Request_for_Information_-_RFI_A261018369.pdf

GAVIN NEWSOM

GOVERNOR

CAROLINE THOMAS JACOBS

DIRECTOR

3650 SCHRIEVER AVENUE, MATHER, CA 95655

(916) 845-8506 TELEPHONE

www.CalOES.ca.gov

Request for Information (RFI)

Firefighting Resource Mobilization Platform

RFI No. A261018369

Released on

July 17, 2026

You are invited to review and respond to this Request for Information (RFI).

While all responses received will be reviewed as a part of the RFI Process, only vendors that agree to providing a tailored product demonstration will be considered for oral discussions.

Read the attached documents carefully. The RFI due date is July 29, 2026, at

5:00 PM, PST. Responses to this RFI must be submitted via email to the IT

Contract Analyst below by the RFI due date and time.

Flora Karami

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

ITContracts@caloes.ca.gov http://www.caloes.ca.gov/ mailto:ITContracts@caloes.ca.gov

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Firefighting Resource Mobilization Platform

RFI No. A261018369

Contents

A. PURPOSE

B. BACKGROUND

C. SCOPE

D. KEY ACTION DATES

E. Contact information

F. SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS

G. DISCLAIMER

H. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. SOLUTION OBJECTIVES

J. PLATFORM FUNCTIONALITY

K. DEMONSTRATION EXPECTATIONS

L. ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A - RESPONDENT INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION GUIDELINES

A. PURPOSE

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, hereinafter referred to as “Cal OES” or “State”, is surveying the marketplace for modern technologies that can transform Fire & Rescue resource ordering and mobilization statewide. The State seeks solutions that measurably improve speed, accuracy, transparency, efficiency, and operational effectiveness while supporting the objectives of Executive Order N-18‑25, available at the following link.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-2-6.Urban-

Conflagration-EO-ATTESTED.pdf

The envisioned platform should leverage automation, artificial intelligence

(AI), machine learning, predictive analytics, and advanced logistics principles to accelerate ordering, approval, mobilization, tracking, for all‑hazard firefighting resources.

The intent of this RFI is to identify vendors capable of delivering specific and scalable capabilities that integrate with existing operational systems, reduce manual processes, and preserve established command structures, operational authorities, and mutual aid principles.

B. BACKGROUND

The State of California operates one of the most complex emergency response and mutual aid systems in the world. The current program used today is the Interagency Resource Ordering Capabilities (IROC). It involves

Cal OES, Local Government Fire Agencies, CAL FIRE, Tribal and Federal agencies, Operational Areas and Regions, and Geographic Area

Coordination Centers. In current practice, agencies frequently rely on telephone coordination, manual notifications, manual resource searches, human‑dependent routing decisions, multiple approval layers, fragmented resource situational awareness, redundant data entry, manual reimbursement determinations, and independent agency tracking systems.

These conditions could delay mobilization during rapidly evolving incidents, increase administrative burden, and limit statewide resource visibility.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-2-6.Urban-Conflagration-EO-ATTESTED.pdf https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-2-6.Urban-Conflagration-EO-ATTESTED.pdf

This RFI invites innovators to demonstrate solutions that modernize California's statewide resource ordering and mobilization capabilities by transforming current processes into a faster, more efficient, and interoperable system that provides real-time statewide visibility of resources, streamlines resource ordering and mobilization, and enhances operational decision-making and situational awareness while preserving the governance and operational principles of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System. Proposed solutions shall seamlessly integrate with national systems, including the

Integrated Reporting of Wildfire Information (IRWIN) and the Interagency

Resource Ordering Capability (IROC), available at the following links, and be explainable, auditable, and overridable by human decision-makers.

https://www.wildfire.gov/application/irwin-integrated-reporting-wildfire-information https://www.wildfire.gov/application/iroc

C. SCOPE

Respondents should address capabilities spanning intelligence aggregation, decision support, resource recommendation, configurable California rules, automated availability management, logistics orchestration, digital twin modeling, IROC integration, embedded qualification tracking, user experience, autonomy/automation levels, and cybersecurity/resiliency. The platform must operate with consumer grade usability and role‑based workflows across mobile, tablet, and desktop. The scope includes support for all‑hazard firefighting response considerations (e.g., fault lines disruptions, flood inundation).

https://www.wildfire.gov/application/irwin-integrated-reporting-wildfire-information https://www.wildfire.gov/application/irwin-integrated-reporting-wildfire-information https://www.wildfire.gov/application/iroc

D. KEY ACTION DATES

Event DATE / TIME

Release of RFI July 17, 2026

Intent to Respond (Optional) July 21, 2026

Last Day to Submit Questions July 23, 2026 (12:00 P.M., PST)

Release of Response to Questions July 27, 2026 (4:00 P.M., PST)

RFI Response* July 29,2026 (5:00 P.M., PST)

State Invitations sent to Selected

Vendors for Demonstration Day** August 3, 2026

Vendor Demonstration Day

Presentations** August 13 -14, 2026

*Please note that the completeness and relevance of your RFI response to

Attachment B will determine selection of vendors who will be invited to the

Demonstration Day presentations as shown in the Key Actions Dates.

**These dates may shift based on the number of submissions and other outside factors.

E. CONTACT INFORMATION

All inquiries and questions must be directed to the State contact listed below:

Contact: Flora Karami, IT Contract Analyst

Email: ITContracts@caloes.ca.gov

F. SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS

Vendors must submit questions about this RFI, via e-mail, by the specified date and time stated in the Key Action Dates, to the e-mail contact stated in

Section E, Contact Information.

What to include in the Inquiry:

1. Include in the subject line of the e-mail: RFI A261018369 Questions

2. Vendor name and contact, telephone number, e-mail address.

3. A description of the subject or issue in question, or discrepancy found in the RFI.

4. The RFI section, page number, and/or other information useful in identifying the specific problem or issue stated in the question.

At its discretion, the State may contact Respondents to seek clarification of any inquiry received. The State may respond to questions directly to the

Respondent or if deemed necessary, release an addendum or updated RFI.

Questions will be compiled without identifying the party submitting the question(s), and answers will be e-mailed to all companies who receive this

RFI. Questions not submitted via e-mail by the Key Action Date specified above shall be answered at Cal OES’s discretion. Responses to questions submitted timely will be provided to all Vendors.

G. DISCLAIMER

Important Information- Please Read Before Responding to this RFI.

1) Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The State is not responsible for any expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

2) Cal OES has no obligation to buy or issue a solicitation to any Respondent as a result of this RFI.

3) Information provided in response to this RFI related to any costing should be estimated pricing only, to be used by Cal OES for information and planning purposes and understood by the Respondent and Cal OES not to be represented as a bid from Respondent.

4) If this RFI results in a future contract, bidders will have to agree to the

State’s terms and conditions and applicable contractor certifications clauses.

5) Respondents are advised that all documents submitted in response to this

RFI will become the property of the State of California and will be regarded as public records under the California Public Records Act

(CPRA) pursuant to Government Code section 6250 et seq. The intent of this RFI is only to validate project objectives and requirements for possible future solicitations. Please do not include any confidential or proprietary information in response to this RFI as it will be subject to the CPRA and may be disclosed to the public under the CPRA. If you include any confidential or proprietary information in response to this RFI, please clearly mark the portions of the response that are proprietary and/or confidential.

6) The State does not request any proprietary information be submitted, nor shall it be liable for any consequential damages for proprietary information if submitted. Any information submitted in response to this RFI is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC 552 (a) and the California Public Records Act.

7) Cal OES may, at its sole discretion, choose not to consider or evaluate any response, or any portion of a response, received as a result of this RFI.

H. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit responses electronically by the date and time stated in the Key

Action Dates. Include company name, product/platform name, and detailed information addressing sections in this RFI. Respondents are encouraged to provide company overview, relevant emergency/wildfire experience, AI and predictive capabilities, resource management and logistics optimization, IROC/IRWIN integration, Geographic Information

System (GIS) data integration, cybersecurity approach, governance recommendations, implementation approach, estimated timeline, cost considerations (non-binding), pilot program recommendations, and

California-specific deployment considerations.

Where possible, include demonstrations or references to existing products and customer deployments. If invited for demonstration, Respondents should be prepared to tailor demonstrations to the use cases described herein.

I. SOLUTION OBJECTIVES

The desired solution should:

1) Reduce Mobilization Time

Accelerate identification, sourcing, ordering, approval, notification and deployment of resources.

2) Optimize Resource Utilization

Maximize utilization of available resources while preserving geographic coverage.

3) Reduce Human Intervention

Automate repetitive administrative tasks while preserving appropriate decision authority.

4) Increase Situational Awareness

Provide a statewide common operating picture.

5) Improve Decision Quality

Provide data-driven recommendations supported by real-time intelligence.

6) Simplify User Experience

Provide a modern, intuitive interface requiring minimal training.

7) Improve Fiscal Accountability

Automate reimbursement determinations and documentation.

8) Improve Interagency Coordination and Communication

Automate collaboration efforts by multiple agencies and associated communication efforts

J. PLATFORM FUNCTIONALITY

The proposed solution should include the following functionalities:

1) Incident Multi-Source Data

Continuously aggregate and analyze multi-source data

a) Incident Information: Computer Aided Dispatching information, situation reports, incident radio traffic, firefighting resource tracking, Temporary Flight Restrictions.

b) Fire Intelligence: satellite detections, infrared maps, fire perimeter information, heat signatures, fire progression models.

c) Environmental Information: weather forecasts, RAWS observations, wind data, fuel moisture, fuel models, drought conditions.

d) Geographic Information (All‑Hazard): topography, slope, aspect, road networks, access routes, structure density, critical infrastructure, fault lines, flood inundation zones.

e) Operational Information: resource availability, drawdown levels, regional and statewide readiness indices.

2) AI-Enabled Decision Support

a) Initial Response: recommendations for resource type, quantity, configuration, and mobilization location.

b) Augmented Response: escalation guidance, reinforcement needs, strategic resource placement, and mobilization location updates over time.

c) Predictive Analytics: probability of containment, fire growth potential, resource sufficiency, resource shortages, emerging statewide risks.

All recommendations must be transparent, explainable, auditable, and allow human override; decision traces should be retained for after-action reviews.

3) Resource Order Recommendation Platform

a) Automatically evaluate incident complexity, fire behavior/history, weather, values at risk, access constraints, available resources, competing incidents, travel times, statewide readiness, and agency agreements.

b) Generate recommended orders for engines, strike teams, task forces, hand crews, dozers, water tenders, helicopters, fixed‑wing aircraft, swift water rescue teams, hazardous materials teams, Incident

Management Teams, and specialized resources, with confidence levels and rationale.

4) California Rules Platform

a) Configurable rule sets for mutual aid agreements, (i.e. CFAA), local/state/federal/tribal agreements, Operational Area/Region procedures, CAL FIRE procedures, federal ordering pathways, drawdown policies, mission criticality, geographic and threat‑based prioritization. Rules must be adjustable without software redevelopment.

5) Automated Resource Availability Management

a) Continuous monitoring via CAD, staffing, scheduling, resource management, AVL, agency portals, mobile apps, and APIs.

b) Automated polling to request, confirm, and update availability; track release times and constraints; minimize manual communication.

6) Resource Orchestration and Logistics

a) Dynamic sourcing to identify closest, fastest, best operational fit, and lowest statewide impact resources.

b) Real‑time tracking across request, approval, mobilization, travel, arrival, assignment, release, and demobilization.

c) Notification of firefighting resource order request, distribution and fill.

d) Predictive positioning based on fire weather, lightning forecasts, ignition patterns, and demand forecasts.

e) Resource marketplace concept enabling agencies to advertise availability, declare future capacity, accept assignments, track mobilizations, and monitor reimbursements while maintaining local ownership.

f) Embedded incident responder qualification management.

7) Digital Resource Twin

a) Model statewide resource availability, geographic coverage, response times, readiness levels, drawdown impacts, and future demand.

b) Run optimization scenarios: effects of commitments, coverage impacts, containment probability modeling, and pre‑positioning strategies.

c) IROC Integration

d) Incident and resource order creation, updates, notification, tracking, and fill requests with near real‑time bidirectional synchronization, data validation, and audit logging.

8) Automated Reimbursement Determination

a) Determine applicable agreements, eligibility, cost recovery pathways, cost‑sharing obligations, and billing methodologies.

b) Generate reimbursement estimates, cost projections, billing documentation, and audit records.

9) User Experience (UX)

a) Mobile‑first design with tablet and desktop compatibility; role‑based views; workflow‑driven UX that enables rapid incident assessment, recommendations, order placement, approvals, and mobilization in minutes.

10) Autonomy and Automation

a) Level 1: Decision support only; Level 2: Automated recommendations;

Level 3: Automated sourcing; Level 4: Automated routing and approval workflows; Level 5: Policy‑constrained autonomous mobilization, always with human oversight.

11) Cybersecurity and Resiliency

a) FedRAMP compatibility, Zero Trust Architecture, identity management, audit logging, data protection, disaster recovery, redundancy, offline operations, and high availability. The system must remain operational during large‑scale disasters and degraded communications.

K. DEMONSTRATION EXPECTATIONS

Respondents willing and able to provide a tailored product demonstration may be invited to oral presentations / product demonstration.

Demonstrations should be structured to follow Appendix A.

L. ATTACHMENTS

There is one (1) attachment to this RFI:

1) Attachment A – Respondent Information

This attachment should contain interested vendor’s information.

ATTACHMENT A - RESPONDENT INFORMATION

Our firm is responding to RFI- A261018369 for Firefighting Resource Mobilization Platform.

We: (select one)

____ Would be interested in providing a tailored product demonstration for

Firefighting Resource Mobilization Platform.

____ Would not be interested providing a tailored product demonstration for

Firefighting Resource Mobilization Platform for reason(s) stated below.

Comment(s)/Explanation(s)

Contact Information

Company Name:

Contact Name:

Contact Title:

Mailing Address:

Telephone:

Email Address:

Signature:

APPENDIX A: PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION GUIDELINES

Respondents invited to present must tailor their demonstration to operational scenarios relevant to statewide firefighting resource mobilization, intelligence integration, logistics orchestration, and automated decision support.

Demonstration Format (Total: 45–60 minutes):

A. Introductions (5 minutes):

Brief overview of presenting team and solution.

B. Demonstration Steps (30 minutes):

1) Incident Intelligence Engine

2) AI-Enabled Decision Support

3) Resource Ordering and Mobilization

4) Digital Resource Twin

5) IROC Integration

6) Reporting and Analytics

7) Mobile Operations

8) Security & Resiliency

C. Additional Comments / Features (10 minutes):

1) Artificial intelligence capabilities beyond those listed above.

2) Technical integration capabilities with existing State systems.

3) Unique capabilities that enhance California’s firefighting resource mobilization system.

D. Pricing Model / Options (10 minutes):

Present licensing, hosting, support, and scaling cost structures.

E. Q&A (10 minutes):

Open question period with Cal OES.