RFP 27-1001, ARFF Organizational Study and Staffing Analysis

The Capital Region Airport Commission is soliciting proposals for a comprehensive organizational study and staffing analysis of the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Department at Richmond International Airport, with proposals due October 6, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

The scope encompasses assessment of the ARFF Department's organizational structure, staffing and shift coverage, supervisory structure, position classifications, regulatory compliance, facilities, vehicles, equipment, operational technology, policies, training, certifications, and integration with the Airport's Safety Management System. The consultant must conduct peer-airport benchmarking against approximately eight to twelve comparable 14 CFR Part 139 airports, develop quantitative staffing models with cost analysis, evaluate fleet and equipment lifecycles, assess training and certification protocols, and deliver prioritized recommendations with an implementation roadmap. Deliverables include a project management plan, existing conditions memorandum, peer-airport benchmarking matrix, quantitative staffing model in editable Excel format, draft and final reports, executive summary slide deck in PowerPoint, and supporting data files.

The period of performance is approximately six months from Notice to Proceed, with the draft report expected approximately sixteen weeks and the final report approximately twenty weeks thereafter. The RFP is not funded through the Airport Improvement Program and carries no DBE participation goals, though the Commission encourages voluntary good faith efforts to include disadvantaged business enterprises and small business concerns. The consultant must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, automobile liability, professional liability, cyber liability, commercial general liability, and excess liability with minimum limits of $1 million to $5 million depending on coverage type and assign all rights, title, and interest in deliverables to the Commission.

Evaluation criteria are technical approach and methodology (30 points), firm qualifications and relevant experience (25 points), key personnel qualifications and availability (20 points), project schedule and management (10 points), and cost proposal and overall value (15 points). Questions are due September 22, 2026, with agency responses due September 25. An optional pre-proposal conference and site visit is scheduled for September 16, 2026 at Richmond International Airport.