RFP Internal Admin Investigations 09 19 2025.docx

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Internal Administrative Investigations

RFP #: RFP_F-CONTR-0000000128

Release Date: September 19, 2025 Proposal Due Date: October 10, 2025

NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M. PDT

Contact: Lizz Patterson, Fiscal Officer

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

4005 PORT CHICAGO HIGHWAY, SUITE 250

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA 94520

General Information:

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is requesting proposals from experienced and qualified non-attorney investigation firms to provide work-place administrative investigation services related to allegations of employee misconduct.

Proposal Submission:

Proposal Submission:

Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposal or proposals that do not conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFP does not obligate the District to award a contract, nor is the District liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent in the preparation and submittal of proposals for the subject work. The District retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several Respondents, to not select any Respondents, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the Respondent has read the RFP and understands all the requirements and conditions Questions:

All questions regarding the proposal will be accepted through the BidNet site only. The deadline for submitting questions for this RFP is on or before October 3, 2025 no later than 3:00 PM PST. All questions will be answered and disseminated to those registered on the BidNet website. Contact customer service if you need technical assistance with any part of the bid process; support@bidnet.com or call (800) 990-9339.

Pre-Bid Conference:

There is no pre-bid conference for this RFP.

Table of Contents

Page

· Exhibit C – Price Proposal

· Exhibit D – Anti-Collusion Statement

· Exhibit E – CCC Business Opportunity Registration

Section I: Introduction

A. Purpose

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is requesting proposals from experienced and qualified non-attorney investigation firms to provide independent work-place and administrative investigation services related to allegations of employee misconduct as further detailed under Section IV, Scope of Work.

B. Objective To contract with an vendor that can provide independent work-place and administrative investigation services for the District related to allegations of employee misconduct in accordance with all appropriate federal, state, and local laws, appropriate collective bargaining agreements, the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights, civil service rules and any other appropriate legal governing standards or authority.

C. Background The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District was originally formed on December 29, 1964, by the merger of the Central Fire Protection District and the Mt. Diablo Fire Protection District. Stations 1, 3 and 4 in Walnut Creek and Stations 2 and 5 in Pleasant Hill were part of the Central Fire Protection District while Stations 6, 8 and 10 in Concord, Station 7 in West Pittsburg, Station 11 in Clayton and Station 9 in Pacheco were part of the Mt. Diablo Fire Protection District. Since then, ten (10) other mergers took place, including the most recent: on July 1, 2022, the District annexed the former East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD). In addition, on March 1, 2023 the District contracted for services with the city of Pinole, and annexed Rodeo-Hercules Fire District on July 1, 2025.

The District is a recognized fire service leader that strives to become a premier fire organization. The District recognizes that having independent workplace and administrative investigations assists in the upholding of its values of service before self, accountability for performing to the best of one’s ability, commitment and dedication as fundamental elements to achieving excellence, empowerment at all levels in the organization, safety and preparedness as necessary elements of our service delivery in order to protect our communities and ourselves and the commitment to act with integrity, respect, and honesty when delivering on its mission in providing professional services dedicated to the preservation of life, property, and the environment. It is with that vision of responsibility and accountability that the District looks to ensure that employees at all levels of the organization experience and contribute to a safe, sound, and appropriate workplace environment. Independently, knowledgably, and skillfully investigating employee misconduct in accordance with all appropriate governing authorities contributes to that end.

D. Calendar of Events

RFP Release date

September 19, 2025

Last date to submit written questions

October 3, 2025 no later than 3:00 P.M. PST

RFP due date

October 10, 2025 no later than 3:00 P.M. PST

E. Correspondence As of the issuance of this RFP, Respondents are specifically directed not to contact District personnel for meetings, conferences or technical discussions related to this RFP. Questions to this RFP must be submitted via BidNet medium. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in disqualification of the Respondent.

F. Addenda Knowledge All Respondents shall acknowledge receipt of any amendments to this bid event by returning a signed hard copy with the bid. Failure to acknowledge receipt of any amendments may render the proposal to be non-responsive. Changes to this bid event shall be issued only by the County. See attachment A.

Section II: Requirements and Qualifications

The following are minimum qualifications that the Respondent must meet for their proposal submittal to be eligible for evaluation.

The Evaluation Committee may choose to determine if a Respondent meets minimum qualifications by reading that single document alone, so the submittal should be sufficiently detailed to clearly show how the minimum qualifications are met without looking at any other material. Minimum qualifications are scored on a pass/fail basis. Those that are not clearly responsive to these minimum qualifications may be rejected by the District without further consideration.

A. Has been engaged regularly and continuously in the business of providing workplace and administrative investigative services regarding employee misconduct for at least three (3) years.

B. Possesses current permits, licenses, and professional credentials necessary to supply the products and perform the services specified within.

C. Requires employees to adhere to all safety policies and procedures as directed by the District, and as required by the California Code of Regulations and the California Labor Code.

D. Adheres to industry standards and any other applicable federal, state and local law, regulation and standard.

E. The successful Respondent must have commercial general liability insurance policy that conforms to District requirements.

Section III: Instructions to Responders

All proposals shall include the following information, organized as separate section of the proposal. The proposal should be concise and to the point.

A. Format Respondents shall submit proposals which are concise and which specifically respond to the specifications posted in this RFP. Each proposal shall be submitted with a cover letter signed by an authorized person and the following documents:

a. Cover Letter – Signed by an authorized representative of the company

b. Proposal – within a maximum of fifteen (15) pages, no smaller than twelve-point font, describe specific capabilities, experience, approaches and proposed methodologies that demonstrate a clear understanding of the nature of the work to be performed described in Section IV under Scope of Work

c. Resume of key persons who will be assigned to the project

d. Statement of Experience – See Exhibit A

e. Price Proposal – See Exhibit B

f. Customer References – See Exhibit C

g. Anti-Collusion Statement – See Exhibit D

h. Contra Costa County Business Opportunity Registration Form – See Exhibit E

i. Addenda Acknowledgement – See Attachment A

j. Staffing Plan

k. Federal, State, and local permits and licenses

l. Certificate of Insurance with Endorsement Letter

B. Proposal Submission

a. Response to this RFP MUST be submitted electronically through the BidNet web site – NO EXCEPTION

b. Late submittals WILL NOT be accepted – NO EXCEPTION

c. Fax submittals WILL NOT be accepted – NO EXCEPTION

C. Staffing List the staff anticipated to perform the services including disciplines and degrees, as appropriate. Indicate the qualifications, training, and experience of each team member.

D. Customer References Respondents shall provide a minimum of three (3) letters of references. Each letter must include the name of the firm, description of services provided, date(s) of services and contract amount for projects similar to the services requested in this RFP. See Exhibit B.

E. Licenses and Permits Respondents shall possess all licenses, registrations and permits required by the State of California and the County of Contra Costa. Such licenses and permits are to be submitted to the County with the proposal or prior to the contract signing date.

F. Proposal Expenses Respondents shall be fully responsible for all costs incurred in the development and submission of this RFP.

G. Respondent Responsibility The bidder assumes sole responsibility for the complete effort required in submitting a bid proposal in response to this RFP. No special consideration will be given after bid proposals are opened because of a Respondent’s failure to be knowledgeable as to all of the requirements of this RFP.

H. Interpretation Should any discrepancies, omissions, or doubt as to their meaning be found in the RFP specifications or requirements, the Respondent shall notify the District in writing through the BidNet website. The District will send written instructions or addenda to all participants in the RFP process. The District shall not be responsible for oral interpretations.

I. Reservation The District reserves the right to do the following at any time and for its own convenience, at its sole discretion:

· To reject any and all proposals without indicating any reasons for such rejection

· Terminate this RFP and issue a new Request for Proposals anytime thereafter

· Extend any or all deadlines specified in the RFP, including deadlines for accepting proposals by issuing an Addendum at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of responses to the RFP

· Procure any services specified in the RFP by other means

· Disqualify any Respondent on the basis of any real or perceived conflict of interest or evidence of collusion that is disclosed by the proposal or other data available to the District. Such disqualification is at the sole discretion of the District

· Reject the proposal of any Respondent that is in breach of or in default under any other agreement with the District

· Reject any Respondent deemed by the District to be non-responsive, unreliable, unqualified or non-responsible

J. Truth and Accuracy of Representation False, misleading, incomplete, or deceptively unresponsive statements in connection with a proposal shall be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal.

K. Sub-Contract and Assignment The Contract binds the heirs, successors, assigns and representatives of Contractor. Prior written consent of the District, subject to any required state or federal approval, is required before the Contractor may enter into subcontracts for any work contemplated under the Contract, or before the Contractor may assign the Contract or monies due or to become due, by operation of law or otherwise.

L. Addenda No one is authorized to amend any of these documents in any respect by an oral statement or to make any representation or interpretation in conflict with their provisions. Any changes to these documents will be issued in writing via Addenda to be posted on BidNet website.

M. Addenda Acknowledgment All addenda shall include an acknowledgement of receipt that must be returned. The addenda must be signed and attached to the final response. Failure to attach any addendum may result in the rejection of the response. See Attachment D.

N. Anti-Collusion By submitting a signed proposal, Respondent certifies that there has been no collusion with any other Respondent. Reasonable grounds for believing Respondent has an interest in more than one proposal will result in rejection of all proposals in which the Respondent has an interest. Any party to collusion may not be considered in future proposals for the same or similar work. See Exhibit C attached.

Section IV: Scope of Work

The selected Respondent will be responsible for conducting independent workplace and administrative investigations related to allegations of employee misconduct. Such services will be provided as set forth below:

1. Use established protocols and methodologies to assure a thorough and consistent examination of all relevant facts.

2. Conduct initial intake of complaint and work with the District to define the scope of the investigation.

3. Schedule timely interviews, in-person, by phone or videoconference.

4. Communicate proactively with the District regarding the status of the investigation.

5. Work with the District to update the scope and investigation plan if new issues arise.

6. Identify the factual basis or the absence of factual basis for each of the allegations, by:

a. Reviewing organizational policies and practices, applicable regulations and other relevant information, depending on the issues under investigation. This might include, for example, public record documents, emails, internet searches, meeting agendas and minutes, financial records, credit card records, expense records, other business records, timekeeping records, text messages, phone records, computer access records, surveillance video, security badge access data, and/or personnel files.

b. Interviewing and assessing the credibility of key individuals, including the complainant, respondent, and subject matter experts, as needed and as appropriate.

c. Interviewing and assessing the credibility of other relevant percipient witnesses with direct, material and relevant information.

6. Consider, evaluate and communicate ongoing legal issues impacting the investigation to the District representative in a timely manner and as appropriate.

7. Make and communicate findings to the District representative, including citing the accordant governing authority and the confidence of said findings, which at minimum, will be a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, unless another standard is required by the cited governing authority.

8. When requested, the investigator prepares a thorough, impartial investigation report that summarizes the complaint, the investigatory process and the evidence considered. The report includes a detailed analysis explaining the basis for the investigator’s factual findings, including the citation of the appropriate governing authority. Every report produced by the Contractor goes through an internal review and proofing process to ensure quality and consistency.

Section V: Evaluation and Selection Process

A. Selection Process All proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria and point value. Within the content of the information required by the RFP, Respondents are welcome to submit any and all supporting information which describes their ability to meet and exceed the criteria. An evaluation committee will conduct the evaluation of proposals. The Committee will discuss each proposal and establish consensus. Each member of the committee shall score the proposals independent of the other members, after which, scores will be combined/averaged. Once a contract award has been made, the District will notify all firms accordingly. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Company qualification and technical experience with similar projects

2. Project understanding, methodology, approach, and implementation plan

3. Experience of key personnel who will be assigned to the project

4. Cost

5. Client References

B. Interviews The determination as to the need for interviews, the location, order, and schedule of the interviews is at the sole discretion of the District. If the District determines that it is necessary, only top ranked Respondents may need to attend an interview. The project manager and any key team members should attend the interview. The Respondent must bear all costs incurred to attend. The evaluation interview panel may include representatives from the District and other agencies, but the specific composition of the panel will not be revealed prior to the interviews. The District will use the forced ranking system to evaluate the Respondents.

C. Best Value The District will select the proposal that presents the best value and is most advantageous to the District and the public. Accordingly, the District may not necessarily award the Respondent with the lowest price proposal if doing so would not be in the overall best interest of the District. The District reserves the right to expand or reduce the proposed scope of work during the contract negotiations based on budget constraints and to award to a single or multiple Respondents.

D. Best and Final Offer (BAFO) The District, at its sole discretion, may request Best and Final Offer (BAFO) from the finalists.

E. Award Notice and Acceptance Period

1. After the evaluation of proposals and final consideration of all pertinent information available, the District will either reject all proposals or issue a written notice of intent to award the contract to all Respondents submitting a timely proposal. The notice shall identify the apparent best evaluated proposal. The notice shall not create rights, interests, or claims of entitlement in the apparent best evaluated Respondent.

2. The apparent best evaluated Respondent should be prepared to enter into a contract with the District which shall be substantially the same as the Standard Contract included in Exhibit I to this RFP. Notwithstanding, the District reserves the right to add terms and conditions, deemed to be in the best interest of the District, during final contract negotiations.

3. If a Respondent fails to sign and return the contract drawn pursuant to this RFP and final contract negotiations within the requested date of its delivery to the Respondent, the District may cancel the award and award the contract to the next best evaluated Respondent.

F. Proposals are Public Records California Government Code Section 6250, the Public Records Act, defines a public record as any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. The Public Records Act provides that public records shall be disclosed upon request and that any resident has a right to inspect any public record unless the document is exempted from disclosure.

Unless otherwise compelled by a court order, the District will not disclose any proposal while the District conducts its deliberative process in accordance with the procedures identified in this RFP. However, after the District either awards an agreement to a successful Respondent, or rejects all proposals, the District shall consider each proposal subject to the public disclosure requirements of the California Public Records Act. Each Respondent is hereby informed that, upon submittal of its proposal to the District in accordance with this RFP, the proposal becomes the property of Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

G. Protest Procedures In the event a dispute arises concerning the proposal process prior to the award of the contract, the party wishing resolution of the dispute shall submit a request in writing to the attention of:

Lewis Broschard, Fire Chief Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 4005 Port Chicago Highway, Suite 250 Concord CA, 94520

Section VI: Billing and Invoicing

A. Rate and invoicing considerations

· Contractor will strive to perform investigation services efficiently to reduce the overall costs.

· Contractor offers a tiered rate structure so that the best personnel can be assigned to work on a given matter, subject to consent and authorization of the District.

· Contractor recognizes that not all investigations are equal. Contractor will assign an investigator and a billing rate that fits the scope of the investigation.

· Working with the District, Contractor will staff investigations based on the complexity of the complaint. Contractor will evaluate the complexity and difficulty of the complaint using the following criteria at minimum to provide estimates as well as invoices :

1) Number and complexity of issues

2) Number of witnesses

3) Volume and type of documents

4) Organizational level of complainant and respondent

5) Urgency of investigation closure

6) Related pending litigation

7) Representation of the parties

8) Political, media and other external factors at play

· Hourly rates will communicate the work performed during an investigation, such as:

1) Discussions with the client regarding investigations

2) Investigation interviews and associated travel

3) Document and data gathering and review

4) Meetings with the client to present investigation findings

5) Report writing

6) Work associated if called upon to testify, respond to discovery about the engagement or defend the confidentiality of the investigation

7) All other work associated with conducting and completing investigations

B. Pricing Contractor shall submit an hourly-based rate scale to the District that takes into account the skill level and experience of proposed team members or levels of team members. Contractor should note billing increments that apply to work performed. Contractor should include pricing and/or the calculation thereof, of any anticipated administrative costs. Such costs may include, for example, mileage at the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate, mail delivery services, travel, parking fees, etc. Contractor will not increase rates more than once each year.

C. Payment Terms Contractor shall submit an estimate for each investigation. Further, the Contractor shall submit correct and complete invoice(s) to the District after the District accepted the deliverables. Payment terms are Net 30 days or best offer, after receipt of correct invoice.

All bidders MUST accept the payment terms of Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Exhibit A: Statement of Experience

SECTION A____________________________________________________________________________ Business Name: __________________________________________ Phone #: _____________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________________________________ State: ________ ZIP: _____________ Federal Tax ID #: ____________________________ Business License #: ___________________________ Business Status:

_____Non Profit Corporation _____Corporation State of Incorporation:_____________________ _____General Partnership _____Limited Partnership _____Sole Proprietorship Other: __________________________ Name and title of an Officer or owner authorized to sign this proposal and any contract with the County that may result.

Name: __________________________________________________ Title: ________________________

SECTION B____________________________________________________________________________ Number of years in business under present business name: ____________________________________ Other Business Name(s): ________________________________________________________________ Number of years under prior name if any: ___________________________________________________

SECTION C____________________________________________________________________________ Number of years of experience in providing required, equivalent, or related projects: _______________ SECTION D____________________________________________________________________________ Similar services/projects completed during the last five years?

Period Services $ Amount Paid Location Agency Name 1 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 2 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 3 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 4 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 5 - __________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION E____________________________________________________________________________ Have you, or your agency failed or refused to complete a contract? _____ YES ______ No If yes, explain: _________________________________________________________________________

SECTION F____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm authorized to do business in the State of California? _____Yes ________No

SECTION G____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm a State of California registered small business? ______Yes ______No

SECTION H____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm local Business? ______Yes ______No

SECTION I_____________________________________________________________________________ Explain any litigation similar to the services requested by this proposal involving you, or your agency, or any principal officer(s) thereof:

SECTION J___________________________________________________________________________ Has your company filed any written declaration for bankruptcy protection, a potential merger or acquisition, office closure, pending lawsuits, financial loss that might affect your ability to perform under the contract? _________ Yes _________ No (if yes, please explain): _____________________

SECTION K____________________________________________________________________________ License Provisions Has your company changed names or license numbers in the past 10 years? If so, please state reason for change. Yes_____ No_____

Reason ________________________________

SECTION L____________________________________________________________________________ List the names and titles of the key personnel who would be assigned to the Project.

SECTION M____________________________________________________________________________ List all required business and professional licenses that pertain to this Project:

License Number Type Expiration Date

SECTION N____________________________________________________________________________ Do you and your agency agree to provide additional information as required by the County to make an informed determination of qualifications? ______ Yes _____ No

By signing this Statement of Experience, you are certifying that all information provided on this form and contained within your proposal are true, and you acknowledge that if the proposal contains any false statements, the County may declare any contract or agreement made as a result of the proposal to be void.

Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Authorized Name: ____________________________________Title: _____________________________

Exhibit B: Customer References

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Firm Name: _____________________________________________________________

Authorized Name: _______________________________ Title: ___________________

Authorized Signature: ____________________________ Date: __________________

Exhibit C: Proposal Price:

January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 Hourly Rate January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027 Hourly Rate January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2028

Please include pricing and/or the calculation of any anticipated administrative costs. Such costs may include, for example, mileage at the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate, mail delivery services, travel, parking fees, etc.

I have read, understood, and agreed to the terms and conditions of all contents of this RFP. The undersigned agrees to furnish the service stipulated in the RFP as stated.

Exhibit D: Anti-Collusion Statement

By signing this form, the Bidder agrees that this quote is made without any other understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, corporation, or firm submitting a quote for the same purpose and that the quote is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud, IT IS AGREED BY THE UNDERSIGNED BIDDER, THAT THE SIGNING AND DELIVERY OF THE QUOTE REPRESENTS THE BIDDER'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE FORGOING SPECIFICATIONS AND PROVISIONS, AND IF AWARDED, THIS CONTRACT WILL REPRESENT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BIDDER AND THE COUNTY.

NAME OF FIRM: ______________________________________________________________

[Sign in ink in the space provided below]

SIGNED BY: _________________________________________________________________

TITLE: ______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________

CITY & STATE: _______________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: _________________________________________________________________

Exhibit E: CCC Business Opportunities Registration

Place Holder

See Attached

Attachment A: Addenda Acknowledgement

TO BE RETURNED WITH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP No.: _______________ Title: ________________________________________________

ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Please initial for addendums received)

Company Name: _____________________________________________________________

Contact Name: _______________________________________________________________

Email Address: ____________________________________________ Phone No.: _________

Address:____________________________________________________________________

Authorized Signature: _________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________________________________

Attachment B: CCC General Conditions

Place Holder

See Attached

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