Department Responses RFI 2526-33.pdf

Vendor Questions & Department Responses Request for Information 25/26-33, Mass Notification System

Good Afternoon:

Questions received timely and the Department response are below:

1. Question: Is there an incumbent currently performing this work/similar work? If so, could you please provide:

• Incumbent's Name

• Current Contract Number

• Duration

• Historical Level of Effort, and

• Contract Value?

Department Response:

• Incumbent's Name: Everbridge

• Current Contract Number: E0081

• Duration: Contract may be renewed through May 4, 2027

• Historical Level of Effort, and: See attached spreadsheet

• Contract Value? ~$27,000, annually

2. Question: Has a budget been established for this contract? If yes, could you kindly share the budgeted amount?

Department Response: A budget has not been established for this contract.

3. Question: Could you please specify the current platform and technology stack being used for this project?

Department Response: Everbridge is the existing platform, and its technology stack crosses Oracle, SQL, Windows, and Linux.

Note: The Department would prefer not to replicate that level of complexity.

4. Question: Could you please clarify the main objectives and key success indicators for implementing the mass notification system?

Department Response:

Main objectives: The Department and the selected vendor will coordinate to implement administrator-level training on the new system, addressing information technology systems alignment and functionality, and troubleshooting any issues that arise prior to and after implementation of the new system.

Key success indicator: The new mass notification system will provide continuity from the previous mass notification system with no down time in which the Department would be unable to alert staff.

5. Question: Do you anticipate any future expansion in users, integrations, or system capabilities that vendors should be aware of?

Department Response: The Department would like to integrate the mass notification system with a panic button system in our service centers.

6. Question: Are there any internal timelines, dependencies, or constraints that vendors should consider when providing implementation methodology inputs?

Department Response: The current contract expires in May 2027.

7. Question: Is there an anticipated timeline or intent to move toward a formal solicitation (RFP) phase?

Department Response: The Department intends to move toward a formal solicitation, but there is no established timeline at this point.

8. Question: If an RFP is released following this RFI, will vendors who submit a response to the RFI be fully eligible to participate in the subsequent RFP, and will participation in the RFI have any impact on eligibility or evaluation during the RFP process?

Department Response: Section 3.1 of the RFI states, in part, "a vendor who responds to an RFI (is not) excluded from participating in any resulting solicitation.” Any response to an RFI will have no impact on the evaluation of any response to resulting solicitations.

9. Question: What level of training and support engagement would the Department expect during implementation and post-deployment?

Department Response:

Implementation: Select Department staff to the administration level should trained to be self-sufficient in operating the system. The vendor should provide information technology support to align Department of Revenue systems with the new mass notification system and assist with troubleshooting any issues that arise during and following implementation.

Post-deployment: Company representatives should be available 24/7/365 to address system issues.

10. Question: Would the Department be interested in learning about optional enhancements or future-oriented capabilities (e.g., automation, configurable AI), provided they are non-binding at this stage?

Department Response: Not at this time

11. Question: Can you provide an estimate on how many SMS messages you will want to send per month?

Department Response: Because of the nature of emergencies, the Department cannot estimate the number messages per month. That number will naturally fluctuate depending on circumstances. The Department expects text messages to be the primary mode of sending alerts, and will test the system for all users at least three times per year. Before, during, and after a hurricane, the Department could send text messages to hundreds of users multiple times a day for a few weeks, whereas in some months, the Department might not send any text messages at all.

12. Question: If you cannot provide an estimate can you provide an historical data to show what prior usage has been?

Department Response: Yes, please see the attached spreadsheet.

13. Question: Can you provide an estimate on how many voice messages you will want to send per month?

Department Response: Voice messaging will not be the primary method of communication. Voice messaging will be a backup method if text messaging fails in an actual emergency or incident.

14. Question: If you cannot provide an estimate can you provide an historical data to show what prior usage has been?

Department Response: See response to question 12 above.

15. Question: The last bullet point under Section 5 – Objective – references “existing panic buttons”. Can you please tell us what types of panic buttons you currently use? Fixed panic buttons, mobile panic buttons, both? Please include the name of the manufacturer and also describe the current workflow in place if/when these panic buttons are used. Please include how alerts are currently sent (email, voice call, SMS, any anything else). Please also include whether or not the 911/PSAP/Real Time Crime Centers also receive these alerts, and if so, how? Are the received in the operations centers or are alerts received the same way as admin and staff? Or something else?

Department Response: The type, brand, and availability of panic buttons vary across the office locations. All existing panic buttons are fixed. Panic buttons are used when team members in the public lobby space feel there is immediate danger or the immediate need for law enforcement. Once activated, the panic button notifies local law enforcement and, in some locations, activates a blue light in the back office/restricted office area to inform others that there is an emergency in the public space.

16. Question: This same section also references new panic buttons. What functionality are you looking for in new panic buttons and what types of new panic buttons are you considering (fixed, mobile, cellular)? And if/when these new buttons are used, what types of mass notification alerts would you want to use (email, voice call, SMS, phone, app notification)? And would you want these alerts to automatically show up in a central security operations center and/or the local PSAP nearest to where the panic button was selected, in real-time? Or both consecutively? Or something else?

Department Response: The Department is interested in learning about the capabilities of panic buttons that would notify law enforcement as currently used and also notify individuals designated in that specific work location that there is an emergency. There is not a limitation to use existing panic buttons. Responses should include descriptions of product capabilities using existing panic buttons, if applicable, or new fixed or mobile panic buttons.

17. Question: How do you envision Veoci (our system) to interface with the Department’s existing panic buttons? Can you describe what the current panic button setup is, is this a link embedded into a Departmental portal or utilizes another system? Is the panic button the reception of the notification meaning that the panic button can be configured in the Veoci software to set out a series of notifications in different formats for a specific office location or list of people?

Department Response: See response to question 15 for the first two questions. For the third question, yes.

18. Question: Does the Department intend to initiate the notifications from a landline or email? Can you describe the process in mind for initiating the alerts from a landline, email or other device excluding mobile devices or the web?

Department Response: Landline initiation would be a last resort method of sending a message in an emergency. The Department is not inclined to prescribe how that method works other than it should have appropriate security protocols.

19. Question: Are there any other platforms that the Department wishes to integrate with in addition to People First/SAP/active directory? Please describe the platform and what functionality the Department would like to accomplish with the system.

Department Response: Yes. If possible, the Department would like to integrate ServiceNow in relation to operational change and maintenance needs.

20. Question: The RFP mentions users on p9 - unlimited number of user groups with multiple levels of permission to use the system. Questions: what is the estimated number of users who will access the system?

Department Response: The system should support 5,000 users.

21. Question: Roughly how many Mass Notification messages do you anticipate sending a year?

Department Response: See response to questions 11 and 12.

22. Question: Will any specific integrations with other services or platforms be required?

Department Response: No