Towing_Services_for_Pierce_County_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-094

TOWING SERVICES FOR PIERCE COUNTY

Pierce County

1501 Market St, Suite 420

Tacoma, WA 98402

RELEASE DATE: August 31, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: September 16, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: September 30, 2026, 1:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/piercecountywa https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

Pierce County

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Towing Services for Pierce County

1. Introduction

2. Pierce County's eProcurement System

3. Summary

4. Objective/Scope of Work

5. Minimum Qualifications

6. Anticipated Contract Details and Expectations

7. Definitions

8. ADA

9. General Information for Proposers

10. RFP Coordinator

11. Timeline

12. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

13. Questions and Answers

14. Submission of Proposals

15. Public Records and Proprietary Material

16. Revisions to the RFP

17. Responsiveness

18. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

19. Costs to Prepare Proposal

20. No Obligation to Contract

21. Rejection of Proposals

22. Most Favorable Terms

23. Concern Resolution Process

24. Cooperative Purchasing

25. Title VI Compliance

26. RFP Questionnaire

27. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions .

28. Evaluation and Scoring

29. Evaluation Process

30. Proposal Scoring Method

31. Scoring Criteria

32. Notification to Proposers

33. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-094 Title: Towing Services for Pierce County

34. Protest Procedure

Attachments:

A - Sample Professional Service Agreemen

1. Introduction

1.1. Pierce County's eProcurement System

Welcome to Pierce County's eProcurement System. This system is inclusive to the procurement process, including submission of any questions and/or clarifications, the release of any addenda/notices, and submission of proposals. It is strongly encouraged that organizations responding to any procurement first read the entire procurement, paying close attention to the timelines, scope of work, eligibility, submission requirements, and specifically to the questionnaire section, which may include required attachments (when applicable), and ask for any clarifications regarding content and instructions early in the process.

1.2. Summary

Pierce County requires County-wide towing contract to ensure timely, reliable, and cost-effective towing, removing, storage and recovery services for County-owned operated fleet vehicles and Pierce County Sheriff

Office requested tows from various locations in Pierce County and those cities under contract for law enforcement services with Pierce County Sheriffs Office.

1.3. Objective/Scope of Work

1.3.1. Description of Solicited Services

Contractor will provide On-Call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays tow services, recovery, secured storage services (if applicable) and roadside assistance for Pierce County to include Pierce

County Sheriff's Office. Contractor shall furnish all equipment, materials, labor and personnel for towing services. Tow company must be able to respond within 20 minutes after they have been dispatched to respond from Pierce County representative or dispatched through South Sound 911 for Pierce County

Sheriff's Office. All services will include but not limited to the following;

A. Clearing motor vehicle accidents.

1. removal of debris, glass, gas, hazardous material, vehicle parts, etc.

B. Towing abandoned vehicles.

C. Evidence Tow (if applicable)

D. Traffic Safety and Code Enforcement tow

E. Roadside assistance for Pierce County vehicles

F. Towing Services for Pierce County Fleet as needed

G. Towing requests for vehicles in Pierce County Parking lots

H. Contractor will respond with a tow truck of the fleet classification required to tow the vehicle specified.

I. Before towing, tow operator shall check the following

1. Verify License number

2. Verify vehicle ID number

3. Verify Year, Make, and body style of vehicle if applicable.

J. Contractor shall provide, at its own expense, all notices and services necessary to dispose of unclaimed vehicles and property in the manner provided by law

K. Contractor shall wear professional attire consistent with the job function and clear identification for the company they work for. Attire should include safety equipment and reflective vest.

L. All Employees of Contractor will be qualified, competent, skilled, in the performance of the special work they are assigned to for this project. Contractor will ensure all employees and subcontractors do not have any prior felony convictions. Contractor and subcontractor employees must successfully pass Pierce County Sheriff's Office background check.

M. Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.

N. Contractor will be in good standing with the Washington Tow Truck Association.

O. Contractor is encouraged to receive training from the Washington Tow Truck Association

P. Contractor shall maintain two-way communication equipment and services between Contracts dispatch office and each tow truck used to impound vehicles.

Q. Personal belongings from a vehicle shall be available for the owner to pick up as required pursuant to WA State laws.

1.3.2. Secured Vehicle Storage for Sheriffs Office

A. Maintain knowledge of and comply with all federal, state and city laws and ordinances that pertain to the operation of the vehicle storage facility.

B. Be knowledgeable of applicable laws relating to vehicle titles and the language of court orders.

C. Be knowledgeable of all laws and procedures that pertain to the storage, release and sale of stored vehicles.

D. Provide fenced and secure storage for vehicles.

E. Any vehicle towed, stored, and marked “hold”, relative to a criminal investigation shall be handled with gloves, i.e. cloth, rubber or leather, by the Contractor, unless otherwise authorized by Pierce County Sheriff personnel. Vehicles held for criminal investigation will be stored to prevent physical contamination or degradable evidence from deteriorating by coverage of the vehicles with tarpaulin type covers, or their equivalent, or by storage in a covered facility.

F. Segregate all Pierce County vehicles from all other vehicles, and vehicles are to be fully accessible. All vehicles impounded under the authority of the Pierce County are to be fully accessible 24/7 to all authorized personnel employed by the County.

G. Impound vehicles twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.

H. Provide Pierce County Sheriff's Office personnel access to the secured vehicle storage at all times.

I. Send proper notices in compliance with all laws by certified mail to owners and/or lien holders, as required, of said vehicles within five (5) days of receiving the vehicle.

J. Require proper documentation from owner(s) or their representative, to include valid government photo identification card/driver’s license, proof of ownership and proof of insurance. Require proof of vehicle owner’s authority when releasing vehicle to the owner(s) representative.

K. Cooperate with Pierce County Sheriff's Office with respect to any vehicles to be held and/or impounded and any other aspects of the operations.

L. Provide individuals who are attempting to claim vehicles with an escort to the vehicle, when needed, for the purposes of obtaining ownership documentation located inside the vehicle.

M. Verify through the County a “hold” status prior to allowing access to or releasing vehicles / property in which a “hold” has been placed.

N. Resolve disputes with vehicle owners.

1.3.3. Equipment

A. Contractor must provide assigned personnel with any and all necessary equipment to complete the required scope of work. Contractor will be responsible for any work required to render a disabled vehicle suitable for towing such as retrieval, up righting, split loads, and removal of drive shafts. If drive shafts are removed, they must be reinstalled upon arrival at destination.

B. Contractor shall display the company’s name, address and telephone number painted on or otherwise permanently affixed to each Tow Vehicle.

C. Tow Vehicles and Equipment must be in good mechanical condition and shall be subject to inspection during the term of the Agreement.

1.3.4. Hazardous Equipment

For incidents involving hazardous materials (HAZMAT), the Contractor must ensure that a qualified

HAZMAT responder is on-call and available to arrive on-site within sixty (60) minutes of notification. The

Contractor will be responsible for the proper storage and disposal of any hazardous materials in accordance with all environmental laws and regulations. The Pierce County will not be held responsible.

1.3.5. Vehicle Recovery Billing

For Vehicle Recovery services performed the Contractor must bill the citizen(s) directly. Vehicle(s) will not be released from the County's impoundment until payment is confirmed The Contractor is responsible for all associated credit card processing fees.

1.3.6. Reporting

Provide Monthly accounting reports to Pierce County Fleet and Pierce County Sheriff's Office, depending on who made the request to include the following;

A. The number of vehicles towed at the request of Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

B. The number of Pierce County owned vehicles towed.

C. A comprehensive list of vehicles impounded at the request of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

D. Location where vehicles are towed.

E. Reason for tow

F. Date/Time of tow

G. Origin of vehicle

1.3.7. Schedule

The Contractor shall provide continuous towing and roadside assistance services twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, three hundred sixty-five (365) days per year, including all holidays. Standard service requests shall be fulfilled during normal business hours, defined as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, excluding County-recognized holidays.

Emergency, after-hours, and high-priority service requests shall be supported outside of standard business hours with on-call dispatch and response capability.

The Contractor shall maintain a centralized dispatch system capable of receiving service requests via telephone and electronic means and shall meet contractually defined response time standards for both routine and emergency calls across all Pierce service areas.

1.4. Minimum Qualifications

1.4.1. Proposer Eligibility

Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.

• Contractor and subcontractors must have a valid Towing License to operate in Pierce County and according to the Washington State Towing License requirements as a Registered Tow Truck

Operator (RTTO) in Washington State. https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/registered-tow-truck-operators-rtto

• All vehicles must be registered.

• All drivers must possess a valid driver’s license with the appropriate Commercial Driver’s License

(CDL) endorsement as applicable.

• Contractor must have a valid Hazardous Materials License https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/registered-tow-truck-operators-rtto https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/registered-tow-truck-operators-rtto

1.5. Anticipated Contract Details and Expectations

1.5.1. Term

The initial period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is anticipated to begin on or around November 2026 and end in November 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the County. The County reserves the option to extend contracts for four (4) additional terms of twelve (12) Month each. However, no Contractor will be guaranteed an extension.

1.5.2. Awards

The County may award multiple contracts from this procurement. The County reserves the right to make fewer awards or no awards, based on the quality and scope of proposals received, available funding, and identified service needs.

Additional federal, State, or local funds may become available during the contracting cycle and allocated through this solicitation. Funding may only be awarded for the same scope of services as described in this solicitation. It is important to note, any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. If at any time during the term of the contract the funding relied upon for the contract is reduced, modified, or eliminated, or if the funding terms are modified, Pierce County reserves the right to amend the contract as appropriate or to terminate the contract.

1.6. Definitions

• “Apparently Successful Proposer (ASP)” means a proposer selected as an entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

• "Applicant," "Bidder," and "Proposer" mean an organization, agency or provider that submits a formal response to this procurement.

• "Application," "Bid," or "Proposal" mean a formal response to this solicitation.

• “CFR” means Code of Federal Regulations.

• “Client,” "Participant," "Household," or "Member" means an individual (or individuals) who receives services, or is eligible to receive services, under this procurement.

• “Contractor” means an individual or organization whose proposal has been accepted by the

County and has been awarded a fully executed, written contract.

• “Procurement” means the process by which the County obtains services.

• “Request for Proposal (RFP)” or "Solicitation" means this document and its attachments in which needed goods and/or services are identified and organizations are invited to provide information as to how they propose to meet the County's needs.

• “RCW” means Revised Code of Washington.

• “WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

• "Vehicles" means all instrumentalities capable of moving by means of circular wheels, skids, or runners of any kind, specifically including but not limited to all forms of automotive vehicles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, cars and vans, all forms of trailers or mobile homes of any size whether capable of suppling their own motive power or not, without regard to whether the primary purposed of which instrumentality is or is not conveyance of persons or objects, and specifically, including all such automobiles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, cars, vans, trailers and mobile homes even though they may be at anytime immobilized in any way and for any period of time.

• "Impound" means a removal which is at direction of an authorized representative of Pierce

County, but is at the expense of the private owner, whether the owner is present at the time of removal or not.

• "Investigative Hold" means a removal which is at direction of authorized representative for the

County, or contract cities, from various locations within Pierce County in the course of evidence retrieval and is at County expenses, at the rate agreed upon. It may also include stored storage or removal to County storage, at the direction of Pierce County

• "Impound Fee" shall include all services required to place the vehicle in a position to be towed and to safely and properly tow the vehicle from the location of the impound to the Contractor's primary storage lot, together with storage for the first 24 hours after the Contractors notified the County of the vehicle impoundment. The services provided to private owners are subject to

Washington State Patrol Tow Rate Cap agreements now in effect or hereafter amended, including but not limited to the maximum fee, which may be less than but, shall be no higher that Tow Rate Cap set forth by the Washington State Patrol for the applicable region. The applicable rate shall be the rate in effect at the time the County or private owner authorized the impounding.

Additional Information: Towing Services will require Class A, B, C and E tow truck capabilities as defined in Chapter 204-91A WAC. Towing will mean the use of hooks, dolly, flat bed, or any means necessary to provide safe transportation of the vehicle at the quoted rate.

1.7. ADA

The County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bidders should contact the RFP

Coordinator to request an accommodation.

2. General Information for Proposers

2.1. RFP Coordinator

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the County for this procurement. All communications between the Proposer and the County upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator.

Stephanie Browning

Procurement and Contract Specialist 2

Email: stephanie.browning@piercecountywa.gov

Phone: (253) 798-7796

Department:

Procurement and Contract Services

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the County. Proposers are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

2.2. Timeline

Proposal Release Date: August 31, 2026

Question Submission & Concern Resolution

Request Deadline:

September 16, 2026, 4:30pm

Proposal Submission Deadline: September 30, 2026, 1:00pm

Evaluation Process Completion: Approximately six weeks after proposal submission deadline.

The County reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

2.3. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

PROPOSERS WHO REGISTER AND DOWNLOAD RFP DOCUMENTS will be automatically added to the

FOLLOWERS' list in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notifications for solicitation updates, addendum and other procurement information will be sent to all who register on the Pierce County eProcurement

Portal.

2.4. Questions and Answers

Proposers may submit questions through the County's eProcurement Portal, under the Question &

Answer Section, no later than 4:30 pm on the date set forth in Section 2.2. Proposers must be registered in the eProcurement Portal software to submit questions, receive addendums and notifications, and ultimately submit a proposal. Proposers may only rely on written statements issued by the County. Any oral communications are unofficial and are not binding on the County.

2.5. Submission of Proposals

2.5.1. Deadline

The proposal must be received by the time/date as indicated in Section 2.2.

2.5.2. Attachments

Follow instructions carefully - if attachments are provided under this solicitation, they are to be utilized as part of the proposal - do not replace or use the organization's own format, as the proposal may be deemed "non-responsive" or "not eligible."

2.5.3. Instructions

All proposals are evaluated on the completeness and quality of the content. Only those Proposers providing complete information as required will be considered for evaluation. The County will not contact the organization for correction of proposals and Proposers are strongly encouraged to carefully review their proposals for completeness and accuracy before submitting. For proposals to be considered responsive and move to the review process, the Proposer must, under Section 3, RFP Questionnaire:

• Acknowledge all required “confirmations.”

• Complete all required attachments, to include uploading any supplemental documents requested in attachments; and

2.5.4. Additional Resources/Helps

This section provides a curated list of help articles addressing common questions and challenges proposers may encounter during the Request for Proposal process. The resources below are intended to offer clear guidance, practical solutions, and relevant information to support a smooth and successful submission. Proposers are encouraged to review these materials as needed to better understand requirements, resolve issues, and navigate the process with confidence.

• Vendor Registration

• Following a Project

• Getting Started with Subscriptions

• How to Submit a Question in OpenGov

• How to Submit a Proposal Response in OpenGov

• How to Edit or Withdraw a Proposal after Submission in OpenGov

2.5.5. Electronic Submissions Only

https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/dceacbcf-203c-4b0d-aa57-550043bb0dc0 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/82615c2a-a6e1-46ed-9b33-ec542acf013d https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/c7a5affa-e073-4d5a-8d87-b6eadcf343a9 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/12c62371-147b-45f4-9bcd-cf2ce5f58259 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/8e675a48-dad3-4759-9bae-6b4cb7970d21 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/4f4218bf-7da6-4fc6-b0c3-7eade0776ebe

Only electronic submittal via the County's eProcurement Portal shall be accepted for this procurement.

No hard copies, emails, or fax submittals shall be accepted. The accepted forms of submitted materials are .pdf, png., jpeg., and MS Office formats such as docx. and xlsx.

2.5.6. Addenda & Notices

Proposers must acknowledge and confirm each addendum and notice issued under this solicitation. The system will not allow final submission unless all required confirmations are checked.

2.5.7. No Exceptions for Late Responses

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the County’s e-procurement System, OpenGov. Late responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified. The County assumes no responsibility for delays caused by Proposer's technical related system errors.

2.5.8. County Property

All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the County and will not be returned.

2.6. Public Records and Proprietary Material

• Organizations should be aware that any records they submit to the County or that are used by the County even if the organization possess the records, may be public records under the

Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The County must promptly disclose public records upon request unless a statute exempts them from disclosure. Organizations should also be aware that if even a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, generally, the rest of the record must be disclosed. Exemptions are narrow and specific.

• Organizations should clearly mark any record they believe is exempt from disclosure.

2.7. Revisions to the RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be published in the

County's eProcurement Portal.

All amendments and notifications of cancellation shall be posted in the County's eProcurement Portal. If you did not receive this solicitation via the County’s eProcurement Portal, please register there to receive further notifications.

The County also reserves the right to amend or add to, retract from, or cancel this Procurement at any time, in whole or in part, and without penalty.

In the event of a conflict between amendments or between an amendment and this Solicitation

Document, the document issued latest in time shall control.

2.8. Responsiveness

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this solicitation. The Proposer is specifically notified that the

County may reject or withdraw a proposal at any time as nonresponsive for any of the following reasons:

• Incomplete proposal,

• Failure to comply with any part of this solicitation or any Attachments to this procurement,

• Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.

The County also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities, which are defined as variances which do not provide a proposer an advantage or benefit over other proposers.

2.9. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

The ASP will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the Sample Contract and its General Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit C. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. If a Proposer has a concern regarding a certain General Term & Condition, they can raise the issue per the Questions and Answers section of this solicitation.

2.10. Costs to Prepare Proposal

The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation or interview, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

2.11. No Obligation to Contract

This RFP does not obligate the County to contract for services specified herein.

2.12. Rejection of Proposals

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

2.13. Most Favorable Terms

The County reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the

Proposer can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure.

The ASP should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this

RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the County.

2.14. Concern Resolution Process

This procedure is available to potential Proposers who are contemplating submitting a proposal in response to this RFP. Only Concern Resolution submissions (Submissions) concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

• A claim that the solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.

• A claim the solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed, or

• A claim the solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

Proposers submitting a concern about this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Submissions that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. If a Proposer registers a concern against this solicitation, the issue(s) cannot be raised again during the protest period.

All submissions must be in writing and signed by the submitting party or an authorized Agent. The submission must be sent to the Procurement Coordinator, or designee, and needs to be received no later than 4:30 pm, local time, Tacoma, WA, per Section 2.2 Timeline, and must clearly articulate the basis for the submission. The Proposer submitting a concern must also include a proposed remedy.

Upon receipt of a submission, a submission review will be held by the County. The RFP coordinator will respond to submissions in writing and the Finance & Enterprise Services Department Director will be notified of all submissions and provided a copy of the County’s response. A copy of the response to the submission, including any changes to the solicitation, will also be posted in County's eProcurement

Portal.

The concern resolution process does not include an appeal process.

2.15. Cooperative Purchasing

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperation Act, Ch. 39.34 RCW, authorizes public agencies to cooperatively purchase goods and services if all parties agree. By responding to this RFP, Consultants agree that other public agencies may purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract at their own cost and without Pierce County incurring any financial or legal liability for such purchases.

Pierce County agrees to allow other public agencies to purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract, provided that Pierce County is not held financially or legally liable for purchases and that any public agency purchasing under such procurement or contract file a copy of this invitation and such contract in accordance with RCW 39.34.040.

2.16. Title VI Compliance

Pierce County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to

2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of

Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

3. RFP Questionnaire

3.1. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions

1. Administrative Questions

1.1. Proposer Confirmation*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a false or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a false proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the Proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and Proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a response or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.2. Ownership and Copyright of Submitted Materials*

By submitting a proposal, I agree that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Proposer pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Proposer. The Proposer shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of items submitted to the County in response to this procurement.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.3. Supplemental Attachment Confirmation*

I confirm I have reviewed the content of the following attachments included under this RFP: Sample

Agreement and any other documents as identified as "sample" in the Attachments section and acknowledge I understand and agree to these requirements should my organization receive a contract as a result of this proposal.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.4. Insurance Requirements*

By submitting a proposal, I understand and agree that if awarded funding from this RFP, the organization must be able to meet all insurance requirements based on services being purchased, prior to contract execution, and types of insurances may include, but are not limited to:

• Commercial General Liability Insurance: Required on all contracts. Standard levels are $1M occurrence/$2M aggregate (may be higher/lower, depending on value of contract and type of service).

• Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance: Required when the Contractor uses owned, rented, or leased automobiles to complete the services as required per the contract. Higher coverages may be required for fleet/large passenger vehicles.

• Workers Compensation Insurance: As required by Washington State.

• Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance: If the Contractor provides services such as analysis, consulting, counseling, daycare, legal, medical, nursing, pastoral, medical, or other services that require professional licensing.

• Abuse and Molestation: If the Contractor will be working directly with youth under the age of

18, elderly, disabled or other vulnerable populations.

• Cyber/Privacy and Security Insurance: If the Contractor is doing work that could give the

Contractor access to personal or sensitive information from within the County's network or on the Contractor's personal computer, or lead to breaches of security, leading to a loss of privacy or identity theft.

• Crime/Employee Dishonesty Insurance: If the Contractor is in the custody or control of Pierce

County funds such as cash, credit cards, checks or physical property.

• Other insurance(s) applicable to services being purchased: Such as Excess or Umbrella Liability

Insurance if the contract is in excess of $500,000.

In addition:

• Pierce County shall be named as an "Additional Insured" which must be provided in the insurance endorsement; and

• Insurance requirements also apply to any subcontractors hired by the main Contractor to deliver services, where applicable.

Please see "Exhibit D" in the SAMPLE AGREEMENT under attachments to see full insurance requirements. If you have questions regarding insurance requirements, please submit them through the “Question & Answer” section of the RFP.

☐ Please confirm

1.5. Debarment Certification*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the organization and its principals:

A. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;

B. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

C. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity

(Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and

D. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal had one or more public transactions

(Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

E. Does not employ any person nor contracts with any person or agency excluded from participation in federal health care programs under either 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7 (§§1128 or 1128A

Social Security Act) or debarred or suspended.

By checking the confirmation, I understand that a false statement on this certification may be grounds for rejection of this proposal or termination of any award. In addition, under 18 USC Sec. 1001, a false statement may result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

2. Organization Information

2.1. Authorized Individual*

Please provide the name and title of the individual authorized to execute a contract on behalf of the organization.

*Response required

2.2. Organization Information*

Please provide the legal name, any d/b/a names, years in business, local address, billing address if different, email address, and phone number of the organization making the proposal.

*Response required

2.3. Organization Tax ID Number*

Please provide the Employee Identification Number (EIN).

2.4. Organization Contacts*

Please provide the name, phone, and email for:

• Executive Director/CEO/President

• Financial Manager/CFO

• Contract Manager

*Response required

2.5. Washington State Unified Business Identification (UBI) Number*

Please provide the organization's UBI number.

WARNING: Failure to provide a UBI number will be cause for the application to be disqualified from competition.

*Response required

2.6. Does your company only want to provide Non-Sheriff Services?*

If you are providing non-Sheriff services, you will not be evaluated on Secured Vehicle Storage

Operations.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3. Scored Proposal Questions

3.1. Company Qualifications & Compliance (15 Pts)

• Describe your company’s experience providing 24/7 towing, recovery, secured storage (if applicable), and roadside assistance services within Pierce County or similar jurisdictions.

• Confirm your company holds all required licenses, including Washington State Towing License, CDL endorsements for all drivers, and a Hazardous Materials License. Provide documentation.

• Describe your company’s standing with the Washington Tow Truck Association, including membership and training completed.

• Explain your company’s policies and procedures ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local laws related to towing, storage, hazardous materials, and vehicle release.

• Explain your personnel qualification standards, background check processes, required attire, and safety equipment.

3.2. Service Delivery & Response Capability (20 Points)

• Describe your dispatch system and explain how you will meet the required 20-minute response time after dispatch.

• Describe your ability to provide continuous 24/7/365 towing, recovery, roadside assistance, and storage services (if applicable), including holidays and emergencies.

• Describe your communication capabilities between dispatch and tow operators, including two-way communication systems.

• Explain your procedures for verifying license numbers, VIN, make, model, and year before towing.

3.3. Secure Vehicle Storage Operations (10 Points) * Please put NA if not providing this service

• Describe your secured storage facility, including security systems, fencing, access control, and vehicle capacity.

• Describe how evidence or “hold” vehicles will be handled, including glove handling, tarping, covered storage, and contamination prevention.

• Explain your process for sending legally required notifications to owners and lien holders within five days of receiving the vehicle.

• Describe how Pierce County Sheriff’s Office personnel will access impounded vehicles at any time.

• Describe your process for resolving disputes with vehicle owners.

3.4. Equipment & Technical Capability (10 Points)

• Provide a list of all tow trucks in your fleet, including classifications and availability.

• Describe your maintenance and inspection program for tow vehicles and equipment.

• Describe specialty recovery equipment available, including capabilities for complex recoveries and heavy-duty operations.

3.5. Billing, Reporting & Administrative Support (10 Points)

• Describe your vehicle recovery billing process, including billing citizens directly and confirming payment before release.

• Provide an overview of your monthly reporting capabilities for Pierce County Fleet and Pierce

County Sheriff’s Office.

• Describe your centralized dispatch system and ability to receive service requests via telephone and electronic means.

3.6. Pricing Proposal (25 Points)

• Provide complete pricing for standard tow services, including labor, mileage, hookup fees, and recovery fees.

• Provide pricing for specialty recovery services, including heavy-duty, rollover, complex recoveries, split loads, and hazardous material support.

• Provide daily rates for vehicle storage, including standard vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, and evidence/hold vehicles. (if applicable)

• List all administrative or additional fees, including certified mail charges, after-hours release fees, and other applicable costs.

• Provide a clear, complete pricing sheet showing all costs with descriptions for each fee category.

4. Evaluation and Scoring

4.1. Evaluation Process

An Evaluation Committee (EC) will review the bidding documents and evaluate all responses received based upon the criteria listed herein. The County may request clarifications or additional information, if needed. The proposer determined to be most qualified through the initial evaluation phase may be interviewed and the final determination will also consider reference checks and interviews.

The County intends to select the Contractor most qualified for this pursuit/solicitation and begin the negotiation and award process based on the requirements of this solicitation.

Selected Proposer(s) will be invited to enter into contract negotiations with the County. Should the

County and the selected proposer not reach a mutual agreement, the County will terminate negotiations and move to the next ranked contractor and proceed with negotiations. A Proposer’s inability to agree to the terms of the County’s standard contract may be a basis for the County to terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with one or more other Contractors.

4.2. Proposal Scoring Method

Each evaluator will score the Proposals separately. The scores of all the evaluators will be averaged to determine the Proposer’s score.

The County reserves the right to award the contract to any organization or combination of organizations whose proposal(s), in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

4.3. Scoring Criteria

Points Available - Initial Evaluation:

Point Available - Interview:

Point Available - Executive Review:

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and Compliance Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

2. Service Delivery and Response Capability Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

3. Secured Vehicle Storage Operations

*This section will not be scored if indicated submission is for non-Sheriff services

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

4. Equipment and Technical Capability Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

5. Billing, Reporting and Administrative Support Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

6. Pricing Proposal Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

7. Proposal Quality

Organization, completeness and clarify

Points Based 5 (5% of Total)

4.4. Notification to Proposers

The County will notify all proposers of the outcome of their proposal in writing upon completion of the evaluation process.

4.5. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

Any Proposer, who was not disqualified, who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected as an ASP may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the Procurement Coordinator within 5 days of having been notified that they were not selected.

Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:

• Evaluation and scoring of the Proposal.

• Critique of the requesting Proposer’s Proposal based on the comments made by the Application

Evaluation Committee or individual comments made by an evaluator; and

• Review of Proposer’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other firms.

Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or remotely and will be scheduled for a maximum of one (1) hour.

4.6. Protest Procedure

Protests may be made only by Proposers or authorized representative of a Proposer who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file with the

Procurement Coordinator a protest of the award decision. Protests must be received by the

Procurement Coordinator no later than 3:30 PM, local time in Tacoma, Washington on the fifth business day following the debriefing. Protests must be in writing, addressed to the Procurement Coordinator, and submitted by email to PCPURCHASING@piercecountywa.gov. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included.

Protests that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement.

mailto:PCPURCHASING@piercecountywa.gov

Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

• A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator.

• Errors in computing the score.

• Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or County policy.

Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or 2) County’s assessment of its own needs or requirements.

Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by the County. The Finance & Enterprise

Services Department Director or an employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the procurement will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision within five (5) business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay.

In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Proposer who also submitted a proposal, such

Proposer will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the Procurement Coordinator.

The final determination of the protest shall:

• Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold the County’s action; or

• Find only technical or harmless errors in County’s procurement process and determine County to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; or

• Find merit in the protest and provide the County options which may include:

o Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals, and/or o Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process, or o Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.

If a protest is filed, the County will wait to execute the contract until a final determination on the protest is made.