Standard 05 Emergency Purchases (Equipment and Supplies)

In cases that the emergency purchase of equipment is found necessary for a program, James Rumsey follows policy developed by the West Virginia Department of Education (Policy 8200, Section 28 – Emergency Procurement).

Emergency Procurement – Declared Emergencies

The Governor of the State of West Virginia has the inherent constitutional authority to declare an emergency situation. In the event the Governor declares such an emergency, the Governor has the authority to suspend certain laws, rules and/or regulations relating to the acquisition of commodities and service by public organizations pursuant to W.Va. Code § 15-5-6(g).

It is of the highest importance that state government responds quickly and effectively to safeguard the public safety and welfare during states of emergency. Yet, even under those circumstances, the acquisitions of commodities and services must be effectuated in a fair and accountable manner.

1. Accordingly, should the Governor suspend said laws, rules and/or regulations, the following procedures shall apply:
   1. The employees or representatives of the LEA covered by this policy shall exercise sound judgment and discretion when acquiring commodities and services related to the emergency.
   2. The employees or representatives of the LEAs shall operate with highest ideals of honor and integrity and strive to avoid the appearance of perceived impropriety.
   3. No person shall corruptly combine, collude, or conspire with one or more persons to lessen competition, cause a higher price to be paid, or cause one vendor to be unjustifiably preferred over one or more other prospective vendors.
   4. No person shall solicit or receive anything of value, directly or indirectly, now or in the future, from any vendor or person supplying commodities or services in relation to the emergency.
   5. The LEA shall be responsible for developing specifications for commodities and services that do not favor a particular brand or vendor.
   6. Any contract and/or purchase order in excess of $100,000 shall be reviewed, approved and signed by the county superintendent, or director of a regional education service agency or multi-county vocational center, whichever the case may be.
   7. The acquisition of commodities and services not on contract that is estimated to cost in excess of $1,000 but less than $5,000 shall at all times be based on three competitive bids. Bids may be verbal but shall be summarized and documented and include the date of contact, vendor, dollar amount, commodity or service description, quantity, number of bids obtained and whether the award was made to the low bidder.
   8. The acquisition of commodities and services not on contract that is estimated to cost in excess of $5,000 shall be based on three written bids which shall be documented and include the date of contact, vendor, dollar amount, commodity or service description, quantity, number of bids obtained and whether the award was made to the low bidder.
   9. If, in the opinion of the LEA, using sound judgment and discretion, time does not permit written bids to be received, verbal bids shall be obtained and documented, with written bids received within five working days of the request.
   10. If, in the opinion of the LEA, using sound judgment and discretion, time does not permit verbal bids to be received, the public organization must secure written approval from the chief executive officer of the state agency to secure necessary services and supplies without bids for only that period of time absolutely necessary to abate the emergency.
   11. All purchase order and/or contract awards shall be made to the lowest, responsible bidder meeting specifications.
   12. Should the award not be made to the lowest priced bidder, a written justification shall be placed on file with the bids that documents the reason the low price was rejected. This justification must be signed by the county superintendent, or director of a regional education service agency or multi-county vocational center, whichever the case may be.
   13. The LEA shall document each expenditure and include specifications, bids, no-bids, award justifications, and any other relevant data.
   14. The documentation for each expenditure shall be complete and shall be kept in an orderly manner that will enable any interested party to understand the specifics of the expenditure.
   15. A complete written record of all expenditures relating to the emergency shall be submitted to the Governor within 30 days of the expiration of the declaration of the emergency.
   16. The written record shall include a summary sheet that details all acquisitions for the emergency and lists date of purchase, vendor, dollar amount, commodity or service description, quantity, number of bids obtained and whether the award was made to the low bidder.
   17. The Governor reserves the right to remove the spending authority at any time during the emergency and appoint a person or organization to manage the emergency expenditures and/or transfer that authority to another organization.
   18. All emergency expenditures are subject to complete review and/or thorough audit as requested by the Governor.
   19. The Governor has reserved the right to amend, alter, or cancel the preceding procedures as necessary through written amendments, alterations or cancellations with justification and documentation of specific situations and reasons.

Local Emergencies

Each LEA must establish by local board policy the procedures to be followed in the case of an emergency at the local level that has not been declared an emergency by the Governor.

The chief executive officer, purchasing director or appointed designee shall issue prior written approval for purchases in emergency situations. These situations can arise from acts of nature, conditions that are detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of employees or students, or other unforeseen events that threaten the termination of essential services. These can include unforeseen delays by contractors or delays in the transportation of indispensable goods and materials. Emergency purchases are not to be used for hardships created by neglect, poor planning, or lack of organization.

Competitive bids must be obtained whenever possible. If, in the opinion of the LEA, using sound judgment and discretion, time does not permit verbal bids to be received, the LEA must secure written approval from the chief executive officer of the agency to secure necessary services and supplies without bids for only that period of time absolutely necessary to abate the emergency.