Purpose/Background

This is the seventh year this RFP has been issued by Boulder County for forestry contractors to be included on the Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors List to bid on and complete defensible space and zone 3 hazardous fuel reduction projects for participating homeowners. Every year new contractors have been added to the list. There are typically between 8-12 contractors on the list.

From 2015 to 2020, Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors completed 733 defensible space jobs totaling $1.8 million with Wildfire Partners Financial Awards equaling $1.1 million and the difference paid by homeowners. In 2014, Wildfire Partners provided refunds directly to participants instead of paying for a portion of their Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractor expenses. As a result, 2014 defensible space work is not included in the above totals. In addition, some residents hire Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors to complete work that is not associated with a Wildfire Partners Financial Award, this work is also not included in these totals.

Launched in 2014, Wildfire Partners is a nationally recognized, collaborative program to reduce wildfire risk. Homeowners, with the assistance from Wildfire Partners, work to better protect their homes by actively creating and maintaining defensible space and reducing the ignition potential of their structures. The program has been funded in the past by participating homeowners, Boulder County, a $1.5 million grant from the Colorado State Forest Service, and a $1.1 million grant from FEMA. In 2019, Boulder County received a $1.2 million PDM grant from FEMA. Boulder County is issuing this Request for Proposals to help implement Wildfire Partners.

Homeowners apply to join the program. Applications that meet all program criteria are accepted into the program if funding is available. Over 2,400 homeowners are currently in the program. Wildfire Partners offers motivated homeowners many benefits:

• A comprehensive, on-site, wildfire home assessment with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
• A Wildfire Partners Assessment Report that identifies the weak links in a home’s defenses and specific mitigation measures to be undertaken.
• Wildfire Partners Financial Awards to subsidize the cost of hiring a Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractor
• Free access to Wildfire Partners Phone Advisors
• Follow up visits and inspections with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
• For homeowners who pass their inspections, a Wildfire Partners Certificate, yard sign and letter stating that they have performed mitigation

Homeowners are required to actively participate in their home assessments so that they learn the principles and science of wildfire mitigation. Homeowners provide essential input to the Wildfire Mitigation Specialists as they mark vegetation for removal as part of the program. The specialists use an iPad assessment app to gather information, take photographs and evaluate 50 mitigation related questions grouped into 10 different categories (i.e., roofs, decks, zone 1, emergency preparedness). Following the assessment, the homeowner receives a customized report containing a Mitigation Checklist with their photos of items requiring mitigation. Homeowners obtain and select bids from the Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors (partially funded by a financial award) and the Wildfire Partners Handyman/Handywoman and Home Retrofit Contractors (not supported by a financial award) to complete the work identified on their Mitigation Checklist. Wildfire Phone Advisors, along with the Mitigation Specialists, help homeowners navigate their individual steps in the process. To learn more about Wildfire Partners, visit www.WildfirePartners.org.

Specifications and a sample contract with a FEMA specific addendum are attached. The successful proposer shall execute the attached addendum as part of any contract with the county, and comply with all FEMA requirements set forth in that addendum.

Written Inquiries

All inquiries regarding this RFP will be submitted via email to the Boulder County Purchasing Office at purchasing@bouldercounty.org on or before 2:00 p.m. February 16, 2021. A response from the county to all inquiries will be posted and sent via email no later than February 18, 2021.

Please do not contact any other county department or personnel with questions or for information regarding this solicitation.

Submittal Instructions

Submittals are due at the email box only, listed below, for time and date recording on or before 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time on February 25, 2021.

RFP #7208-21

The attached addendum supersedes the original Information and Specifications regarding RFP # 7208-21 where it adds to, deletes from, clarifies or otherwise modifies. All other conditions and any previous addendums shall remain unchanged.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, BIDS will only be accepted electronically by emailing purchasing@bouldercounty.org.

RFP #7208-21 Addendum 1