The City of Burnaby is looking for a few good dry cleaners capable of getting bodily fluids, blood-borne pathogens, hazardous materials and fuels out of its firefighters' uniforms.
Burnaby has the third-largest fire department in the province, with 338 employees and seven fire stations, and dry-cleaning is a "mandatory requirement" of the local firefighter union's collective agreement, according to a request for proposal on the city's website.
The city is looking for bids from contractors near its fire stations where firefighters can drop off and pick up their uniforms.
The RFP stipulates the dry cleaners will have to have the capacity for a maximum three-day turnaround and offer appropriate cleaning methods to deal with bodily fluids, blood-borne pathogens, hazardous materials and fuels.
The contractors will also have to able to handle special materials, such as Gore-Tex and Nomex, and provide alterations, repairs, application of braids, emblems and crested buttons at its processing facility – but the city will provide the said braids, emblems and crested buttons, according to the RFP.
The dry cleaners will be expected to provide their service on an "as and when requested" basis and be able to continue to meet the requirements during periods where "volumes increase with little or no advanced notice, such as emergency situations," the RFP said.
The city put out the RFP on Sept. 5, and the bid closes on Sept. 26.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
Email cnaylor@burnabynow.com
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