DATE: September 10, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Edward Hill, Chief Operating Officer/ Interim Director of Internal Services/ Chief Information Officer
David Luchini, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc. for WebEOC Support
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirements under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc., as it is the only authorized provider of WebEOC support and system updates; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc. for the purchase, installation, training, and maintenance of WebEOC, an Electronic Crisis Management System, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $354,626.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will provide the Department of Public Health’s - Office of Emergency Services (OES) with a system that allows real-time information sharing between agencies during an emergency event. The County has used the WebEOC system since 2012, and this agreement will provide for the continued maintenance and support for the WebEOC system. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, OES would perform its emergency management functions without the capabilities of a crisis management system.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under AP 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted, due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as ESi Acquisitions, Inc. (ESi), as the proprietor of the software, is the only authorized provider of WebEOC support and upgrades. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division (ISD-Purchasing) concurs with the request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The recommended agreement will be funded with California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) emergency preparedness grants. The maximum compensation for the term of the agreement is $354,626 and includes the maximum of $32,239 for additional services fees, such as training, system development, additional licenses, and the option to enhance the system for an offsite backup. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Public Health Org 5620 FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget, and ongoing maintenance and other associated costs will be included in future budget requests for the duration of the contract term.
DISCUSSION:
The Fresno County Operational Area (OA) is comprised of all local government agencies within the County boundaries, including county departments, 15 incorporated cities, 32 school districts, and 116 special districts. During a disaster, the County serves as the lead organization within the OA and facilitates the coordination of resource requests between local jurisdictions and the State. The OA also serves as the main communication and coordination link between Cal OES and local emergency operations centers. Events that may necessitate the OA to open the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and conduct emergency management activities include floods, wildfires, earthquakes, severe weather, terrorist activities, and medical epidemics. OES manages emergency operations at the EOC where information on overall emergency priorities and policies are developed and disseminated to various sections and agencies.
The WebEOC crisis information management system provides a solution to these challenges, as the primary purpose of the system is to enhance communication and coordination across emergency management functions, and amongst jurisdictions within the OA with Cal OES. WebEOC provides the capability to accurately document the County’s response to disaster events. The recommended agreement with ESi will provide information and resource tracking, situation analysis, communication, and dissemination of information during an emergency.
The recommended agreement will have a three-year base term with two optional one-year extensions. The maximum compensation for the entire potential five-year agreement will not exceed $354,626.
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Public Health to enter into a new agreement with ESi to provide support and upgrades for the WebEOC system.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc. for WebEOC Support
CAO ANALYST:
Ahla Yang