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Home My WebLink AboutFCS-13-099 - E13-035 - Consultant Serv - Fire Master Plna REPORT TO:Committee of the Whole DATE OF MEETING: 2013-06-10 SUBMITTED BY: Larry Gordon, Director of Supply Services, 519-741-2200 ext. 7214 PREPARED BY: Larry Gordon, Director of Supply Services, 519-741-2200 ext. 7214 WARD(S) INVOLVED: N/A DATE OF REPORT: 2013-06-04 REPORT NO.: FCS-13-099 SUBJECT: E13-035 Consultant Services – Five (5) Year Fire Master Plan RECOMMENDATION: That Expression of Interest E13-035 – Consultant Services – Five (5) Year Fire Master Plan, be Dillon Consulting Limited, Kitchener, Ontario awarded to at their estimated fee of $75,800., plus H.S.T. of $9,854., for a total of $85,654., based on a satisfactory contract being negotiated and an upset fee being established. BACKGROUND: Master plans are common in most Fire Departments across North America. The Kitchener Fire Department (KFD) last developed a Fire Master Plan in 2004 as a part of the fire accreditation process. The development of that plan did not include any consultation with the public to determine their preference for service levels and their willingness to fund those levels. The master plan is a corporate priority in the 2013 business plan as approved by Council. A new Fire Master Plan will provide the KFD with a detailed, multi-year road map to setting levels of protection in the City based on specific community risks, as well as the need to comply with the legislative requirements of the province. Through the master planning process, the City will engage key stakeholders (including the public) in a thorough review of critical areas within the KFD to identify opportunities to maintain or adjust the level of effectiveness and efficiencies. Given the size and complexity of the KFD, this type of multi-year planning document is essential. With 229 full-time and 1 part-time staff working in 6 different Divisions, the KFD is the largest business unit of the city when measured by FTEs. In 2012, the Department’s annual operating budget was $29,333,721 and its capital budget was $1,267,000. In addition, the Department’s fleet of vehicles is worth approximately $8,500,000. Each year the Fire Department’s annual operating budget makes up approximately 30% of the City’s overall operating budget. 1 viii) - 1 Staff recommend the City engage a consultant with specific experience and expertise in the development of fire master plans in Canada. Utilizing an outside expert will not only facilitate the sharing of best practices and lessons learned from other fire departments, it will also ensure complete objectivity and critical thinking when carrying out the following tasks: an internal and external review of the current program and context; an inclusive, effective stakeholder consultation process (including citizens, City Councillors, fire fighter association) to gauge stakeholder expectations of service delivery and associated costs; a review of best practices and industry standards from other fire departments; exploration of funding model options; investigation of partnership and coordination opportunities to improve collaboration, and; a comprehensive staffing and resourcing review in all functional divisions in the Fire Department. In addition to the tasks noted above, the recommended consultant will utilize their in-house computer modeling capabilities and expert data analysts to analyze a variety of data provided by the City and create a “Community Risk Profile” for Kitchener. This risk profile can then be used to assess current levels of fire protection services provided in specific neighbourhoods and identify where any potential gaps or opportunities exist. The creation of a Community Risk Profile will provide concrete, neighbourhood-based data to the KFD and City Council to better support risk-based decisions in the future. The creation of a Community Risk Profile for the City could not be done by City staff alone. Recommendations included in the fire master plan will fit into foundational pillars such as service delivery, sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and environmental stewardship. REPORT: In accordance with Chapter 170 of the Municipal Code pertaining to the Selection of Professional Services/Consultants, a Consultant’s Review Committee was established consisting of K. Woodcock, Manager of Service Coordination and Improvements, T. Beckett, Fire Chief, M. May, Deputy CAO, Community Services, G. Mann, Deputy Fire Chief and L. Gordon, Director of Supply Services. Expressions of interest were advertised publicly on the City of Kitchener website and on the internet through the Ontario Public Buyers Association Electronic Tendering Information System relative to this project. Documents were downloaded by twenty (20) interested parties, and by th the closing date of Wednesday April 17, 2013, five (5) responses had been received. th The review committee met on Friday April 26, 2013, to review the submissions and a shortlist of four (4) candidates was selected for further interviews. The Committee met on Monday, May th 13, 2013 to interview the shortlisted candidates. The Committee elected to award the project to Dillon Consulting Limited, Kitchener, Ontario. 1 viii) - 2 The Committee rated consultants on the following criteria: Qualifications/Expertise in: fire department master plans, community facilitation, policy and funding models, analytical expertise; experience with the non-profit and municipal sectors; understanding of the fire departments and their role within a municipal context Comparable work completed and comments from references Evaluation of the proposed Project Manager Fee Structure Project Plan Proposed Project Team Effect of Interview Cost of Consultant’s Fees Variety & Quality of Disciplines In House/In Consortium Effectiveness of Work Plan A listing of the responding parties follows for your reference: Dillon Consulting Limited Kitchener ON Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) Wilsonville ON MMM Group Limited Thornhill ON Nadine International Inc. Mississauga ON Pomax Consulting Inc. London ON ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: 1. Theme: Quality of Life Strategic Direction: Ensure public safety in building safe and thriving neighbourhoods 2. Theme: Financial Management, Effective and Efficient Government Direction: Ensure responsible use of public funds within a supportive policy framework 1 viii) - 3 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The net cost for this expression of interest (A), is fair and reasonable for a project of this scope and the upset limit is within the budget allowance (B) provided within the budget. Funding for this project is included within the approved capital budget. The estimated surplus (D) will remain within the account to fund future phases of the project. Financial Summary for Expression of Interest E13-035 Fire Master Plan Internal Order 59500154 Fire Provincial Grant Estimated Cost Expression of Interest E13-035 costs, including HST 85,654.00 less: HST rebate on tender (8,519.92) A Net Cost Being Awarded 77,134.08 Projected Costs - C Total Estimated Cost for this EOI 77,134.08 B Budget for this EOI 80,000.00 D Estimated Surplus/(Deficit) (B - C) 2,865.92 Surplus to be retained for use in later phases of work. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Potential vendors are informed of bid opportunities through the public posting of bid documents as outlined in the City’s Purchasing By-Law. Vendors, local media and the general public are informed of purchasing recommendations to Council through the public reports which are included with the Council agenda the week prior to the Council meeting. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Michael Goldrup, Acting Deputy CAO, Finance and Corporate Services 1 viii) - 4