Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Fire Medical

TO:	David Corliss City Manager
FROM:	Mark Bradford Fire/Medical Chief
CC:	Debbie Van Saun, Asst. City Manager
Date:	March 18, 2007
RE:	Bike Helmets

Please place the following item on the consent agenda for the City Commission to consider at their March 27, 2007 meeting:

Background:

The Wheeled Safety Program provides free high quality bicycle helmets to children under the age of 14. The City/Department conducts a Helmet Fair each May which provides information for all types of summer activities, along with free helmets.

The Wheeled Safety Program started in May of 1996 with a grant of $300.00 from the Children's Miracle Network. The $300.00 dollars purchased 90 helmets. The helmets were put on the medic units and given out to children who were participating in wheeled sports without a helmet. Those first 90 helmets were distributed within six weeks. Laird Noller Automotive stepped forward and pledged $10.00 for every new vehicle they sold during the summer months. This money funded the purchase of several hundred helmets. Since May of 1996 we have provide over 9,000 helmets to the children of Douglas County.

In addition to the City/Department’s annual summer Wheeled Sports Program we are implementing “Program Kindergarten”.  This program will provide a helmet to each Kindergarten student during the month of April.  This program has been adopted as a community service program of Leadership Lawrence.

In an effort to increase overall success of the Wheeled Sports Program, the department is requesting to purchase 2,236 helmets in the amount of $17,043.60.  Funding for this purchase will come from donations that the city has received to cover the cost of this purchase.  To date, we have just over $18,000 in the bike helmet fund.   This program has been adopted by the 2007 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.  All funds provided by this organization will be placed in the bike helmet fund for future purchases.

Recommendation Action:

Due to the size and configuration of the various helmets procured for this program, we consider Helmets R Us, Inc as a sole source vendor.  We are purchasing helmets in 2007 at the 2006 prices.  Fire Medical is requesting approval to purchase 2,236 Custom Logo Helmets from Helmets R Us, Inc in the amount of $17,043.60.