7-RFP 26-106 Scope of Work-Submittal Info.pdf

March 2025

CITY OF ALPHARETTA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP Number: 26-106 RFP Title: Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

RFP SCOPE OF WORK & PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

1. RFP Period of No Communication The “No Communication” period starts on the issue date of this Request for Proposals (RFP) October 31, 2025 and lasts until the City Council meeting for contract award recommendation (or until contract award if this isn’t required to go before council for approval).

No person or company, their employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, etc. will contact the City’s elected officials or any City staff concerning this RFP.

Contacting anyone other than the Procurement Agent named below for this RFP during this time will be reason to remove a proposal from consideration and review.

2. Procurement Agent, Single Point of Contact Debora Westbrook is the designated Procurement Agent and the sole point of contact for this RFP on behalf of the City. Vendors must direct all questions and comments exclusively through the Opportunity Q&A tab prior to the posted Question Due Date on the Bonfire project webpage.

Link to Bonfire: https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/ All official communication will be provided through the Bonfire project webpage and Vendors are responsible for monitoring the Bonfire webpage for any status updates, addenda, or the final bid award notice. Direct communication with any other City staff regarding this RFP is not permitted and may result in disqualification.

Debora can be reached at 678-297-6052 or purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us.

City of Alpharetta 2 Park Plaza Alpharetta, GA 30009 Attn: Debora Westbrook, Procurement Agent

3. Please Note: To all current and previous City of Alpharetta vendors, contractors, and consultants.

Regardless of any previous relationship with our City, you must build out your proposal as requested in this RFP.

Do not neglect to provide requested information or details requested simply because you expect that we already know your work.

Your response to this procurement will be reviewed and evaluated solely on the information provided in your response.

https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/ mailto:purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept) Scope of Work and Proposal Submission

4. RFP Schedule of Events

A. Proposal Close Date, Deadline for Submissions: 10:00 AM, December 12, 2025.

We may change this date during the RFP process. We will post any change in an addendum. Review web page for addenda.

B. Link to Bonfire Project Web Page: https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/

C. This project web page has the important dates and all project documents for this RFP.

D. No Pre-Proposal Meetings or Site-Visits are scheduled.

E. Enter all questions, comments, requests for information before the Questions Due Date using Message – Opportunity Q&A at the Bonfire project web page.

F. In each question, clearly note the RFP document and section that is in question.

G. We will share any changes or added information from the City by a written addendum publicly posted online with the project procurement documents. Anything assumed as a change that was only communicated in email or verbally does not qualify as a change to the project or procurement information.

H. It is your responsibility to check the project web page for any addenda, other information, status updates, or other messages before finally uploading a proposal. You must respond using any updated information.

I. No public openings are held for an RFP. Review the Bonfire project site after proposal submission deadline for the Record of Receipt to be posted with other project files. It will post after the City’s administrative review has been completed.

5. Our Review of Proposals and Review Criteria:

A. The City will make investigations as we feel necessary to make sure of the Vendor’s ability to provide the supplies or perform the work or services detailed in this RFP.

B. We will first review all proposals to be sure that each proposal includes the basic requirements and information.

C. Some scoring may simply be Pass/Fail. Any proposal that Fails any part or section that is required will be removed from further review and scoring.

D. The Review Team will only receive correct proposals for further evaluation and scoring.

E. Proposals will be scored based on the evaluation criteria noted herein. We may consider accepted industry standards. We may compare all proposals to each other for price, quality, quantity, contract terms, etc. We will use this review and scoring to decide the top-scoring proposal[s] and the best value for our City.

F. The Review Team may decide to create a shortlist of the top-scoring proposals. If so, the shortlisted firms may be invited for a presentation or interview with us, may be asked to set-up a site visit, or may be asked to supply more information for review. We may ask for discussion, negotiation, or a “best and final offer” to finally decide the highest-scoring proposal.

If this option is chosen by our City, evaluation and scoring will be based on overall presentation with 100 maximum points allowed.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

# Evaluation Category Description Maximum

Points

Technical Approach & Innovation

Clarity, completeness, and feasibility of the proposed DFR solution. Preference will be given to proposals that exceed minimum requirements and offer innovative enhancements.

2 Integration & Compliance

Demonstrated ability to integrate with the City's CAD system, future CAD system, records system, and evidence systems. As well as meeting all FAA regulatory requirements.

Training, Support & Installation

Quality and scope of training programs, installation plans, and ongoing technical support. 12

Community Transparency & Engagement

Strategies for public communication, privacy protection, and stakeholder involvement. 5

Statement of Qualifications, References

Statements of Qualifications, Project Team, Relevant experience with similar public safety drone programs, including references and past performance.

6 Cost Proposal Overall cost, clarity of budget breakdown, and value for investment. 20

7 Local Vendor Preference

Only applies if your company has a current City of Alpharetta Business License and fits all requirements for a Local Vendor – see form for qualification details.

Total maximum point score 100

Evaluation Note: Proposals that merely meet the minimum requirements will be considered, however, those that demonstrate exceptional detail, thoughtful planning, and added value will be scored more favorably.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO

1. General Description The City of Alpharetta (City) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to implement a one-year proof of concept Drone as First Responder (DFR) program with an option to extend the contract on an annual basis, for up to four (4) additional years (Years 2–5), contingent upon satisfactory performance, the availability of funding, demonstrated program impact, and Council approval. This initiative aims to enhance public safety operations across police, fire, emergency management, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The selected vendor will demonstrate the viability, scalability, and operational value of drone-based first response capabilities.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

The City may decide to create a shortlist of the highest scoring vendors to be invited for interviews, presentation, and system demonstrations.

2. City Information A. City’s CAD System:

I. Current: Central Square II. New (under implementation): Hexagon

B. City’s CAD Data

Our City hosts a public Open Data Portal that includes an interactive open data map.

Data sets available include Police Events, Fire Events, Police Patrol Hot Spots, and Police Patrols. Map layers can be filtered to sort the map view. Use this link to access the Public Open Data Portal, Citizen Connection.

In a separate Excel document, we have provided specific data from this website. It includes one year of call types and locations that may be used in the development of your response to this RFP. The file’s name is ‘CAD 365’.

3. Scope of Work The selected vendor will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive DFR solution that supports our City’s public safety operations. The following elements represent the minimum requirements for this proof-of-concept program. Vendors are encouraged to propose innovative, robust, and scalable solutions that exceed these baseline expectations.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the clarity, detail, and thoroughness of the proposed approach, including how well the vendor demonstrates an understanding of our City’s operational needs and the ability to deliver a sustainable and impactful DFR program.

A. Operational Capabilities

i. 400 ft ceiling flight operations in compliance with Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) regulations

ii. Night flying operations with appropriate waivers and safety protocols

iii. Rapid deployment for emergency response scenarios

iv. Live video streaming and recording capabilities for situational awareness

B. System Integration

i. Seamless integration with our City’s current and future Computer-Aided Dispatch

(CAD) system

ii. Real-time data sharing with public safety personnel

C. Community Engagement

i. Strategies for community transparency, including public education, privacy safeguards, and stakeholder engagement

ii. Mechanisms for feedback and accountability

D. Training & Support https://open-alpharetta.opendata.arcgis.com/

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

i. Initial and ongoing training for our City personnel

ii. Installation of drone systems and supporting infrastructure

iii. Technical support and maintenance throughout the contract term

E. Regulatory Compliance

i. Full adherence to FAA requirements, including Part 107 waivers, Beyond Visual

Line of Sight (BVLOS) (if applicable), and airspace coordination.

ii. Assistance with regulatory filings and documentation.

iii. The DFR program must maintain eligibility for Federal funding at all times.

F. Drone Insurance Coverage

i. The vendor is required to have their own drone insurance policy in place for any drones owned by the vendor including liability and/or physical damage coverage for the drones, Part 108 Certificate from the FAA, as well as a minimum of $1M aviation policy.

4. Program Deliverables A. Deployment of drone hardware and software systems

B. CAD-integrated flight operations dashboard

C. Training curriculum and certification for our City staff

D. Community transparency plan and documentation E. Monthly performance reports and Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

F. End-of-year evaluation report with recommendations for program expansion

5. Vendor Response to this RFP Respond to the following questions in your proposal. Responses should be clear, concise, and supported by relevant documentation or examples.

Proposals that merely meet the minimum requirements will be considered, however, those that demonstrate exceptional detail, thoughtful planning, and added value will be scored more favorably.

Numbers next to headings refer to the Evaluation Criteria Matrix on page 3 of this document

A. Program Understanding, #1 & #5

i. How does your proposed solution align with our City’s public safety goals and operational environment?

ii. Demonstrate your understanding of Federal funding eligibility requirements and how your proposed solution will continuously ensure adherence throughout implementation and operation. Detail the mechanisms, controls, and monitoring processes your solution employs.

B. Technical Capabilities, #1 & #2

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

i. Describe your drone platform’s capabilities, including max altitude, night operations, and video integration.

ii. Describe your approach to airspace awareness.

iii. What are camera capabilities in all conditions? Night, distance, etc.

iv. Describe when the drone can and cannot fly?

v. Describe your capabilities concerning collision avoidance.

vi. Describe flight time capabilities and response distances.

vii. Describe your approach to maintaining on scene coverage.

viii. What safety and redundancy features are included?

ix. Describe live view and recording capabilities.

C. CAD Integration, #2

i. How will your system integrate with our City’s existing CAD infrastructure?

(See page 4 of this document for more information concerning City’s CAD systems.)

D. FAA Compliance, #2

i. What certifications and waivers do you currently hold?

ii. What is your process for securing additional FAA approvals?

iii. Include detail of your company’s program to maintain certifications and update protocols as requirements may change.

iv. Do you have a program in place to provide updates and training for entities currently engaged with your company for the provision of a DFR program? If so, please explain.

E. Training & Support, #3

i. Outline your training program for our City personnel.

ii. Describe your ongoing support and maintenance services that you offer.

F. Community Engagement, #4

i. How will you ensure transparency and address public concerns about privacy and safety?

G. Installation & Infrastructure, #1 & #5

i. What are the physical and technical requirements for installation? Of these, what is the responsibility of the City?

ii. How long will deployment take?

H. Experience & References, #5

i. Statement of Qualifications

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

ii. Provide examples of similar DFR or public safety drone programs you’ve implemented.

iii. Include contact information for at least three references.

I. Scalability & Future Vision, #1, #2, & #5

i. How can your solution evolve over the optional contract extension years?

ii. What innovations or enhancements do you foresee? What does the future hold?

6. Proposal Requirements and Checklist All proposals must include the following components. Incomplete submissions may be disqualified from consideration. Numbers next to each requirement refer to the Evaluation Criteria Matrix on page 3 of this document

[ ] Cover Letter, Executive Summary, Vendor/Company Information, History (required, not scored)

[ ] Technical Approach (include how minimum requirements will be met or exceeded), #1

[ ] CAD System Integration Plan #2

[ ] FAA Compliance Documentation (e.g., Part 107 certification, waiver strategy), #2

[ ] Project Timeline with key milestones, #3

[ ] Installation Plan and Infrastructure Requirements, #3

[ ] Training and Support Plan, #3

[ ] Community Transparency and Engagement Strategy, #4

[ ] Experience and Qualifications References from similar public safety drone programs, #5

[ ] Budget and Cost Breakdown, #6

[ ] Insurance Coverage, current certificate of insurance, #5

[ ] Required Forms, Completed, Notarized where requested, E-verify, Disclosure, IRS W-9, (required, not scored)

7. Contract Extension Option The City reserves the right to extend the awarded vendor’s initial one-year Proof of Concept DFR Program contract on an annual basis, for up to four (4) additional years (Years 2–5), contingent upon satisfactory performance, the availability of funding, demonstrated program impact, and Council approval.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

FOLLOW THIS OUTLINE

How We Want You to Construct Your Proposal

1. Using Bonfire to Submit Proposal

1.1. This is the link to Bonfire Project Web Page to get our documents and to upload your proposal: https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/

1.2. We are accepting all proposals by online response only. You must upload completed proposals online before the closing date and time found in Project Details of the project web page for this RFP.

1.3. Don’t send proposals by mail, fax, or email. We will not accept paper copy proposals.

We will not accept any proposals after the closing time deadline has passed.

1.4. You have not completed your response simply by uploading proposal documents and information. You must successfully upload all the required documents, including filling out any questionnaires, price sheets, or data requests, and then you must click the submit button before the closing time.

1.5. You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number shortly after you complete your proposal upload. This confirms that you have successfully turned in your proposal with all required information.

1.6. You can update your proposal at any time until the closing time.

1.7. All uploaded items and responses are Sealed and will only be visible by the City after the closing time has passed.

1.8. If the file is ‘mandatory’ or ‘required’, you won’t be able to complete your proposal until you have met all requirements.

1.9. Uploading large documents may take more time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed.

1.10. Pay attention to the type and number of files we have asked you to upload.

1.11. The largest upload file size is 1000 MB.

1.12. Don’t embed any documents within your uploaded files. They won’t be accessible or evaluated.

1.13. Minimum system requirements: Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. Java Script must be enabled.

2. Required Proposal Document Formats Each proposal must follow these document formats.

• Failure to follow these formats will reduce our review team’s ability to evaluate and may result in a lower proposal score or in complete removal of a proposal from scoring.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

• Format your document text using the following outline. Excluded from noted formatting are cover pages, section separators, company logos, photos, charts, and headers.

o formatted to single space lines, o 10 to 12-point font size, o black font color, and o upload proposal documents in PDF format unless otherwise requested.

o OK, but not necessary, to bookmark PDF files by sections included.

3. Proposal Submittal Instructions

What We Want You To Provide To Us In Your Proposal

• We have outlined information to be submitted in this technical portion of your response.

• The following are required sections for each proposal submitted in response to our request.

• For each section there are certain topics listed to be included within each section.

• Evaluation criteria maximum review points are provided with sections that will be scored.

• Each section must begin on a new page.

• Each proposal must be responsive to all requested information.

• Note and follow any direction concerning page number limits.

Cover Letter, Executive Summary Required but not scored.

Limited to three (3) page maximum.

A. Provide a brief company introduction and business profile, and history.

B. Include the following information:

i. Brief company/vendor profile and history.

ii. Number of years in business.

iii. Office Location.

iv. Single point of contact for your proposal

• Name, including business title,

• mailing address,

• telephone number, cell phone number, and

• e-mail address.

Response to the following proposal response sections must follow instructions and supply information based on the following pages 3 – 7 of this document: General Description, City

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

Information, Scope of Work, Program Deliverables, Vendor Response to this RFP, and Proposal Requirement and Checklist.

Each of the following includes Evaluation Criteria line-item number and maximum review points available. (See page 3 of this document.)

Technical Approach and Innovation 25 Review Points, #1

Limited to seven (7) page maximum.

Integration and Compliance 20 Review Points, #2

Limited to seven (7) page maximum.

Training, Support, and Installation 12 Review Points, #3

Limited to seven (7) page maximum.

Community Transparency and Engagement 5 Review Points, #4

Limited to three (3) page maximum.

Statements of Qualifications, References 15 Review Points, #5

Limited to seven (7) page maximum.

i. Identify the key team members for the purpose of implementing a one-year proof of concept DFR program to our City.

ii. For all key personnel who will be involved with any aspects to perform the services requested, provide a summary of qualifications, work experience, education, skills, etc., which emphasizes previous experience in this area.

iii. Include relevant company and personnel experience with DFR program design and implementation.

iv. Provide at least three (3) references from the last three years where your company provided services as detailed in this document:

• Provide contact name, phone number, and email address for each reference provided.

• List your company’s key personnel involved with each reference project.

• Provide information for the successes of each referenced project as well as any difficulties that may have arisen during implementation or operations.

• Include notation of the type of CAD system involved with each project.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

NOTE: We contact references to verify your ability to do the work. We also reserve the right to use any information or other references to decide your ability to perform the work in this RFP. Poor references from any source are grounds to disqualify a proposal.

4. Cost Proposal 20 Review Points, #6

Do not include Cost proposal with other Proposal documents.

• Submit Cost Proposal separately at indicated at the Requested Information tab at the project’s Bonfire site.

o See Scope of Work and Deliverables as well as other relevant information at pages 3 – 7 of this document.

o Cost proposal to cover all necessary meetings. planning, training, certification, equipment, installation etc., whatever is needed for a vendor to implement a one-year proof of concept Drone as First Responder (DFR) program for our City.

5. Optional Form Local Vendor Preference application is not a required document.

3 review points, #7

Submit only if your firm has a current registration and holds a current City of Alpharetta Business License.

Only if your company fits the requirements for a City of Alpharetta Local Vendor, provide the completed application along with all requested information, documents, and a copy of your current City of Alpharetta business license.

6. Required Documentation

• Insurance Coverage, current certificate of insurance

7. Required Forms:

• We have provided three required forms. You must complete these forms and return to us with every proposal.

• Below are the required forms for all proposals:

a) IRS Form W-9

b) Bidder’s Disclosures and Certifications

c) E-Verify (Affidavit Verifying Contractor Participation in Federal Work Authorization Program)

All the following must be on the E-verify affidavit.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept)

Federal Work Authorization User Identification Number – this is only five to eight numbers.

No A, B, C’s.

It’s different from your Tax ID, Employer Identification, or Social

Security Number.

It won’t have a combination of letters and numbers.

Date of Authorization – this is when you first signed up and got the E-verify number.

Name of Contractor – your company.

Name of Project – Same as RFP title.

Date, City, and State – when and where this form was signed.

Signature of Authorized Officer or Agent – to be signed.

Printed Name and Title of Authorized Officer or Agent – the person that signed the form.

Notarized with seal.

8. Questionnaire We use a questionnaire to gather important information needed for legal requirements, your acknowledgements, our proposal review, or information needed for writing a contract.

You will fill out the questionnaire provided.

Questionnaire response types are as follows:

• Authorized signer.

o For Corporations (President or Vice President) or o For LLCs (Member of the LLC) for contract execution in DocuSign: Name, corporate title (‘Member’ for LLC), email address.

E-Verify side note: Companies return this form to us incorrectly more often than anything else we request in our RFPs.

State of Georgia law requires that we have this completed form before we can review a bid or bid.

A form with errors doesn’t fulfill this requirement.

Top mistakes include:

Wrong number or missing information.

Not notarized.

Not signed.

Wrong form returned.

City of Alpharetta RFP 26-106 Drones as First Responders Program (Proof of Concept) o Response Type: text entry.

• For Corporations only, Secretary or Assistant Secretary to attest to signing for contract execution in DocuSign:

o Name, business title, email address, (if not a corporation, enter N/A).

o Response Type: text entry.

• Contact for legal notices-needed for contracting:

o Business name and mailing address, contact name.

o Response Type: text entry.

• Unique Entity ID / Identifier used at SAM.gov, o Response Type: alphanumeric entry.

• Note the Employee-Number Category for your company (all locations).

o Select either 500 or more employees, 100 or more employees, or less than 100 employees.

• Acknowledge Addenda, o enter the number of addenda received: 0, 1, 2, etc.

• Acknowledge Insurance Requirement, o Response Type: Yes, No entry.

• Acknowledge Intended Initial Contract Term and Extension Option, o Response Type: Yes, No entry.