data handling systems are unable to operate the most current software developments or the newest data collection, reduction, and reporting program.
On February 7, 2014 the Director of Purchasing recommended approval of the sole source request as a "only reasonable source" for Agilent equipment to ensure compatibility with existing equipment, to minimize training, and to maintain the ability to utilize existing data libraries (Exhibit 2). The ME’s Forensic Toxicology Laboratory (FTL) currently employs Agilent Technologies GC/MSD instruments for the confirmation and quantification of drugs and poisons extracted from biological specimens submitted for testing from the ME and Broward County law enforcement agencies. Agilent instrumentation currently is and has historically been employed by the Medical Examiner’s laboratory as is the case for the majority of forensic toxicology laboratories throughout the United States. These new Agilent instruments represent a significant advancement in analytical capability, allowing for improved analysis, detectability of a broader range of drugs and poisons, and a continuity with current levels of staff training.
All FTL staff have various degrees of operational training with Agilent equipment; five of the 11 toxicologists, including the Chief Toxicologist, have advanced training with Agilent instrumentation. The expense in time, training classes, development of new data libraries, re-validation of existing procedures and the potential delay in laboratory productivity are reasons for sole source justification.
This contract provides five years of on-site product support and maintenance for the new instruments including software updates. The contract also provides five years of consumable supplies at a discount from published catalog prices.
In accordance with the Broward County Procurement Code, Section 21.30.f.2 (c), allows for a voluntary price reduction of the price bid by the otherwise low bidder, if the reduction does not result in the modification or deletion of any condition of the bid.
Three Agilent instruments are being returned to the vendor for a credit allowance of $13,164. The instruments were declared surplus by the Director of Purchasing. The Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the credit allowance to be fair and reasonable.
The Office of the Medical Examiner and Trauma Services has reviewed the quotation submitted by the sole source, Agilent Technologies, Inc., and concurs with the recommendation to award (Exhibit 3). Agilent Technologies, Inc. has two evaluations in Contracts Central with an average score of 4.03.
The amounts referenced in this agenda item have been rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Vendor payments will be based on the actual total quotation amount. The quotation tabulation reflects the actual amount of the award. |