Is it necessary to have a sump pump stand installed between the bottom of the sump-pit and the sump pump to keep sediment and debris out of the pump intake?

Alternatively, can I just put a brick or some other material under the sump pump to raise the pump intake a couple of inches away from the bottom of the pit to serve the same purpose?

The idea of a stand makes sense, but is it an add on that companies sell, or do many pumps fail every year because of sediment and debris in their intakes?

Examples of sump pump stands from the googles:
<http://www.google.com/search?q=sump+pump+stand>

A common search result on the googles are branded sites in different geographic locations selling their very expensive branded "Triple Safe" systems:
<http://www.basementsystems.com/sump-pump/cleanpump-sump-pump-pedestal.html>