Ellsworth Fire Department - Request for Qualifications

Start Date: October 31, 2024
End Date: January 31, 2025
Type: Requests for Proposals (RFP)
Email: sguillerault@ellsworthmaine.gov

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

For Consultant Services for Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover Product Development for the Ellsworth Fire Department

Ellsworth, Maine

Approved for distribution on October 29, 2024

Scott Guillerault, Fire Chief

INVITATION

The Ellsworth Fire Department (the agency or EFD), Ellsworth, Maine is seeking Statements of Qualifications from qualified consultants (the “Consultant”) interested in providing services in connection with the agencies desire to conduct a Community Risk Assessment and develop a Standards of Cover document. The purpose of this RFQ is to identify the most qualified candidates to provide the services required.

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION or SCOPE OF WORK

The intended scope of work is to produce a community driven "Standards of Cover" document that is fully compliant with industry best practices and based on nationally recognized guidelines and criteria. The finished product must follow the guidelines established in the 10th edition of the Quality Improvement for the Fire and Emergency Services (QIFES) manual published by the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Consideration must also be given to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards; Insurance Services Office (ISO) schedules; any Federal, State, or local mandates relative to emergency services; and generally accepted practices within emergency services.

The successful consultant will develop and produce four copies of a draft version of the written report for review by the Agency and its representatives for the Standards of Cover. The report will include:

• An executive summary describing the nature of the report, the methods of analysis, the primary findings, and critical recommendations
• Detailed narrative analysis of each report component structured in accordance with the 10th edition of the QIFES in easy-to-read sections and accompanied by explanatory information to encourage understanding by both staff and civilian readers
• Clearly designated recommendations highlighted for easy reference and catalogued as necessary in a report appendix
• Supportive charts, graphs, and diagrams, where appropriate
• Supportive maps, utilizing GIS analysis as necessary
• Appendices, exhibits, and attachments as necessary

• A summary review of the strengths of the Department and opportunities for improvement and change.
• All response and service level data shall be reported for a minimum of the last three (3) years.
• Response and Community Risk data shall be displayed in a GIS format to the extent possible.
• An explanation of proposed changes and recommendations for their implementation including supporting data and rationale.
• Supporting statistics and other visual data to fully illustrate the current situation and Consultant recommendations.
• An analysis of the efficiency of the current deployment model and analysis of a recommendation for future optimized service delivery.
• An analysis of the department’s ability to respond to a larger or more significant emergencies.

The report shall include the following components:

• General summary of the community served.
• History, formation, and general description of the Ellsworth Fire Department.
• Service areas for the department’s fire and emergency medical service response area (population and demographics).
• Operating budget, funding, fees, taxation, and financial resources.
• Review and evaluate calls for service demographics from a historical and current perspective.
• Review and evaluate operational staffing levels and distribution of resources.
• Review and evaluate administration and support staffing levels, including an analysis of the department’s hierarchy, distribution of workload, deployment, and management practices weighed against contemporary organization principles and business processes.

• Time standards that will provide for effective initiation of critical tasks and functions.
• Summary of current available resources in matrix format. 

Evaluation, conclusions, and recommendations to policy makers.

Develop and analyze various operational models for providing emergency services with the specific intent of identifying those options that can deliver the optimum levels of service identified in the previous components at the most efficient cost. Recommendations shall be provided identifying the best long-range strategy for service delivery and the impact of initiating such a strategy. Develop one or more long range options for resource deployment that will improve the department's level of service for the identified performance objectives and targets. This should include, but is not necessarily limited to, specific recommendations regarding:

• Any relocation of existing facilities.
• General locations of future necessary fire stations.
• Selection and deployment of apparatus by type.
• Service delivery recommendations, including; deployment of operational staffing Evaluate and present in graphical and descriptive format for the deployment option(s):
  • Degree of benefit to be gained through its implementation
  • Extent to which is achieves established performance targets.
  • Potential negative consequences.

Acquisition and Review of Background Information

The successful consultant will request pertinent information and data from each Agency’s assigned project managers. This data will be used extensively in the analysis and development of the "Standards of Cover". The document and information relevant to this project will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Past and current fire department studies or research
• Community Comprehensive Plan documents, including current and future land use information.
• Local census and demographics data
• Zoning maps and zoning code
• Financial data, including expenditure and revenue budget summaries for 3 to 5 years
• Agency Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG's) and service delivery practices
• Current service delivery objectives and targets
• Facilities and apparatus inventories
• Automatic and Mutual Aid agreements
• Records management data, including National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) incident data in computer export format for 3 to 5 years
• Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) incident records in computer export format for 3 to 5 years
• Local Geographical Information System (GIS) data, where available.

Stakeholder Input

The project team may interview key stakeholders of any organization associated with this study. At a minimum, members of the project team will interview appropriate elected or appointed Agency officials, Agency managers and other key staff, labor organization representatives, City officials or staff, neighborhood organizations or others that the project team deems necessary. From these interviews, the successful consultant will obtain additional perspective on operational, economic, and policy issues facing the agency. In addition, the project team will learn more about availability of data necessary to meet projected goals.

III. QUALIFICATIONS

Consultant submitting a proposal must have demonstrable prior experience conducting Community Risk Assessments and creating Standards of Cover documents. The following information must be provided in the proposal in the order stated:

1. Consultant/ Firm Information. Provide the individual Consultant or firm name, address, telephone numbers and E-mail addresses of the contact person.
2. Basic Qualifications. Provide basic information on the individual Consultant or firm’s size, history, personnel, special expertise and portfolio. Individual resumes, awards, and associations may be included.
3. Special Qualifications. List each individual who is expected to provide services to the Agency. Describe who will perform the various tasks, the amount of their involvement and responsibilities, and give their qualifications, including number of years experience, registrations, education, and a list of the individual’s experience. Briefly describe each individual’s involvement with other similar projects, if any.
4. Provide a short discussion of why individual Consultant or the firm is the best qualified to perform the project. Discuss how the individual Consultant or firm will approach the various aspects of this project.
5. Provide a list of similar projects the individual Consultant or firm has participated in during the past two years. Provide references for each project.
6. References. Provide three references from recent projects. Include name, project name, phone and/or email contact information.
7. The Consultant shall provide an estimate of costs associated with the proposal.

IV. SELECTION PROCESS

The Ellsworth Fire Department is the authorizing authority. The Project Manager is Scott Guillerault, Fire Chief, or his designee. The Department reserves the right to reject or accept any or all proposals or waive any formalities, informalities, or information therein. Selection of the Consultant will be based upon a number of factors, included but not limited to:

• The proposed team’s proven experience
• Presentation of the Consultant or firm’s proposal
• Proposed cost of services and ability to work within the budgeted amount
• Proven ability to work within a prescribed time frame and to meet deadlines;
• Availability to attend meetings with staff and to make presentations at monthly open meetings before the Fire Board as required;
• Prior proven experience of and ability to work in the public sector;
• Ability to work well with the agency;
• The consultant firm’s business history and references;
• The proposed team’s education, certifications, licenses, experience and qualifications;
• The consultant firm’s approach to the project, and,
• The consultant firm’s reputation and standing in the community, quality of work product, and financial and staffing capabilities.

The department reserves the absolute right to narrow the pool of candidates and remove firms from consideration, at any time during the selection process. A firm submitting a proposal will be notified in writing if it is removed from the candidate pool during the selection process. Finalists may be required to make a formal presentation to the CAFMA’s Fire Board and the Prescott City Council. The Agency is under no obligation to select any of the candidates and may choose to begin a new consultant selection process at any time. Additionally, the Agency shall retain the absolute right to delay, modify, or abandon the project at any time in its sole discretion and in accordance with law.

V. AGENCY-CONSULTANT AGREEMENT

The final award of the project is contingent upon the EFD and the selected individual Consultant or firm entering into an Agency-Consultant Agreement and General Conditions, as modified by the Agency. EFD intends to use a standard Professional Services Agreement between the Agency and Contractor with supplements and amendments to this form, as modified by the Agency. Examples of these contract documents are available from EFD upon request.

VI. PROJECT PROCESS AND SCHEDULE

1. RFQ issued – October 29, 2024
2. RFQ proposals due by – November 22, 2024, at 5:00 pm
3. Opening and Staff Review – November 26, 2024, at 9:00 am at City Hall
4. Contingent Award by EFD – November 27, 2024 no later than 5:00 pm
5. Project Completion – Proposed February 28, 2025

VII. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

All proposals shall be submitted electronically, in PDF format, to Chief Scott Guillerault at sguillerault@ellsworthmaine.gov

Submittals must be received before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on November 22, 2024. Proposals received after that time and date will not be considered unless the department determines that ALL other timely-received proposals are insufficient. In that case, all late proposals shall be opened and considered. It is the responsibility of the Consultant to ensure the proposal arrives before the time and date stated above. The Department reserves the absolute right to reject any and all submissions deemed to be incomplete, non-responsive or not meeting EFD’s standards for the project, to waive any deficiencies, and to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous and in the best interest of the Department and the taxpayers.

All costs incurred in any way whatsoever in the preparation and presentation of a proposal shall be wholly the responsibility of the Consultant submitting the proposal. The proposal and all supporting documentation shall become the property of EFD and will constitute a public record. Questions regarding the above request for qualifications may be directed to:

Chief Scott Guillerault

City of Ellsworth Maine

Email: sguillerault@ellsworthmaine.gov

Cell: 207-812-0784

The Agency shall determine in its own sole discretion whether or how to respond to any query received.