05021956 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

'. I San Marcos Fire Department April 25, 1956 page 2 Hale pump with a positive priming device, whereas the pump on the American equipment has a vacuum priming device. As you know, the pump on the equipment is the most important part and the fire depart- ment feels that the difference in trlis type of equipment alone is sufficient to ~ustify the difference in the purchase price. 3. After the purchase of a piece of fire fighting equipment, the service of it is very important. The Simms factory is located at San Antonio and will be in posltlonto service our equipment in a matter of hours., The American factory is located at Battlecreek Michigan. The difference in location of the factories means a possible difference in our service requirements of a few hours to a matter of a month. It is also apparent that the cost of repairs ~Ii 11 00 less in the ca se of the Simms equipment, because of the proximity of the factory to San V@rcos. I 4. We have undertaken to make an investigation of the experience other people have had with American equipment and we find that there are only two pieces of American equipment in Texas that we can locate and a third piece on order tha t ha s not yet been de 11 vered. On the other hand, the Simms equipment is in f/very extensive use in this part of the State. In fact, ~Ie have two pieces of Simms equip- ment here in San Marcos. One of our pieces of Simms equipment was purcha sed in a bout the year 1928, and the other piece 0 f equipment wa s purchased about 17 years ago. Our equipment that was purchased 17 ~'ears ago has made every fire in town and in the country for 17 years and that equipment is just as good and effective today as it was the day it was purchased. It is customary that fire equipment be repainted every 5 or 10 years, but our Simms equipment was purchased l7 years ago has not been repainted, and the paint onit is just as good today as it was when we purchased the equipment. The Simms equipment is good merchandise and standard equipment, and the Simms people have been pioneers in the booster type pump, The Simms equipment is not mass produced, but each piece of equipment is hand made by trained men and these men are readily available to us for repairs and replacement parts at any time. , I For the foregoing reasons we recommend that, as between the two bids presented to us, the bid of Simms Fire Equipment Company be accepted.