Scope of Services
The City of Decatur seeks a contractor for towing of City of Decatur Police Department (DPD) vehicles. All vehicles shall be delivered for the submitted rates to:
City of Decatur Streets & Sanitation
1802 Central Parkway
Decatur, AL 35601
Services shall be requested through DPD dispatch.
Response times within Morgan County shall be not more than 20 minutes with a request for 10 additional minutes. In the event the successful bidder cannot make the required response time or denies the call for service the City reserves the right to use a different vendor of the City’s choosing. If the charges incurred from the alternate vendor are higher than the bid prices of the successful bidder, the City shall deduct the difference from the monthly invoice amount.
The successful bidder, from the time he/she moves or otherwise makes contact with any vehicle to be towed, assumes liability for injury to persons, damage to property, fires, or theft resulting from the operator's negligent acts or omissions.
The successful bidder shall be subject to inspection by the police department no less than annually. It shall be within the chief's discretion to require more frequent inspections. Such inspections shall, at a minimum, determine the following:
That a garage or mechanic licensed to do business in the city, the same not being an owner, employee, or in any other way an interested party in any wrecker operator regulated by this chapter, has inspected and issued a certificate upon inspection that each wrecker operated by the wrecker operator is in a safe operating condition for the purposes for which it is designed. Further, such inspection shall certify that each wrecker carries the proper mechanical and safety equipment as required by applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Every wrecker to be placed on the rotation list shall, at a minimum, carry the following equipment and meet the following standards:
(1) All equipment necessary for the towing vehicle or combination of towing vehicle and towed vehicle must comply with the applicable requirements of CFR 49, Parts 390-399, of the Federal Motor Carrier Rules and Regulations, as the same currently exist or as they may be amended in the future.
(2) Each wrecker shall be equipped with factory installed one-ton capacity dual wheels. Dummy dual wheels are prohibited.
(3) Each wrecker shall be equipped with a power winch, winch line, and boom with a factory rated lifting capacity, or a tested capacity, of not less than eight thousand (8,000) pounds single line capability. At the time of application, the wrecker operator shall provide documentation of lifting capacity from the factory or qualified testing facility.
(4) Appropriate equipment shall be attached to each wrecker in order to prevent any vehicle being hauled or towed from being further damaged by coasting, rocking, swinging, or slamming into the wrecker or any part thereof.
(5) Each wrecker shall have the following standard equipment: a. Tow bar; b. Safety chains; c. Operating, fully charged fire extinguisher mounted in an easily accessible location; d. Wrecking bars; e. Brooms; f. Shovel; g. Axe; h. Dolly, with name and telephone number of wrecker operator prominently affixed thereto; and i. Minimum forty (40) pounds of oil dry.
(6) Yellow emergency lights shall be affixed above the top of the cab of the wrecker. The warning lights shall be visible from a distance of not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night. Sirens are prohibited.
(7) Each wrecker shall be equipped with a minimum of one hundred (100) feet of three-eighths-inch diameter or larger steel cable.
(8) The name, address, and telephone number of the wrecker operator shall be permanently affixed to and prominently displayed on both sides of the wrecker, using letters and numerals that are clearly visible from a distance of one hundred (100) feet. The lettering used for the operator name shall be at least four (4) inches tall and the lettering and numerals used for the address and telephone number shall be at least two (2) inches tall.
(9) The wrecker operator shall not place or imprint on their vehicles, buildings, equipment, clothing, advertisements, or correspondence anything suggesting or implying any official relationship between the wrecker operator and the city. Without limitation, the wrecker operator shall not use any colors or paint schemes similar to those used by the police department; decals similar in design to department decals; any logo similar to those employed by the city or any of its departments; or any other language or wording which would cause the general public to believe the wrecker is owned or operated by the city.
(10) Each wrecker shall be properly equipped with clearance and marker lights and all other equipment as required by law.
(11) Each wrecker shall be equipped with warning devices, as the same are required by law and applicable to trucks, capable of protecting the scene of an accident by day or night.
(12) Dual rear adjustable floodlights with a minimum of twenty thousand (20,000) candlepower each shall be affixed to each wrecker.
The successful bidder shall maintain accurate records reflecting all wrecker services performed. Each record of wrecker service shall include the following information:
(1) The date and time the operator was contacted and requested to perform the service.
(2) The name of the person requesting the service.
(3) The location of the vehicle.
(4) A description of the towed vehicle, including license tag and identification number.
(5) Services provided and service charge and fees.
A receiving ticket must be signed by the officer at the scene and a copy must be provided to the officer at that time. No charges will be paid without the corresponding receiving ticket.
All records required herein must be available during normal business hours for inspection by the chief or other city representatives. The operator shall maintain the aforementioned records for the current calendar year and the preceding calendar year.
The successful bidder shall invoice the City for all services within a calendar month and will be paid net within 30 days of invoice submission or based on the payment terms included in a bidder’s bid submission. The invoice shall provide detailed line items of services performed and applicable charges.
