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Nye County approves $806,649 SCBA purchase to replace aging firefighter equipment
Summary
The board approved purchase of 75 self-contained breathing apparatus packs (150 bottles) from MSA via a Sourcewell contract for about $806,649, funded from town capital fund 25401; fire chief said the units are critical to enter immediately dangerous-to-life-and-health environments including lithium-ion incidents.
Nye County commissioners approved a cooperative purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment for the Pahrump fire department under a Sourcewell contract. Chief Scott Lewis told the board the equipment is essential for work in immediately dangerous-to-life-and-health (IDLH) environments, including structure fires, hazardous-materials responses and lithium-ion battery incidents.
The purchase is for 75 packs with two bottles per pack (150 bottles total); the recommended vendor is Mine Safety Appliance (MSA). The equipment was budgeted in the town capital plan and staff said the required funds are available in capital fund 25401. Chief Lewis said the Sourcewell cooperative saved the county about $200,000 versus the earlier estimate.
Commissioners discussed the procurement method; staff said Sourcewell is a cooperative contracting vehicle that leverages a competitively bid contract for participating public agencies to use without a separate local bid process. The board voted to approve the purchase and acknowledged the expenditure as critical for firefighter safety.
Why it matters: SCBA equipment is life-safety gear; replacing aging units reduces risk to firefighters and ensures compliance with operational standards.
What’s next: Purchasing and procurement steps to follow; units will be deployed as replacements across the department.
