RFP_25-11._Transportation_of_Cadavers.pdf

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners RFP No: 25-11 RFP Name: Transportation of Cadavers

SPECIFICATIONS

FOR

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA

RFP No: RFP 25-11

RFP Due: March 14, 2025@ 2:00pm EST

Table of Contents

1.0 General Terms and Conditions

RFP DUE DATE AND TIME

2.0 Contract Term

Tentative Dates Scheduled

A. General Information:

B. Scope of Services:

The Contractor shall be required to perform the services stated below on an as needed basis, as notified by the SJC Medical Examiner’s Office or on-scene investigators from local law enforcement agencies. All services must be performed in compliance with the requirements stated below, as well as any and all governing local, state, and federal regulations, codes, rules, ordinances, and laws

Section 1: RFP Qualification Cover Page (Complete and Submit)

Section 2: Cover Letter

Section 3: Manpower & Organization

Section 4: Prior Experience in the Industry

Section 5: Pricing

Section 6: Financial Stability / Litigation

Section 7: License(s) & Insurance

Section 8: Administrative Information / Required Documents

6.0 Evaluation Criteria

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

DETAILED PROPOSAL RESPONSE / SOLUTION

COST PROPOSAL

NON-DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT FORM

ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES FORM

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

REFERENCES

LEGAL ISSUSE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR SERVICES

COST PROPOSAL FORM

SAMPLE AGREEMENT FOR CONTRACTOR SERVICES

Request for Proposals

The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting responses from qualified and experienced firms to provide any and all necessary labor, equipment, materials, transportation, and supervision to transport cadavers to the St. Johns County Medical Examiners Building located at 4501 Avenue A, St. Augustine, FL 32095 for autopsies, pursuant to Chapter 406 Florida Statutes. Performance of the required services shall be in compliance with Chapter 497, Florida Statutes and all other governing regulations.

Bid Documents, Construction Specifications and Drawings are available online at:

Deadline for receipt of sealed bids has been set for 2:00 p.m., March 14, 2025. To be considered responsive, bidders shall deliver before 2:00 p.m. EST. on 03/14/2025 one (1) original hard copy, three (3) duplicate copies and provide one (1) USB drive that contains “all” of your documentation included in the original bid in a pdf format. Sealed bids may be deliver in person or by courier mail to Putnam County Procurement Department c/o Leigh Doran, 2509 Crill Avenue, Ste 200, Palatka, Florida, 32177. Only sealed bids received on or before the aforestated time and date will be considered. Vendor must indicate the bid number and description on the outside envelope.

There will be a mandatory pre-proposal meeting held at 10:00 a.m., February 21, 2025, in the conference room at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, Florida, 32177.

Questions concerning the specifications may also be emailed to Leigh Doran, Procurement Supervisor, at leigh.doran@putnam-fl.gov. Answers to questions received will be posted online with the bid documents.

Questions must be received by March 6, 2025

The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities. Putnam County complies with all federal statutes relating to non-discrimination.

Putnam County is an equal opportunity employer.

PUBLISH: February 12, 2025

RFP No. 25-11 http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids mailto:leigh.doran@putnam-fl.gov

1.0 General Terms and Conditions

All Companies submitting a response to this RFP understand and agree that the affirmative act of submitting a response constitutes acceptance and agreement to the General Terms and Conditions. Proposers are responsible for adhering to the General Terms and Conditions. Lack of knowledge by the Proposer will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

RFP DUE DATE AND TIME

All Proposals must be delivered to the Procurement Department, located at 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200, Palatka FL 32177 on or before the due date as listed below. Please boldly indicate the RFP number on the outside of your sealed proposal envelope to assist the County internally in identifying your bid.

To be responsive your proposal shall be signed by an authorized employee/officer with the authority to bind a contract.

To be considered responsive, bidders shall deliver before 2:00 p.m. EST. on 03/14/2025 one (1) original hard copy, three (3) duplicate copies and provide one (1) USB drive that contains “all” of your documentation included in the original bid in a pdf format.

Note: Original proposal must be marked ORIGINAL and must have original signatures. Please label the USB drive with RFP number, and your company’s name. (i.e. “Copy” Acme Bid, RFP- 25-11). It is the bidder’s responsibility to guarantee the USB drive is 100% identical to your original hard copy bid. In the event of a discrepancy, your original hard copy will prevail.

PLACE FOR RECEIVING PROPOSALS

Bids may be mailed or hand delivered to:

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners c/o Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

All bids must arrive and be received by a Purchasing Department representative prior to the specified bid due date/time. Bids received after that time will not be accepted. Bids cannot be faxed or emailed. The County will not be responsible for Postal or other delivery service delays.

PUBLIC BID OPENING

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners will conduct a Public bid/proposal opening immediately following the solicitation due date/time on Friday, March 14, 2025 in the conference room located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka Florida 32177.

Sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by the County pursuant to this solicitation will remain confidential and are exempt from Florida’s Public Records Act (Ch. 119, Florida Statutes) until such time as the County provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier. Thereafter, by submitting a response to this solicitation, the proposer acknowledges that all documents and information submitted to the County, including pricing information, is considered a public record under Florida’s Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties upon request notwithstanding any confidentiality clauses or labels contained in such documents. Please direct any inquires to the County’s contact listed below.

RFP PACKAGE

Interested bidders may obtain a RFP Package from Leigh Doran, Procurement Supervisor for Putnam County Board of County Commissioners by any of the following methods.

By email: Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov

By download, available at: http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids

By USPS: Request sent certified mail to:

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners c/o Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

Walk-in Pick Up:

c/o Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

RFP AWARD PROCESS

The basis for bid award, if awarded, is to the best proposal for solicited services which meets or exceeds the conditions of the bid specifications and the County is not bound to accept the lowest bid if that bid is contrary to the best interest of the County. POSTING OF RECOMMENDATION OF AWARD: The County’s recommendation of award will be posted to http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids

PROTEST OF INTENDED DECISION

A Notice of Intended Decision to recommend or reject proposals will be posted to http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids. In the event an unsuccessful firm desires to protest the County’s notice of intended decision to award or reject a proposal, that Firm shall be required to comply with Putnam County’s Protest Procedure, a copy of which is available from the Procurement Supervisor. Failure to follow the Bid Protest procedures prescribed by the Putnam County Purchasing Ordinance shall constitute a waiver of your protest and any resulting claims.

APPLICABLE LAW

The bidder shall comply with all federal, state, County and local laws, rules, ordinances and regulations (“Laws”) applicable to the Bidder’s response to the solicitation, the contract executed in connection with the solicitation, and the provision of services under the solicitation and the contract. The term “Laws” as used in this provision shall be deemed to include all laws which are specifically applicable to the County. This RFP and the contract to be executed in connection with the award of this solicitation must be modified in accordance with any statutory requirement of the State of Florida. Lack of knowledge by the Bidder will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

Venue The contract, when entered into and any disputes hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida and enforced in the courts of the State of Florida. County and firm hereby agree that venue shall be in Putnam County, FL.

ASSIGNMENT

If awarded, neither the resulting contract nor any of the Contractor’s rights, duties, or obligations under the contract may be assigned or subcontracted by the Contractor without the written consent of Putnam County BOCC. Any transfer of this Contract by merger, consolidation or liquidation, or (unless the stock of the Contractor is traded on a national stock exchange or in a generally recognized over the counter securities market) any change in ownership of or power to vote on the majority of the outstanding voting stock of the Contractor after the date hereof shall constitute an assignment of this Contract for purposes of this Section, and then in its discretion, Putnam County BOCC shall have the right to terminate the contract and shall specify the termination date in its written notice of termination. Any purchase order issued pursuant to this solicitation and any monies which may become due there under are not assignable except with the prior written approval of the County.

AWARD

As the best interest of the County may require, the right is reserved to reject any and all proposals, or any portion of the RFP, to waive any informality in proposals received, or to accept any item or group of items unless qualified by the Proposer. The County reserves the right to reject any portion or all proposals, to resolicit proposals or not and to waive informalities as deemed in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to issue to proposers Request for Information (RFI’s), to solicit best and final offers from all finalist firms and or to negotiate a satisfactory award of any portion(s) of this RFP with the top ranked firm. If this http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids proposal requests prices for multiple items, the County reserves the right to award the proposal, by item, to the Bidder(s) which, in the sole discretion of the County, is the most responsive and responsible Bidder(s), price, qualifications, and other factors considered for that item. The issuance of a purchase order constitutes a binding contract.

BEST & FINAL OFFERS/NEGOTIATIONS

The County reserves the right to request revised proposals, best and final offers, and/or enter negotiations at any time with any and all Proposers after receipt of proposals.

BOND

A bond may be required to guarantee the payment of any losses by theft, burglary, pilfering or vandalism as a result of carelessness, negligence or willful acts of the Contractor, its agents, employees or assigns.

BRAND NAME OR EQUAL

(As used in this paragraph, the term "brand name" includes identification of supplies by make and model.) If the items called for herein have been identified in the Schedule by a "brand name or equal" description, such identification is intended to be descriptive, but not restrictive, and is to indicate the quality and characteristics of products that will be satisfactory if they meet the listed essential requirements. Proposals offering "equal" products will be considered for award, if allowed by the proposals/Special Conditions and if such products are clearly identified and are determined by the County to be equal in all material respects to the brand name products listed in the specifications. Unless the Proposer indicates in the proposal that they are offering an "equal" product, the proposal shall be considered as offering a brand name product identified in the specifications.

COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS

When formal specifications are referenced in the solicitation, insertion of brand names or makes and model numbers by the Proposer will be understood to mean that the product offered fully complies with such specifications unless the Proposer specifically states otherwise.

CONDITIONS AND PACKAGING

It is understood and agreed that any item offered or shipped as a result of this solicitation shall be new (current production model) at the time of the solicitation unless otherwise stipulated in the solicitation. All containers shall be suitable for storage or shipment. Proposal prices shall include standard commercial packaging, unless otherwise stipulated in the solicitation.

CONE OF SILENCE

From the time the public advertisement of this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) takes place until the (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) is awarded and approved by the Board of Commissioners, a vendor shall not contact any other County personnel or members of the County’s Board of Commissioners, or Administrative staff either directly or indirectly, to discuss the selection process or in an attempt to further their interest in being selected.

Failure to abide by the Cone of Silence policy is grounds for disqualification from this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) process and vendor will not receive further consideration in reference to this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other).

It is expected that personnel and team members from firms that have applied for this selection refrain from posting opinions, providing commentary or engaging is any discussion regarding the selection by the use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. Violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification of the applicant. The latter applies to employees of the Proposer, retained consultants or any other representative or individual promoting on behalf of the Proposer. Violation of these guidelines may constitute grounds for disqualification.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any award hereunder is subject to Chapter 112 Florida Statutes concerning conflict of interest. All Proposers must disclose the name of any officer, director, or agent who is also an employee of Putnam County BOCC. All Proposers must disclose the name of any County employee or Commissioner who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of 5% or more in the Proposer's firm or any of its branches or dealerships.

COOPERATIVE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

The County has reviewed purchasing agreements and state term contracts available under Florida Statutes Section 287.056 as required in Section 1010.04, Florida Statutes.

As provided in the Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-14.0734(2)(c), and with the consent and agreement of the successful Respondent(s)/Bidder(s), purchases may be made under this RFP/Bid Solicitation by other State of Florida community/state Countys, state universities, district school boards, political subdivisions and any other state agencies within the State of Florida. Such purchases shall be governed by the same terms and conditions stated in the proposal/bid solicitation document and resulting agreement, for the same price and for the same effective time period. If the period of time is not defined within the RFP/Bid solicitation document or resulting agreement, the prices and all terms and conditions shall be firm for one hundred and twenty (120) days from date of contract execution. Each State of Florida agency allowed by the successful Respondent(s)/Bidder(s) to use the resulting agreement shall do so independent of any other State of Florida agency. Each state agency shall be responsible for its own purchases and shall be liable only for goods or services ordered, received and accepted. No other state agency receives any liability by virtue of this RFP/Bid and subsequent agreement. This cooperative purchase agreement in no way restricts or interferes with the right of any State of Florida agency to re-bid any or all items or services.

DEFINITIONS

County or Putnam County BOCC refers to The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners.

Firm, vendor, business, proposer, contractor or bidder in this document refers to respondents to this request for proposal.

ELIGIBLE BIDDERS

Eligible bidders are defined as those bidders who are not excluded from bidding according to the Federal Government’s Excluded Parties List (www.epls.gov) or by Section 287.133, Florida Statute.

PAYMENT

Payment will be made by the County after the services have been received, and found to comply with the specifications, and have been properly invoiced. Discounts will be taken if payment is made within the discount period. All invoices shall bear the County purchase order number. If contract is awarded, payment to contractor for services will be monthly for the rendition of the preceding month’s service during the term thereof.

PERSONNEL

http://www.epls.gov/

Contractor agrees each of its employees will be properly qualified and will use reasonable care in the performance of services. If the County, in the County’s sole opinion, determines, for any reason, that the qualifications, actions or conduct of any particular Contractor employee has violated the Agreement by performing unsatisfactory services, interfering with operation of property, bothering or annoying any occupants, other contractors or subcontractors at Property, or that such actions or conduct is otherwise detrimental to the County, then upon the County’s written notice, Contractor shall immediately provide qualified replacement.

Contractor’s employees are expected to adhere to all County policies and procedures.

PROTEST OF RFP DOCUMENT

All firms are required to thoroughly review the RFP document within a reasonable time after receipt. Any concerns or comments relating to the RFP documents shall be brought to the attention of the Deputy County Administrator: Julianne Young, in writing, promptly after receipt. However, if the Firm desires to protest the RFP document, or any of the specifications, requirements, or procedures thereof, the Firms will be required to comply with the County’s Protest Procedures within seventy-two (72) hours after receipt of the proposal document. Failure to comply with this procedure will constitute a waiver by the Firms of any right to later protest on the basis of the form, content and substance, including without limitation, the specifications, requirements or procedures, of the RFP documents.

PUBLIC RECORDS

To the extent that CONTRACTOR meets the definition of “contractor” under Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes, in addition to other contract requirements provided by law, CONTRACTOR must comply with public records laws, including the following provisions of Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes:

(a) Keep and maintain public records required by COUNTY to perform the service.

(b) Upon request from COUNTY's custodian of public records, provide COUNTY with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in chapter 119, F.S., or as otherwise provided by law.

(c) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if the CONTRACTOR does not transfer the records to COUNTY.

(d) Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to COUNTY all public records in possession of the CONTRACTOR or keep and maintain public records required by COUNTY to perform the service.

If the CONTRACTOR transfers all public records to COUNTY upon completion of the contract, the CONTRACTOR shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the CONTRACTOR keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the CONTRACTOR shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to COUNTY, upon request from COUNTY's custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of COUNTY.

(e) IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF CHAPTER

119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONTRACTOR'S DUTY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS

RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS AT

PUTNAM COUNTY ATTORNEY

2509 CRILL AVENUE

PALATKA, FL 32177

PR-REQUESTS@PUTNAM-FL.COM

(386)329-1903 mailto:PR-REQUESTS@PUTNAM-FL.COM

(f) THE CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT PUTNAM COUNTY BOCC CANNOT AND

WILL NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR BUSINESS ADVICE TO CONTRACTOR WITH

RESPECT TO ITS OBLIGATIONS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION RELATED TO PUBLIC

RECORDS. THE CONTRACTOR FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT WILL NOT RELY ON

PUTNAM COUNTY BOCC OR ITS COUNSEL TO PROVIDE SUCH BUSINESS OR LEGAL

ADVICE, AND THAT CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN ADVISED TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL

ADVICE WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC RECORDS MATTERS ADDRESSED BY THIS

AGREEMENT. THE CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ITS FAILURE TO COMPLY

WITH FLORIDA LAW AND THIS AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS

SHALL CONSTITUTE A MATERIAL BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT AND GROUNDS FOR

TERMINATION.

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME

Contractor selection will be in accordance with the Public Entity Crimes statute, Section 287.133, Florida Statutes which states that a person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a BID/RFP/RFQ on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017, Florida Statutes for Category Two ($35,000) for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. A completed Public Entity Crime Form must be returned in the BID response.

RESPONSE MATERIALS

Any material submitted in response to this invitation to respond becomes the property of the County upon delivery to the Office of the General Services Director and may be appended to any formal document which would further define or expand the contractual relationship between the County and the successful proposer.

Additionally, any material or documentation submitted in response to this solicitation will be a public document pursuant to Section 119.07, Florida Statutes. This includes material which the responding bidder or proposer might consider to be confidential or a trade secret. Any claim of confidentiality is waived upon submission effective after public opening pursuant to Section 119.07, Florida Statutes.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor by submitting a proposal response agrees that it shall be solely responsible for supervising its employees, that it shall comply with all rules, regulations, orders, standards and interpretations promulgated pursuant to Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, including but not limited to training, recordkeeping, providing personal protective equipment, lockout/tag out procedures, Material Safety Data Sheets and labeling as required by the right to know standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200.

COMPLIANCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT

All material, equipment, etc., as proposed and offered by a Respondent, in instances where applicable due to the nature of the project with which this RFP package is concerned, must meet and conform to all O.S.H.A.

requirements as set forth in Subpart E of the O.S.H.A. Standards for Construction (29 CFR 1926), as amended.

The signature of the Respondent or of the authorized representative thereof upon the Proposal shall constitute certification of such fact.

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY

The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that Putnam County is a political subdivision of the State of Florida.

As such, the County is entitled to sovereign immunity except to the extent of the waiver set forth in Section 768.28, Florida Statutes, the County's performance under any resulting agreement and any amendments thereto or attachments connected there with, shall at all times be subject to any and all state laws, state regulations and County Ordinances which are applicable to the County's operations, commitments and/or activities in furtherance of any terms specified herein.

TAXES

The County does not pay federal, excise or state sales taxes. The applicable tax exemption numbers are:

Florida Sales Tax: 85-8013889128C-1 Federal Identification Number: 59-6000816 Any and all taxes and licenses imposed by Federal, State and local governments on the services to be provided by the Contractor under the terms of the agreement are the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL

Proposal may be withdrawn by written or telegraphic notice prior to solicitation public opening. Withdrawals received after the time set for opening of solicitation will not be considered.

2.0 Contract Term

If awarded, the successful bidder will enter into a contract with the County based on the solicitation specifications and the results.

The consultant further agrees to provide additional services which the county may desire, if both parties are agreeable regarding scope, timing and fees, and additional service agreement is approved in an amendment to the Contract by Putnam County Board of County Commissioners.

If awarded, the successful bidder will enter into a contract with the County based on the RFP specifications and the result of the RFP.

The contract term shall be effective for a period of three (3) years. The County has the option and reserves the right to extend the contract beyond the initial contract term by mutual consent of both parties for one (1) additional three (3) year period.

Tentative Contract Term: May 13, 2025 – May 12, 2028

Renewal Term 1: May 13, 2028 – May 12, 2031

3.0 Schedule

The following schedule is a general guideline for issuance and recommendation of award of this RFP and issuance of the contract. The County may change the dates of any events of this RFP and the issuance of the Contract. Any changes to this schedule will be posted on the webpage dedicated to this RFP.

Tentative Dates Scheduled Issue RFP Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting Friday, February 21, 2025 Written questions due by 2:00 pm Thursday, March 6, 2025 *submit via email Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov Proposals Due by 2:00 pm Friday, March 14, 2025 Public Opening of Proposals Friday, March 14, 2025 Initial Evaluation Meeting Friday, March 28, 2025 @ 10:00 AM Presentations Friday, April 4, 2025 @ 9:00 AM Final Evaluation Meeting Friday, April 4, 2025 Intent to Recommend Rank Order Monday, April 7, 2025 Protest Period April 7, 2025 – April 10, 2025 Send Rank Order Recommendation to BOCC Tuesday, April 22, 2025 Contract to BOCC for Award Tuesday, May 13, 2025

*The Award is contingent upon acceptance and approval by the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners of the recommended Intent to Award. The recommendation of the Intent to Award will be presented at the board meeting on May 13, 2025.

3.2.1 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

If special accommodations are required in order to attend any Public Meeting, Pre-Bid Conference, Tour of Grounds, etc., contact the Procurement Supervisor via email at Leigh.Doran@Putnam-FL.gov or at 386-329-0376.

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

The county will conduct a mandatory pre-proposal meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 21, 2025, at the Government Complex located at 2509 Crill Ave., Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177.

Attendance at the pre-bid meeting is a mandatory requirement to be considered a ‘Responsive Bidder’.

PUBLIC BID OPENING

The County will conduct a Public bid/proposal opening on Friday, March 14, 2025. The meeting will be held at the Government Complex located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177 immediately following the bid close at 2:00pm EST. The meeting is open to the public, bidders are welcome to attend but will not have the opportunity to speak.

INITIAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE REVIEW

If needed or desired, the County reserves the right to conduct an initial evaluation committee meeting on Friday, March 28, 2025, the purpose of this meeting is to create a ‘short – list’ of proposers which will be invited to mailto:Leigh.Doran@Putnam-FL.gov participate in the interview and or demonstration process OR to create a rank order list to recommend for award. The meeting will be held beginning at 10:00 AM EST. The meeting will be held at the Government Complex located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177. The Evaluation Committee Meeting is open to the public; bidders are welcome to attend but will not have the opportunity to speak.

PLEASE NOTE: THE COUNTY HAS AN OPTION TO RECOMMEND AN AWARD(S) BASED ON THE

INITIAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEEETING SCORING AND NOT CONDUCT

INTERVIEWS/FINAL EVALUATIONS.

PRESENTATIONS

If needed or desired, The County will conduct presentations with short-listed firms on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Presentations will be held in the conference room located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177 beginning at 9:00 AM EST. The meeting is open to the public; bidders are welcome to attend but will not have the opportunity to speak. IF presentations are desired a schedule of the assigned presentations will be posted to the webpage dedicated for this RFP.

FINAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE REVIEW

The County will conduct a final evaluation committee meeting in an effort to identify the rank order in which the committee intends to award the contract on Friday, April 4, 2025. The meeting will be held in the conference room located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177 immediately following presentations. The meeting is open to the public; bidders are welcome to attend but will not have the opportunity to speak.

4.0 Proposal Instructions

QUESTIONS

Questions concerning this Request for Proposal shall be directed to: Leigh Doran by email at:

Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov and to no other person or department at the County.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESPONSIVE BIDDERS

This section of the RFP provides proposers with instructions concerning required information that must be submitted as part of their proposal. Failure to provide any of the required information or required documents or failure to arrange the proposal in accordance with these instructions may result in the proposal being rejected.

ERRORS AND OMMISSIONS

Bidders are expected to comply with the true intent of these bid specifications taken as a whole and shall not avail themselves of any errors or omissions to the detriment of the services. Should any bidder suspect any error, omission, or discrepancy in the specifications or instructions, the bidder shall immediately notify the Purchasing Coordinator in writing who will issue written instructions to be followed. Bidders are responsible for the contents of their proposal and for satisfying the requirements set forth in the bid specifications.

EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS/LABOR

IT WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER TO SUPPLY ALL

MATERIALS, TOOLS, NECESSARY LABOR, ETC. FOR THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED AS

SPECIFIED.

INSURANCE

mailto:Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov

The “awarded” contractor shall furnish a current Certificate of Insurance to the County’s General Services Director prior to contract award / commencement of the work, as well as a copy of your GL policy endorsement (on the ISO Endorsement Schedule format attached) that ensures the County will be provided 30 days written notice if your policy lapses for any reason. This certificate must include the Bid Number and be effective for the term of the contract and any extension thereof. All insurance companies named on the certificate shall be licensed to do business in the State of Florida and have a minimum A.M. Best rating of A-. All policies must be written on a primary basis, non-contributory with any other insurance coverages or self-insurance of the County. Contractor shall obtain and maintain the minimum insurance coverages set forth below. By requiring such minimum insurance, County shall not be deemed or construed to have assessed the risk that may be applicable to Contractor under this contract. Contractor shall assess its own risks and, if it deems appropriate and/or prudent, maintain higher limits and/or broader coverages. The Contractor is not relieved of any liability or other obligations assumed or pursuant to the Contract by reason of its failure to obtain or maintain insurance in sufficient amounts, duration, or types. The insurance coverages stated below do not replace any surety bonds as required by contract.

Minimum Insurance Requirements Schedule Policy: Workers Compensation Coverage: WC Statutory Limits

Policy: Comprehensive General Liability Insurance:

Coverage: $1,000,000 Each Occurrence $ 100,000 Fire Damage (Any One Fire) $ 5,000 Medical Payments (Any One Person) $1,000,000 Personal and Adv Injury $2,000,000 General Aggregate $2,000,000 Products – Comp/OP Aggregate

5.0 Scope of Work Specifications

PROJECT OVERVIEW

A. General Information:

The SJC Medical Examiner’s Office performs examination for deaths occurring within District 23, which consists of three (3) counties: St. Johns, Flagler, and Putnam, in accordance with Chapter 406, Florida Statutes. In order to perform these examinations, the bodies must be transported from the scene of death, to the SJC Medical Examiner’s Office, located at 4501 Avenue A, St. Augustine, FL 32095. The awarded Contractor shall perform the transportation services, on an on-call basis, as requested by the SJC Medical Examiner’s Office.

B. Scope of Services:

The Contractor shall be required to perform the services stated below on an as needed basis, as notified by the SJC Medical Examiner’s Office or on-scene investigators from local law enforcement agencies. All services must be performed in compliance with the requirements stated below, as well as any and all governing local, state, and federal regulations, codes, rules, ordinances, and laws.

C. Response:

The Contractor shall respond to all notifications of a required transport within one (1) hour of receipt of notification. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to verify all pertinent case information at the time of response to the notification. All cases must be assigned a Medical Examiner’s Case Number (MECN) prior to the Contractor performing the transport. Upon verification of the necessary case information, the Contractor shall proceed immediately to the scene of death to perform that transport. The Contractor shall not delay arrival at the scene of death for any reason, unless otherwise instructed by the SJC ME’s Office or the on-scene investigator.

In the event additional notification(s) for required transport(s) occur while the Contractor is in route to a prior case, the Contractor shall coordinate with the SJC ME’s Office, or on-scene investigator in order to complete the transports in the quickest manner available.

D. On-Scene Arrival:

The Contractor shall coordinate all on-scene arrivals with the appropriate on-scene investigator(s) or law enforcement officers on site at the time of arrival. The Contractor shall not, in any way, disrupt or impede the investigators and/or law enforcement officers in the course of their work. The Contractor shall notify ME Staff of each on-scene arrival. Contractor personnel arriving at any scene of death shall remain inside the transport vehicle until cleared by the on-scene investigator(s) or law enforcement officers on site, unless otherwise instructed by ME Staff, or the on-scene investigator prior to arrival. Upon receipt of clearance, Contractor personnel may exit the transport vehicle, and begin preparation for collection and transport of the cadaver.

E. Collection:

The Contractor shall receive permission from the on-scene investigator to collect any cadaver(s) at any scene of death. In the event that the on-scene investigator is unable to provide permission to the Contractor personnel to commence collection/transport services, the Contractor may obtain written permission from appropriate law enforcement officer(s) on site, shall have the approving officer sign off on the collection/transport, and shall notate the alternate approval in the log. Upon receipt of the appropriate permission(s) to collect/transport the cadaver(s), the Contractor shall take a written inventory of all personal belongings in possession of the deceased prior to collection, unless otherwise instructed by the on-scene investigator. The Contractor shall record any cash in possession of the deceased, then turn it over to the law enforcement officers on site to be entered into evidence. Cash shall only be transported by the Contractor upon express instruction by the on-scene investigator, written log of the instruction, and signature of a witness as to the amount of cash recorded and transported with the deceased.

In the event collection/transport services are required for a cadaver located at a hospital, the Contractor shall be locate and collect the body and medical records for the transport. The Contractor shall coordinate with the appropriate nursing/hospital staff to obtain the necessary medical records if they are not with the body at the time of collection. If the Contractor is unable to obtain the proper records for the deceased within one (1) hour of first contact with appropriate nursing/hospital staff, the Contractor may cancel the transport until such time that the records are made available, unless otherwise directed by the SJC ME Staff.

The Contractor shall maintain sufficient communications equipment (i.e. cell phone, pager, etc.) at all times throughout the duration of the Contract in order to maintain availability twenty four (24) hours a day, seven

(7) days per week. The Contractor shall respond within one (1) hour of notification to all transport requests within Putnam County. In the event the Contractor is notified of a request for transport while in the process of responding to a previous transport request under this contract, the Contractor shall respond immediately upon completion of the previous request. The Contractor shall respond to out-of-district requests in a timely manner.

The Contractor shall comply with any and all regulations established by the SJC Medical Examiner for cadaver delivery, cadaver pick-up, and morgue procedures for cleanliness and second exposure control.

The following policy and procedures shall serve as a guideline for transport agent(s) contracted by Counties within District 23 Medical Examiner’s Office:

• Only the Medical Examiner’s Office (M.E.O.) can authorize the transport of human remains to the District 23 M.E.O. Usually, the on-call investigator will make the call, on occasion Law Enforcement Office (L.E.O.) may make the call, in this circumstance the on-call investigator has already been contacted and a case number will be given to the L.E.O. No human remains are to be transported to the M.E.O. without a case number or transport record

• The transport team will consist of two (2) people at all times unless otherwise instructed by the on-call investigator. No L.E.O., emergency medical staff, fire rescue personnel or M.E.O. personnel are to be required to assist in the removal. The team will respond to the death scene within one (1) hour of notification o Exception- the human remains are outside the county lines of the M.E.O. district or they are already on one death scene and called to another for transport. The first request should be completed before responding to the next. Usually it is acceptable to respond to the next request without first transporting the human remains from the first scene to the M.E.O.

Exception-all homicides are to be transported independently from any other transport request

• Upon arrival to the death scene the transport team will:

o Wait until the on-call investigator or L.E.O. authorizes the team to enter the scene o Obtain pertinent information i.e. case number, name, date of birth, date of death, correct address of death scene, date and times of arrival and departure from scene and M.E.O.

o Request any special instructions

• All human remains are to be transported in a body bag to the M.E.O. Hospital cases can be transported in the body bag hospital staff uses. The following guidelines apply to all human remains except homicides o The human remains will be put in the body bag face up (No Exception!)

o The remains will be transported with only what is on them i.e. clothing, jewelry, and personal effects. On occasion L.E.O. may request personal effects be removed prior to transportation, the on-call investigator must approve removal of items o It is acceptable to use the bedding if the deceased was found on it. It is not acceptable to remove bedding from other parts of the scene to use to wrap the body o Red biohazard bags will be supplied by the M.E.O. and used for collection of body parts and tissue apart from the remains and placed in the body bag with the other remains Our office ONLY has jurisdiction over the human remains; the rest of the scene belongs to the L.E.O. It is not appropriate for the transport team to be anywhere else on the scene besides where the human remains are. It is not appropriate for the transport team to answer questions/speculate as to their opinion on cause and manner of death

• Upon arrival to the M.E.O. the transport team will ensure the paperwork is properly and completely filled out. All personal effects are to be inventoried, logged on to the transport form and left on body.

An identification band bearing the decedent’s name and case number is to be affixed to the decedent’s ankle. The body is then to be placed on an autopsy tray with the feet at the drain and stored in the cooler. Before leaving, the transport company must log the decedent into the body log binder on the shelf in the garage. The transport form original is to be placed in the binder as well.

o Exception-if the personal effects are loose items, i.e. cigarettes, cell phone, change, keys etc., the items should be placed in a plastic bag. These are furnished by the M.E.O. and are in the shelf in the garage with the identification tags o No trash, i.e. gloves, bags, etc., shall be placed in the body bag. Please place in the biohazard bins in the garage of the M.E.O.

• For homicide cases forms and identifications should be filled out and affixed before leaving the scene. Law enforcement will then seal the body bag and it will not be opened until the Medical Examiner is ready to perform the autopsy o Exception-L.E.O. requests a crime scene technician/FDLE agent be responsible for placing the remains in the body bag so as to limit contact with evidence. At this point the transport team will not have the opportunity to inventory personal effects, they should write on the form “body bag sealed by L.E.O., inventory not possible”, they will also affix an identification tag to the outside of the body bag and continue with M.E.O. transport procedure

• No contaminates shall be used on the remains, i.e. water, soap, insect repellent, air freshener etc.

• The transport team will not interrupt the transport of human remains with any kind of personal errands while transporting for the M.E.O.

• Any problems/questions that arise during the transport of human remains shall be directed to the on-call investigator at the time of incident

• The transport team shall be dressed in appropriate clothing. No shorts, sweatpants, sandals, tank tops, etc. shall be worn to transport human remains for the M.E.O.

F. Equipment The Contractor shall be required to own, lease or rent with his own funds any and all equipment necessary to provide the required services included under this RFP including but not limited to: any and all personal protection equipment (PPE), body bags, gurneys, transport vehicles, uniforms and any other pieces of equipment that are necessary to provide the services as described herein.

The Contractor shall provide body bags that meet the specifications provided below. Any substitutions for the specifications must be approved in writing by the SJC Medical Examiner prior to the use of any substitute product.

Non-Vinyl body bag Envelope Style w/ 2 Zipper pulls 3 layer Poly-Mono-Poly Dimensions: 36” x 94” Capacity: 375lbs lift

G. Vehicles Vehicles furnished for this service must be capable of transporting at least two (2) deceased persons at one time. Vehicles should have rear hatched or double-hinged doors and a passenger side sliding door preferable.

Cargo area must be lighted. If the cargo area has windows, it should have dark tinting that eliminates the possibility of viewing by the public. A bio-hazardous waste receptacle should be accessible in the cargo area for disposing of gloves, etc. Floor covering should be plastic or rubber so that cross-contamination can be easily eliminated. Vehicles must be capable of operating safely during inclement weather. The vehicles must have a dignified appearance and both the appearance and mechanical condition of the vehicles must be well maintained. The vehicles must be free of bumper stickers or other writing that could be embarrassing or insensitive to families. The portion of the vehicles which contains the cadavers must be air-conditioned.

Each vehicle must contain the following equipment for each call:

• One-man cot(s) and/or auxiliary stretcher(s).

• Personal protective clothing and equipment shall be required by local, state, or federal regulations and are the responsibility of the contractor.

• Foul weather gear, including boots provided by contractor.

• Gloves and disinfectants provided by contractor.

H. Staff/Employees The Contractor shall be responsible for hiring sufficient staff to provide all of the services required under this RFP. Any and all employees must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.

The CONTRACTOR warrants that all services shall be performed by skilled and competent personnel to the highest professional standards in the field.

I. Safety The Contractor shall be responsible for the enforcement of safety requirements throughout the duration of the contract. Also, the Contractor shall ensure that all employees are provided a safe work environment in compliance with all OSHA standards and local, state and federal laws and that all employees comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, as well as all applicable local, state and federal laws, ordinances, codes, regulations and requirements.

J. Sub-Consultants:

The Contractor is not permitted to utilize subcontractors for any aspect of the services required under this

RFP.

6.0 Submittal Requirements

Section 1: RFP Qualification Cover Page (Complete and Submit)

Section 2: Cover Letter

Provide a cover letter. Include the original signed cover letter with the original proposal and a copy of the cover letter with each copy of the proposal. The cover letter should provide the following:

• Respondent’s name, contact person, business address, phone number, fax number and e-mail address

• A brief statement of the respondent’s understanding of the services required.

• Profile - Provide a brief company background statement to include, but not limited to, years in business, company size, corporate structure, types of services offered, and professional affiliations

Section 3: Manpower & Organization

In this section, respondent shall provide documentation to fully demonstrate the experience, education, and abilities of any and all personnel that shall be performing work under this contract. This may be submitted in the form of a resume for each employee who will be performing any aspect of work.

Provide Current and Applicable licenses and or certifications for each employee.

Section 4: Prior Experience in the Industry

In this section, respondent shall provide documentation to fully demonstrate any and all prior experience and past performance in the required industry. Specify the level of work experience, especially as it relates to the proposed Scope of Services. Respondents may provide supplemental documentation or information regarding services provided in the past.

Section 5: Pricing In this section, each respondent shall submit Unit Prices per pickup for the two (2) types of pickups listed on the proposal form included herein as:

Attachment “A” – Cost Proposal Form, and submit with each copy of the RFP Package.

Section 6: Financial Stability / Litigation All Proposers shall be prepared to supply a financial statement upon request, preferably a certified audit of the last available fiscal year. A third party prepared financial statement and the latest Dunn & Bradstreet report will be accepted in lieu thereof.

Proposers shall include information on the nature and magnitude of any litigation or proceeding whereby, during the past five (5) years, a court or any administrative agency has ruled against the firm in any matter related to the professional activities of the firm. This shall include any class actions within your company where named, industry investigations by Attorneys General, in addition to individual cases. Proposer has a continuing duty to inform the County of any new claims filed against the Proposer.

Section 7: License(s) & Insurance Include a copy of any and all professional licenses as required to perform the services described herein and of the professional licenses for each team member.

Attach evidence of required…