Amendment 3 - QA - OES126-OESAD-6150.pdf

San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services

Request for Proposal Community Emergency

Response Team Exercise Series

No. OES126-OESAD-6150

Date: December 16, 2025

Amendment #3: to RFP OES126-OESAD-6150

Community Emergency Response Team Exercise Series Consulting Services

Issued: Tuesday, December 16, 2025

This Amendment is intended to provide additional information and/or to change the requirements in the above referenced RFP. Any information contained herein will be considered part of the RFP.

Amendment Description:

(1) Answers to e-Pro questions are as follows:

• Question 1: “The Scope of Work includes two different descriptions of the required exercises. Under 1A Purpose, it states tabletop, drill and full-scale exercise. Task 3 states that the contractor shall conduct three CERT functional exercises with fire, earthquake, and flooding scenarios. To ensure an accurate proposal, can the County clarify whether the contractor should design and conduct three HSEEP-aligned functional exercises or a Tabletop Exercise, Drill, and Full-Scale Exercise?”

o The County requires the Consultant to design and conduct three Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–compliant exercises addressing fire, flooding, and earthquake scenarios. These exercises shall be developed and executed in alignment with applicable federal exercise standards and County operational objectives.

Because the County spans multiple regions with CERT teams at varying levels of readiness, the exercises will be implemented as a progressive series designed to meet teams at their current skill levels while advancing their capabilities. The first phase of the series will be a tabletop exercise (TTX) focused on testing the community response plans of teams that have recently updated their plans (for example, a CERT team in the high desert). The second phase will be a drill designed to evaluate and

Request for Proposal Community Emergency strengthen the hands-on skills of teams that have already tested their community response plans (for example, a CERT team in the mountains).

The third phase will be a full-scale functional exercise intended to assess teams that are actively validating both their community response plans and operational skills (for example, a CERT team in the valley).

This progressive approach ensures that CERT teams across the County are appropriately challenged and supported, while collectively strengthening preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities for the identified hazard scenarios.

• Question 2: “If functional exercises are intended, does each hazard scenario (fire, earthquake, flooding) constitute a separate exercise? If the County intends for the contractor to design and conduct a Tabletop Exercise, a Drill, and a Full- Scale Exercise instead of three functional exercises, can the County clarify which hazard scenarios should be used for each exercise type? For example, should the fire, earthquake, and flooding scenarios listed in Task 3 correspond to the TTX, Drill, and FSE, respectively, or will the County assign specific scenarios to each exercise?”

o The County requires the Consultant to design and conduct three Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–compliant exercises addressing fire, flooding, and earthquake scenarios. These exercises shall be developed and executed in alignment with applicable federal exercise standards and County operational objectives.

Because the County spans multiple regions with CERT teams at varying levels of readiness, the exercises will be implemented as a progressive series designed to meet teams at their current skill levels while advancing their capabilities. The first phase of the series will be a tabletop exercise (TTX) focused on testing the community response plans of teams that have recently updated their plans (for example, a CERT team in the high desert). The second phase will be a drill designed to evaluate and strengthen the hands-on skills of teams that have already tested their community response plans (for example, a CERT team in the mountains).

The third phase will be a full-scale functional exercise intended to assess teams that are actively validating both their community response plans and operational skills (for example, a CERT team in the valley).

This progressive approach ensures that CERT teams across the County are appropriately challenged and supported, while collectively strengthening preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities for the identified hazard scenarios.

Request for Proposal Community Emergency

• Question 3: “Task 3 includes the requirement to engage at least 100 CERT members. Can the County confirm whether CERT program leads will support recruitment and registration, or must the contractor independently recruit, contact, and enroll participants?”

o The CERT program leads will support recruitment and registration for the CERT members.

• Question 4: "Will the County provide the venues, outdoor training areas, and facilities for each exercise, or is the contractor responsible for securing and reserving appropriate locations?"

o The County will provide the venues, outdoor training areas, and facilities for each exercise.

• Question 5: "Does the County expect the use of simulated victims, role players, or moulage during the exercises? If so, will the County provide personnel, or should these be included in the contractor's scope and pricing?"

o The County expects to use simulated victims, role players, or moulage during the exercises. The County will provide the volunteers.

• Question 6: "Will CERT equipment (radios, PPE, triage supplies, cribbing equipment, etc.) be provided by the County, or should the contractor plan to furnish these items?"

o The CERT equipment will be provided by the County.

• Question 7: "Is the County expecting a SIM Cell for any of the functional exercises, and if so, what level of complexity should be assumed?"

o The County is expecting a SIM Cell. A beginner level of complexity should be assumed.

• Question 8: "Does the County provide liability coverage for CERT volunteers during exercises, or must the contractor include additional insurance or waivers?"

o The County provides liability coverage for CERT volunteers during exercises; therefore, the contractor will not need to include additional insurance or waivers for this purpose.

• Question 9: "On page 2, Section A. Purpose, the RFP states that the County seeks a "progressive series of three (3) exercises ' tabletop, drill, and full-scale" for the CERT Exercise Series. However, page 8, Section 3. Task 3 requires the Proposer to "Conduct three CERT functional exercises," specifying three disaster types (fire, earthquake, flooding). Can OES please clarify the exact requirement for the CERT Exercise Series? Specifically, is the County seeking a total of three exercises structured as a Tabletop, a Drill, and a Full-Scale exercise, or are all three required exercises intended to be Functional Exercises (covering the fire, earthquake, and flooding scenarios listed in Task 3.b-d)?"

o The County requires the Consultant to design and conduct three Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–compliant exercises addressing fire, flooding, and earthquake scenarios. These

Request for Proposal Community Emergency exercises shall be developed and executed in alignment with applicable federal exercise standards and County operational objectives.

Because the County spans multiple regions with CERT teams at varying levels of readiness, the exercises will be implemented as a progressive series designed to meet teams at their current skill levels while advancing their capabilities. The first phase of the series will be a tabletop exercise (TTX) focused on testing the community response plans of teams that have recently updated their plans (for example, a CERT team in the high desert). The second phase will be a drill designed to evaluate and strengthen the hands-on skills of teams that have already tested their community response plans (for example, a CERT team in the mountains).

The third phase will be a full-scale functional exercise intended to assess teams that are actively validating both their community response plans and operational skills (for example, a CERT team in the valley).

This progressive approach ensures that CERT teams across the County are appropriately challenged and supported, while collectively strengthening preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities for the identified hazard scenarios.

• Question 10: "Have exercise dates or an exercise cadence been identified? If so, please share the anticipated schedule."

o The first exercise will be scheduled in March 2026 and the remaining two exercises will be scheduled in April 2026.

• Question 11: "Given the question deadline of November 26 and the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, would the County consider extending the deadline for proposals to allow proper time to integrate the responses to questions?"

o The deadline was extended to December 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM (PST).

• Question 12: "Does the County have an incumbent firm it has used for similar exercises? If so, what firm was used?"

o The County does not have an incumbent firm that it has used for similar exercises.

• Question 13: "What is the funding source for this work and has it been fully committed/secured for this project?"

o This project is grant funded and it has been fully committed/secured.

• Question 14: "Will the County provide any exercise evaluation staff?"

o The County will provide exercise evaluation staff.

• Question 15: "Does the County have an up-to-date contact list it will provide the contractor to aid in recruiting 100 CERT participants?"

o The County does have an up-to-date contact list that can be provided to the consultant to aid in recurring 100 CERT participants.

Request for Proposal Community Emergency

• Question 16: "Does the County envision concurrent exercise planning meetings and/or planning meetings that address more than one exercise or will each exercise have its own set of planning meetings?"

o The County envisions concurrent exercise planning meetings and/or meetings that address more than one exercise.

• Question 17: "On page 8, three hazards are listed for exercises. Does the County envision one hazard per exercise? If not, please explain the desired approach."

o The County envisions one hazard per exercise.

• Question 18: "Will the County be able to provide safety resources for any exercise that is operations-based?"

o The County will provide safety resources for any exercise that is operations-based.

• Question 19: "How many CERT volunteers does the County regularly engage

(i.e., what proportion of the total pool of volunteers is represented by the intended 100 participants)?"

o The County estimates that there are 500+ volunteers who regularly engage.

• Question 20: "While the contractor will clearly attempt to bring 100 CERT participants to these exercises, engagement is not fully within the contractor's control. Please clarify how the performance metrics (page 9) around this will be applied."

o The performance metrics will be applied by marketing and engaging our CERT Lead Coordinators.

• Question 21: "Please explain how the County intends to measure 85% participant satisfaction (page 9)" o The County intends to measure 85% participant satisfaction by providing an evaluation survey to the participants.

• Question 22: "Does the County wish for the contractor to include food/beverage for exercises in its quote?"

o The proposer is free to include additional items it would like to offer in its quote, such as food/beverage, but it is not required to do so. These costs shall be at the consultant’s discretion and will not be eligible for reimbursement under the grant.

• Question 23: "Does the County have a desired or required not-to-exceed budget for this work? If so, please share that figure."

o OES will review all proposals and select the most advantageous bid based on operational needs and cost.

• Question 24: "Is there a proposed budget or not-to-exceed for this effort?"

o OES will review all proposals and select the most advantageous bid based on operational needs and cost.

Request for Proposal Community Emergency

• Question 25: "Is this intended to be a multiple award contract? If so, would selected contractors collaborate on the holistic series, or would each exercise be executed independently?"

o This contract is not intended to be a multiple contract award.

• Question 26: "What is the expected contract execution date? Would the County consider an extension to the contract end date beyond April 30, 2026?"

o The expected contract execution date is January or February 2026. The

County will not consider extending the contract end date beyond April 30, 2026.

• Question 27: "Would the County consider the proposal remaining open, valid, and subject to acceptance for a four (4) month period as opposed to nine (9) months as identified in IV. Proposal Conditions, B. Term of Offer?"

o The County will not consider the proposal remaining open, valid, and subject to acceptance for a four-month period as opposed to nine months as identified in Section IV. Proposal Conditions, B. Term of Offer in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

• Question 28: "For Task 1: Participant Engagement, is the 'recruit and engage a minimum of 100 CERT participants across San Bernardino County' task referencing recruitment of existing CERT members to participate in the exercises or recruitment of new CERT participants, who would then participate in the exercises?"

o Existing CERT members would participate in the exercises.

• Question 29: "Should exercise planning meetings be held in-person, virtually, or a mix?"

o Exercise planning meetings may be held either in person or virtually.

• Question 30: "What is the County's desired date of delivery for each exercise?"

o The first exercise will be scheduled in March 2026 and the remaining two exercises will be scheduled in April 2026.

• Question 31: "Please clarify if the scope is three (3) CERT functional exercises or the progressive series of exercises ' tabletop, drill, and full-scale. Are the 100 CERT participants anticipated to attend all three (3) exercise deliveries?"

o The County requires the Consultant to design and conduct three Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–compliant functional exercises. These shall include one (1) fire scenario, one (1) flooding scenario, and one (1) earthquake scenario, each developed and executed in alignment with applicable federal exercise standards and County operational objectives.

• Question 32: "To what extent should the contractor budget for other direct costs (ODCs) such as printed materials, venue rental, CERT equipment (i.e., safety goggles, fire extinguishers, mannequins, etc.), refreshments for participants, and translation/interpretation services?"

Request for Proposal Community Emergency o The County is assumed to provide CERT kits, PPE, mannequins, fire extinguishers, and venue space. The consultant should include sufficient allocations for three exercises accommodating a minimum of 100 CERT participants for printed materials only. Refreshments and translation or interpretation services are not required. If the consultant elects to provide refreshments and or translation or interpretation services, those costs shall be at the consultant’s discretion and will not be eligible for reimbursement under the grant.

• Question 33: "Should the contractor assume full on-site exercise delivery support by its team members, or will County staff be available to supplement exercise staffing?"

o County staff will be available to supplement exercise staffing.

• Question 34: "Does the County currently have an active CERT program from which the bidder will secure participation in the exercises? Or is this RFP meant to build up a CERT resource pool that is not currently at the desired level?"

o The County currently has an active CERT program from which the bidder will secure participation in the exercises.

• Question 35: "In Section I.A, the RFP describes the exercises it supports as tabletop, drill, and full-scale. Section V.C.3 calls them three functional exercises.

What are the desired exercise types for this RFP?"

o The County requires the Consultant to design and conduct three Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–compliant exercises addressing fire, flooding, and earthquake scenarios. These exercises shall be developed and executed in alignment with applicable federal exercise standards and County operational objectives.

Because the County spans multiple regions with CERT teams at varying levels of readiness, the exercises will be implemented as a progressive series designed to meet teams at their current skill levels while advancing their capabilities. The first phase of the series will be a tabletop exercise (TTX) focused on testing the community response plans of teams that have recently updated their plans (for example, a CERT team in the high desert). The second phase will be a drill designed to evaluate and strengthen the hands-on skills of teams that have already tested their community response plans (for example, a CERT team in the mountains).

The third phase will be a full-scale functional exercise intended to assess teams that are actively validating both their community response plans and operational skills (for example, a CERT team in the valley).

This progressive approach ensures that CERT teams across the County are appropriately challenged and supported, while collectively

Request for Proposal Community Emergency strengthening preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities for the identified hazard scenarios.

• Question 36: "Is there an established budget for this project?"

o OES will review all proposals and select the most advantageous bid based on operational needs and cost.

• Question 37: "Outside of exercise conduct, does the county have a preference for in-person vs virtual meetings?"

o The County does not have a preference. Both in-person and virtual meetings are acceptable, and a mix of both can be used as appropriate.