S-26000-00016473 Request for Information.pdf

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this RFI may be made available in alternate formats such as Braille, large print, audiotape, oral presentation, and computer disk. To request an alternate format call the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal, (503) 378-3473.

STATE OF OREGON

COVER PAGE

OREGON DEPARTMENT THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL

Request for Information (RFI)

Date of Issue: May 1, 2026

Closing Date: June 5, 2026

Single Point of Contact (SPC): Philip Hofmann

Address: 3991 Fairview Industrial Drive SE

City, State, Zip Salem, Oregon 97302

Phone (voice) (503) 910-4329

E-mail: philip.a.hofmann@osfm.oregon.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION 3

1.1 INTRODUCTION 3

1.2 SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPC) 3

SECTION 2: OVERVIEW 3

2.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS 3

2.2 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 3

2.3 TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED 4

SECTION 3: RFI PROCESS/ RFI SCHEDULE 5

3.1 PUBLIC NOTICE 5

3.2 SCHEDULE 5

3.3 QUESTIONS 5

3.4 RESPONDENT INFORMATION SHEET 5

3.5 DELIVERY OPTIONS 5

3.6 RESPONSE DUE 5

SECTION 4: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 6

4.1 OWNERSHIP/PERMISSION TO USE MATERIALS 6

4.2 PUBLIC RECORD/CONFIDENTIAL OR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 6

4.3 RESERVATION OF RIGHTS 6

SECTION 5: LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 6

ATTACHMENT A DISCLOSURE EXEMPTION AFFIDAVIT 6

SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The State of Oregon, acting by and through the Department of the Oregon State Fire Marshal, (“OSFM”), is issuing this Request for Information (“RFI”) to solicit information from entities regarding the creation and application of a Social Survey to build a baseline data set to understand Oregon’s status in adapting to wildfire, including which social science data collection methodologies (“Methodologies”) should be used to conduct the Social Survey. Recommendations for using the resulting data set, to enable progress measurement in community wildfire adaptation work (i.e., change over time) should be included in the Response.

Responses to this RFI will assist in identifying next steps determining industry best practices for both the Methodologies used to collect the data and the application of the data gained via the selected Methodology. The determination may be used to inform a future competitive, or non-competitive, procurement process.

This is not a request for proposals (“RFP”), and it is not a supplier prequalification within the meaning of Oregon Administrative Rule (“OAR”) 125-247-0550(1).

This RFI will not, in itself, result in any kind of contract, nor will it obligate the OSFM to procure goods or services of any kind or from any particular Respondent.

Publication of this RFI allows entities the opportunity to provide information to the

OSFM.

1.2 SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPC)

The SPC for this RFI is identified on the Cover Page, along with the SPC’s contact information. Respondent shall direct all communications related to any provision of the RFI, whether about the technical requirements of the RFI, the RFI process, or any other provision only to the SPC.

SECTION 2: OVERVIEW

2.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this document are defined in OAR 125-246-0110.

For the purposes of this RFI, capitalized words will refer to the following definitions:

Defensible Space - The buffer zone between a structure and the surrounding wildland area, crucial for slowing or stopping wildfire spread and protecting homes from embers and flames.

Fire Adapted Oregon - A program by the Oregon State Fire Marshal aimed at enhancing community resilience to wildfires through education, collaboration, and proactive risk reduction strategies

Gap Analysis - A strategic tool used to identify the difference between an organization’s current state and its desired future state, helping to create actionable plans to bridge that gap.

Home Hardening - The process of fortifying a home and its surroundings to resist ignition from wildfires, embers, and radiant heat.

Social Survey - A systematic method of collecting information about the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of a population to analyze social conditions and inform research or policy

Survey Fatigue - The phenomenon where respondents lose interest or motivation to complete surveys, leading to lower response rates and less reliable data

2.2. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The mission of the OSFM is to protect people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. To support that mission, the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction (“CWRR”) Unit with the OSFM, is conducting market research to determine options for building baseline data to understand Oregon’s readiness for wildfire resilience through social science.

While the OSFM currently collects a variety of data points connected to Oregon’s readiness for wildfire resilience, the goal of this project is to create baseline date specifically tied to readiness. The baseline data will not only guide the application of funds for Defensible Space, Home Hardening, and other CWRR efforts across the state of Oregon, but the baseline data will also be used to judge the effectiveness and overall success of the funds expended.

The potential audiences for the survey may include, but are not limited to:

o The general public o Contractors and other businesses

▪ (Examples: builders specializing in home hardening, landscaping, tree services, real estate agents, and insurance industry professionals) o Fire service personnel o Recipients of OSFM, other state agency, or federal, Grants o Wildfire mitigation and resilience practitioners

▪ (Examples: emergency managers, mitigation specialists) o Key Community Based Organization (“CBO”) partners

▪ (Examples: local nonprofits, neighborhood associations) o Representatives from the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon

The data points, information, or both, that the OSFM is considering collection include:

o The level of preparedness actions taken by the respondent

▪ For example, defensible space, evacuation planning, home hardening or community engagement o Awareness and concern about wildfire risk across Oregon o The general perceptions of wildfire potential in the area local to the respondent o The respondent’s prior experience with wildfire o The level of understanding of how wildfires ignite structures across Oregon o the level of understanding of mitigation strategies and actions taken across Oregon o Each respondent’s relative comfort in assessing risks to property from wildfire o The level of understanding of personal preparedness strategies (alerting, evacuation preparedness, etc.) along with actions taken for each respondent o The opinion of each respondent on community engagement or partnership building activities at any scale (neighborhood and up) o Actual, or potential, barriers to action across Oregon o The level of awareness of state efforts for wildfire resilience for both respondents and

Oregon as a whole o The level of recognition of the Fire Adapted Oregon initiative across Oregon o Messaging awareness, and effectiveness, across Oregon o The level of engagement with state-level and local level efforts from the perspective of both respondents and Oregon as a whole o The level of support received from state-level agencies in terms of mitigation strategies and actions taken across Oregon o The location of each respondent o Select demographic information for each respondent o What organizations typically provide a meaningful response to surveys similar to the proposed Social Survey o Which types of organizations are seen as trusted messengers for this type of survey

The OSFM will also need to conduct a Gap Analysis to assist in identifying:

o Traditionally underserved or overlooked demographical groups knowledge and interest of, actions taken concerning, and barriers to, mitigation strategies and actions taken across

Oregon o Community and individual scale barriers to empowerment and engagement o Opportunities for investments to address, in terms of overcoming barriers, the following areas:

o Financial barriers o Staff capacity o Systems building o Information sources and messages that would resonate with specific audiences, including:

o What sources of information may be traditionally overlooked o What key audiences are overlooked due to the information sources and messaging o Which cultural, or geographically based, audiences are often not considered due to information sources and messaging not aligning to the audience

2.3. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AND DETAILS

2.3.1. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

The maximum page length for a submitted Response is 10 pages (not including a one-page cover letter).

2.3.2. TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED

The Response to this RFI should be focused on industry best practices for meeting the project goals list in Section 2.2 of this RFI. In addition to industry best practices, the Response to this RFI should address the following questions:

1. How Social Surveys for wildfire resilience and readiness differ from other Social Surveys

2. How to create, and implement, a Social Survey to develop baseline data that is also forward facing to allow for follow-up surveys to be conducted to gauge effectiveness of programming

3. Recommendations, best practices, or both, for gaining meaningful responses rates to a Social Survey, from communities across Oregon, while reducing the risk of Survey Fatigue

4. Recommendations, best practices, or both, for gaining meaningful responses rates to a Social Survey from traditionally underserved communities and the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon

SECTION 3: RFI PROCESS/ RFI SCHEDULE

3.1 PUBLIC NOTICE

The RFI, including all Addenda and attachments, is published on OregonBuys at https://oregonbuys.gov/bso.

3.2 SCHEDULE

The table below represents a tentative schedule of events. All times are listed in Pacific Time (“PST”). All dates listed are subject to change.

Event Date/ Time

RFI Issued May 1, 2026, at 2:00 PM

Question Submission Deadline May 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM

Answers to Question Posted to OregonBuys (anticipated date and time)

May 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM

Closing (Responses Due) June 5, 2026, at 4:00 PM

3.3 QUESTIONS

All inquiries, whether relating to the RFI process, administration, deadline, or to the intent or technical aspects of the RFI must be sent electronically to the SPC identified on the Cover Page by the date and time listed in Section 3.2. Reference the RFI name and number. Include your entity name and contact information.

3.4 DELIVERY OPTIONS

Only email delivery of the Response document will be accepted. Submissions must be emailed to the SPC by the Closing Date listed in Section 3.2 of this RFI. Hard copy responses will not be accepted for this RFI.

To ensure delivery, the total combined size of the Response document should be compressed so it does not exceed 10 megabytes for electronic submittal.

3.5 RESPONSE DUE

Respondent is solely responsible for ensuring its Response is received by the SPC in accordance with the RFI requirements before Closing. The OSFM is not responsible for any delays in mail or by common carriers or by transmission errors or delays or mistaken delivery.

SECTION 4: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

4.1 OWNERSHIP/PERMISSION TO USE MATERIALS

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/assessment/Pages/RFI_RFPs.aspx about:blank

All Responses to this RFI become the Property of the OSFM. By submitting a Response to this RFI, Respondent grants the State a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license for the rights to copy, distribute, display, prepare derivative works of and transmit the Submission solely for the purpose of evaluating the Submission, or as otherwise needed to administer the RFI process, and to fulfill obligations under Oregon Public Records Law (Oregon Revised Statute (“ORS”) 192.311 through 192.478).

4.2 PUBLIC RECORD/CONFIDENTIAL OR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

If a Respondent believes that any portion of its Response contains any information that is a trade secret under ORS Chapter 192.501(2) or otherwise is exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), Respondent shall complete and submit the Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment A) and a fully redacted version of its Response.

Respondent is cautioned that cost information generally is not considered a trade secret under Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478) and identifying the Response, in whole, as exempt from disclosure is not acceptable. The OSFM advises each Respondent to consult with its own legal counsel regarding disclosure issues.

If Respondent fails to identify the portions of the Response that Respondent claims are exempt from disclosure, Respondent has waived any future claim of non-disclosure of that information.

4.3 RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

This RFI is not a request or authorization to perform work at the OSFM’s expense.

Any work a Respondent performs in response to this RFI is at the Respondent’s own discretion and expense; the OSFM will not be obligated for any Respondent costs related to this RFI.

This RFI does not represent a commitment to purchase or lease any product. Submission of a Response constitutes acknowledgement that the Respondent has read and agrees to be bound by such terms.

Respondents are not required to respond to this RFI to be considered for any future opportunities.

SECTION 5: LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A DISCLOSURE EXEMPTION AFFIDAVIT