TOWN OF CLAYTON FIRE DISTRICT

PURCHASING POLICY

Adopted January 9, 1996

MISSION STATEMENT:

To Facilitate Relationships Between the Fire Departments, Governments and Citizens.

'to Develop a Long Range Plan to ensure that Quality Equipment and Services Will Continue to be Available;

As provided in Section 104-b of the General Municipal Law of New York State, the purchasing policy of the Town of Clayton Fire District is provided to assure the prudent and economical use cf public moneys in the best interests of the taxpayers of the Town of Clayton, to facilitate the acquisition of goods and services of maximum quality at the lowest possible cost under the circumstances, and to guard against favoritism, improvidence, extravagance, fraud and corruption.

STANDARDIZATION OF EQUIPMENT:

The Commissioners of the Town of Clayton Fire District have adopted the recommendation of the Clayton and Depauville Volunteer Fire Departments to acquire and maintain vehicles meeting the standards and specifications of international trucks and pumps meeting the standards and specifications of Hale pumps to provide fire services within the District. The experiences of the Fire Department Members with radio and pager equipment has caused the Commissioners to adopt the recommendation of the Members to purchase and maintain radio and pager equipment meeting the standards and specifications of Motorola radio and pager equipment.

GENERAL POLICY:

Applicability - General MunicJ-pal Law requires the governing body of every municipality to adopt a purchasing policy for all goods and services which are not required by law to be publicly bid.

Public Bid Requirements - The following items are non-subject to competitive bidding pursuant to Section 103 of the General Municipal Law:

Purchase Contracts under $10,000

Emergency Purchases

Certain Municipal Hospital Purchases

Goods Purchased from agencies for the Blind or

Severely Handicapped Goods Purchased from Correctional Institutions Purchases Under State and County Contracts Surplus Second-hand Purchases from another

Governmental Unit

The decision that a purchase is not subject to competitive bidding will be documented in writing by the Fire Department official making the purchase. The documentation may include written or verbal quotes from vendors, a memo from the purchasing official indicating how the decisions was arrived at, a copy of the contract or purchase order, or a memo from the Fire Department official detailing the circumstances which led to an emergency purchase, or any other written documentation that is appropriate.

Authorization to Purchase The Commissioners of the Town of Clayton Fire District authorize the persons holding the following positions in the Fire District, Clayton Volunteer Fire Department and the Depauville Volunteer Fire Department to purchase the following:

Any one of the Fire Chief, First Assistant Chief, Second Assistant Chief and Engineer Foreman (described as Authorizing Member) may acquire the following goods and services without further approvals:

Fuel - Subject to guidelines established by purchasing through the Thousand Island Central School District.

Repairs or Supplies - Not to exceed $500.

Other members of the Fire Department may acquire the above described goods and services with the specific permission of the Authorizing Member. The Authorizing Member is responsible for any purchases made under his/her permission.

Purchases in excess of $500 must be authorized either verbally or in writing by an Authorizing Member and also by one of the following Commissioners of 'the Town of Clayton Fire District:

{A Clayton FD representative to be determined annually}

{A Depauville FD representative to be determined annually}

Any of the Town of Clayton Fire District Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer may acquire goods and services for the operation of the District following the Purchasing Policies of the District up to $250.00. Purchases in excess of $250 must be approved by a majority of the Commissioners.

Obtaining Quotations for Pricing of Goods and Services - All goods and services will be secured by use of written requests for proposals, written quotations, verbal quotations, or any other method that assures goods will be purchased at the lowest price. Price quotations will be obtained by the Authorizing Member or his/her designee in accordance with the following:

Regular Vendors - Based upon the nature of the business of the Fire District, purchases for maintenance and supplies are expected to be made in small dollar amounts which will aggregate in excess of $250 per year. For such vendors, the Authorizing Member shall provide annually for the Commissioners a pricing quotation from three (3) vendors for similar goods. Based upon the prices received, the ~lthorizing member will recommend the Regular Vendor for purchases for the forthcoming year.

EMERGENCIES:

Verbal quotes will be deemed sufficient, when obtained to the extent practical, for purchases of emergency goods and services having a cost in excess of $250. To be considered an emergency, the following three (3) conditions must be met:

(2) public buildings, public property or the life, health, safety or property of the Town of Clayton Fire District's residents are affected;

(3) the situation requires immediate action which cannot await competitive bidding.

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DOCUMENTATION:

The Authorizing Member or his/her designee shall prepare a Purchase Authorization Form for any purchase having a cost in excess of $250, identifying the item to be purchased, the need for the purchase and comparative pricing information, and sign the Purchase Authorization Form. A good faith effort shall be made to obtain the required number of quotations. If the Authorizing Member is unable to obtain the required number of quotations, the official will document the attempt made at obtaining the proposals. In no event shall the failure to obtain the proposals be a bar to the procurement.

Documentation and an explanation is required whenever a purchase is made form other than the lowest bidder. This documentation will include an explanation of how the provider was not responsible or why the quote was not responsive. A determination that the offeror is not responsible or that the offer was not responsive shall be made by the purchasing official.

Any additional authorizations for the purchase required by the Authorization to Purchase Sections of the Policy shall be noted on the Purchase Authorization Form.

When the purchase is made and delivery of the goods or services is complete, the Authorizing Member shall so note the completion on the Form as an authorization to pay the invoice. The completed Authorization will be forwarded to the District Treasurer. Upon receipt of the invoice for goods or services, the Treasurer will match the copy of the Purchase Authorization Form to the invoice and present the invoice to the Commissioners for authorization for payment.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This policy shall be effective on January 9, 1996, the date of adoption by the Town of Clayton Fire District Commissioners, and may be modified by resolution approved by a majority of the Commissioners.