Emergency Management Training and Exercise

The City of Lake Forest is seeking proposals from qualified professional consultants to develop and implement a comprehensive Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program. This program aims to enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of city employees with a focus on incident response, emergency operations center functions and all-hazards preparedness, including wildfires, earthquakes, cybersecurity attacks and other threats. All exercise and training must be conducted in person.

Background

About the City

The City of Lake Forest is located in southern Orange County, California, in the area commonly referred to as the Saddleback Valley, with a population of approximately 85,000. It is the County's thirty-first city and the second largest city within the Saddleback Valley, encompassing 16.6 square miles. The City of Lake Forest's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

The City was incorporated in 1991, operates under the Council/Manager form of government and is considered a contract city. The five members of the City Council are elected by district. They serve staggered four-year terms, with the Mayor being selected annually from among the Council Members. The Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

City Hall is located at 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California 92630. The telephone number is (949) 461-3400, and the fax is (949) 461-3511. The City website address is http://www.lakeforestca.gov.

Project Description

The City is seeking a professional consultant for the Emergency Management Training and Exercise Project.

The services are expected to be completed annually from contract award. The City anticipates awarding a contract with an initial term of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029 with two one-year contract amendment options. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the City, at its sole discretion, will not move forward with the renewal option and shall re-procure the work.

Project Details

Reference ID: 2026-RFP-009
Department: Management Services - Community Outreach, Emergency Management, and Police Services
Department Head: Sean McGovern (Deputy City Manager)

Important Dates

Questions Due: 2026-03-24T00:00:16.800Z
Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-03-17T17:00:33.413Z — Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/21193270952922?p=0YUdGsKlYllalMFZor Meeting ID: 211 932 709 529 22 Passcode: fw7sG72E

Evaluation Criteria

The firm is independent and properly licensed to practice in California. (1 pts)
The firm has no scope conflict with regard to any other work performed by the firm for the City. (1 pts)
The firm adheres to the instructions in this RFP on preparing and submitting the proposal. (1 pts)
The firm included a Letter of Transmittal in the Project Proposal. (1 pts)
Key Personnel (20 pts) —
1. The quality of the firm’s professional personnel assigned to the engagement and the quality of the firm’s management support personnel to be available for technical consultation.
2. References relative to personnel assigned to the engagement.
Project Management/Schedule (15 pts) —
1. Firms allocation of resources to the project and project schedule
2. Project management tools/resources utilized by the firm to ensure accurate and timely delivery of project
Scope of Services (40 pts) —
1. Understanding of work to be done and detailed scope of work.
2. Appropriateness of services to the requirements of the City.
3. Distinguishing features, skills and/or services.
Experience (15 pts) —
1. The firm’s past experience and performance on comparable private/government engagements.
  Firm’s statement on why it believes itself to be best qualified.
Proposal Quality (10 pts) —
1. Firm’s thoroughness and accuracy in the proposal document including presentation of information, grammar, spelling, and other errors.
Vendor’s Communication (32 pts) —
1. Ability of firm’s assigned team to clearly communicate information to the Selection Committee
2. Interpersonal communication between firm members and the Selection Committee
3. Vendor team thoroughly and completely answers questions asked by the Selection Committee
Project Understanding (40 pts) —
1. Demonstration of understanding of the project by key personnel
2. Demonstration of relevant experience to RFP requirements beyond the written proposal
Technical Knowledge (32 pts) —
1. Demonstration and communication of technical understanding of the required services related to the project
2. Demonstrate ability to convey technical information without use of jargon or overly specialized language
3. Assigned vendor staff has sufficient subject matter knowledge to complete project
Key Personnel (40 pts) —
1. Communication and interpersonal skills of key personnel including thoroughness in answering questions and demonstration of problem solving skills
2. Attendance of key personnel assigned to the project at the interview
Meeting Preparation (16 pts) —
1. Firm’s preparedness to answer questions and present relevant information
2. Research of the City or the project
3. Adhering to meeting timeline instructions, good time management of interview
Cost Proposal Evaluation (40 pts) —
The Cost Proposal, either the originally submitted proposal or “revised” proposal, is opened for each firm who has received an average score of at least 60 points after the qualitative review and participated in the oral presentation. The Cost Proposal is valued at 40 points for the firm with the lowest responsive cost. The remaining firms will earn a percentage of the 40 available points based on their cost relationship to the lowest cost proposal. This is calculated by dividing the lowest cost proposal by the cost of the proposal being rated, and then multiplying the results by the maximum points. The result is the awarded points. Cost proposals remain confidential and are not disclosed to proposers during the proposal process.
The Purchasing Coordinator calculates the points for the cost proposal which are included in the final point summary provided to the Department Director to recommend a vendor for contract award.

Submission Requirements

Technical Proposal (required) —
Please upload your Technical Proposal WITHOUT ANY cost information.
Cost Proposal (required) —
Please upload your Cost Proposal here.
Proposer Summary Information —
Please complete the following questions to submit key information about your business and relevant to your proposal submission.
Business Name (required) —
Include complete business name including DBA name
Business Firm Parent or Ownership (required) —
Please include the name of the parent company and list any relevant ownership information.
It is also appropriate to list the structure of your business and state of incorporation ( e.g. a California sole-proprietorship, a Minnesota corporation, a Florida Limited Partnership, etc.)
Business Address (required) —
Please include your primary place of business.
Business Telephone Number (required)
Business Fax Number
Number of Years in Existence (required)
Management Contact (required) —
Please provide the full name and title of the person responsible for direct contact with the City and the services required for this Request for Proposals.
Management Contact Email (required)
Management Contact Telephone Number (required)
Management Contact Fax
Project Manager (required) —
Please provide the full name and title of the person responsible for day-to-day services in this Request for Proposals.
Project Manager Email (required)
Project Manager Telephone Number (required)
Project Manager Fax
Types of Services Performed by the Business (required) —
Please provide a brief description for the type of services performed by the business entity.
Confirmation and Certifications —
Please complete the following required certifications below to complete your proposal submission.
Certification of Proposal to the City of Lake Forest (required) —
1. The undersigned hereby submits its proposal and, by doing so, agrees to furnish services to the City in accordance with the Request for Proposal (RFP), dated and issued Monday, March 9, 2026, and to be bound by the terms and conditions of the RFP.

2. This firm has carefully reviewed its proposal and understands and agrees that the City is not responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the proposer and that the proposer is responsible for them.

3. It is understood and agreed that the City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality or irregularity in any proposal received by the City.

4. The proposal includes all of the commentary, figures and data required by the Request for Proposal, dated and issued Monday, March 9, 2026, including any addenda issued thereafter.

5. This firm has carefully read and fully understands all of the items contained in Section titled: General Requirements. This firm agrees to all of the general requirements except for those disclosed by the firm in project proposal, listed on an attachment.

6. The proposal shall be valid for 180 days from the date submitted to the City.
Public Works Contractor Registraiton Certification (required) —
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.
Project Specific vs. Services (required) —
Select the most accurate answer below.
Short Description of Services (required) —
This should be brief and similar to a title of your solicitation. It can be a little more detailed but should be kept BRIEF.
This will be released in the description included on emails inviting vendors to the solicitation. You will be able to edit and add to it in the Introduction Section.
If you are working on a specific project, you may list the project name as well as services.
EXAMPLE
Economic Development Consulting Services for the CCA Feasibility Study
For RFQs, please list the name of the services requested only if projects are not yet known and include "(RFQ)" at the end of your description.
EXAMPLE
Municipal Engineering Services (RFQ) for CIP Projects
Project Name —
Insert name of the project or projects you are soliciting services for.
If a Public Project, please include the Project Number as well.
EXAMPLES
Arbor Access Ramp (PW 2019-17)
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Feasibility Study
Do not provide a response if you are only contracting for general or regularly occurring services not associated with a project.
EXAMPLES OF EXCEPTIONS
Traffic Engineering Maintenance Services
Planning Services
Landscape Maintenance Services for Passive Parks
Type of Services (required) —
Please include the types of services for this project or general services request.
EXAMPLES
Municipal Engineering Services
Traffic Engineering Services
Economic Consulting Services
Financial Auditing Services
Anticipated Contract Duration (required) —
The services are expected to be completed within [INSERT # year(s)] from contract award.
Contract Term Start Date (required) —
The City anticipates awarding a contract with an initial term of [INSERT DATE] to [INSERT DATE].
Please enter the expected START DATE of the resulting contract.
Enter Date in formal format.
If Agreement is to be approved by the City Council, it is usually the date after the City Council Meeting.
Please ensure that there is sufficient time between the date this agreement is drafted and submitted for approval and your projected contract start date. Be realistic with contract start dates; a good rule of thumb is to allow 3-4 weeks to execute the agreement between the time it is drafted and finalized to the time it is executed.
EXAMPLE
Month XX, YYYY
July 1, 2023
Contract Term End Date (required) —
Please enter the expected end date of the resulting contract.
Standard Services Agreement term (Maintenance and Professional Services) is usually 3 years.
EXAMPLE
Month XX, YYYY
June 30, 2024
Additional Year Extension Option (required) —
If the City will have the option to extend the agreement beyond the initial term, please select the number of additional one-year terms.
Standard term is 3 year initial term with 2 optional one-year extensions. Deviations from this should be justified and explained in the comments and ultimately in memo or staff report recommending award.
One year initial term with 2 one-year exceptions is common for short term projects or technical studies.
RFP - Pre-Proposal Meeting (required) —
Will there be a mandatory pre-proposal meeting?
RFP - Is Public Works Registration required for this project? (required) —
Required for all projects or services wherein prevailing wage may apply to any part of the scope of work or services provided.
Pricing table required? (required)
Is Project coming from an Intake or Project Request Form? (required) —
If you are starting a solicitation without going through the Intake Process, please select "No".

Questions & Answers

Q (Functional Exercise duration): For Year 2, what is an the anticipated number of hours for the EOC Functional Exercise (FE)?

A: The total number of hours for the EOC Functional Exercise shall not exceed five (5) hours.

Q (CERT Exercises): CERT FEs (Year 1-3) what is the expected number of hours per exercise?

A: The total number of hours for the CERT Functional Exercise shall not exceed five (5) hours.

Q (No subject): Is the Elected Officials and City Staff training anticipated to be updated yearly for delivery, or will content remain largely the same with minor updates only made to reflect operational changes?

A: The Elected Official and City Staff training should be updated annually and should include any operational changes.

Q (No subject): Please confirm that all training and exercises are expected to take place in person.

A: All training and exercises will be in person.

Q (No subject): Should exercise planning meetings conducted in accordance with HSEEP be conducted in-person, virtually, or a mix?

A: Exercise planning meeting may be conducted both in person and/or virtually.

Q (No subject): What other direct costs (ODCs) should the contractor include for in-person training and exercises? These may include but are not limited to: printed materials for participants, venue rental, refreshments or meals for participants, exercise supplies (i.e., CERT equipment), translation or interpretation, etc.

A: The direct cost should include all materials and supplies necessary to conduct the in-person training and exercises. The City will provide the venue and light refreshments. The City does have access to some CERT equipment that can be incorporated into the functional exercise (fire burn pan, cribbing material).

Q (No subject): Does the City have existing EOC job aids? Please confirm whether development or update of these is in scope for the EOC Activation Plan.

A: The EOC Activation Plan should include EOC positional information, job aids, and forms.

Q (No subject): Is the City’s EOP available for review?

A: The City's EOP will be available for review.

Q (No subject): Should interviews occur for shortlisted proposers, will they be held virtually or in-person? When does the City anticipate these interviews being held?

A: The Respondents invited to the interview process will have the option to conduct the interview in person or via Teams. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for mid- April. Actual date is to be determined.

Q (No subject): Please confirm if references need to be provided for individual team members in addition to the firm as outlined in 6.2 Qualifying Technical Proposal Evaluation, 1. Key Personnel.

A: References are required for all key personnel.

Q (No subject): The RFP references an example of allocation of resources being provided under 3. RFP Proposal Requirements, 3.1 Proposal Content, 5. Project Management/Schedule. Can you identify where that is located in the RFP?

A: No example was included in the RFP. Respondents may use their own format to describe allocation of resources as part of the Project Management/Schedule section.

Q (No subject): For the EOC Activation Plan, does the City anticipate convening a formal planning team?

A: The City will not have a formal planning team meeting for the EOC Activation Plan

Q (Budget): What is the City's budget ceiling for this activity?

A: The budget for the project shall be allocated at the time of contract award. Respondents should propose service options that they believe will help the City meet project objectives. The proposed service options may provide a range of options or recommendations.

Q (Project Budget & Funding): Can you please share the project budget and whether or not it is contingent on grant funds? Thanks.

Q (Cost Information and Personnel): Section 9.1 Technical Proposal states “Please upload your technical proposal WITHOUT ANY cost information” however 4.2 Personnel states “Provide a table with all personnel working on the program include name, title, and hourly rate” Can the City confirm that the requirement in Section 4.2 is a deliverable of the program and not a proposal requirement that must be included as part of the Scope of Work proposal section?

A: The personnel table referenced in Section 4.2 is a program deliverable and is not required as part of the Technical Proposal submission. As stated in Section 9.1, the Technical Proposal must not include any cost information, including hourly rates. Respondents should describe their staffing approach and qualifications in the Technical Proposal without providing rate information. Hourly rates and other cost details should be included only in the Cost Proposal, in accordance with the submission instructions.

Q (Cost Proposal vs. Pricing Proposal): Can you confirm that within "3. Vendor Questionnaire", it requires "2. Cost Proposal". Is this to be different than the "4. Pricing Proposal"?

A: Cost Proposal and the Pricing Proposal should be the same

Q (No subject): What is the City’s approval process and timeline for substituting key personnel?

A: At the time of proposal submission, respondent should have all key personnel identified for the project. The successful Respondent may only change the Management Contact, Project Manager, and other supporting staff and specialists with prior written permission of the City.

Q (No subject): Would the City accept a subcontractor with the prime consultant?

A: The respondent must identify the subcontractor in the list of key personnel.

Q (No subject): With this being a multi-year project, will rate changes be tied to CPI and which CPI index will be used?

A: In Exhibit "C" Compensation, in the event that this Agreement is renewed pursuant to Section 3.1.2, the rates set forth above may be increased or reduced each year at the time of renewal, but any increase shall not exceed the Consumer Price Index, All Urban Consumers, Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange Counties.

Q (No subject): Has the City previously contracted for work similar to that outlined in the RFP, and if so, what firm received the contract?

A: The City does not have an existing contract for this service.

Q (No subject): Is there a preference for a local consulting firm?

A: The proposal does not provide preference for a local firm.

Q (No subject): How many participants are anticipated for each training event and exercise as outlined in the RFP?

A: There are five (5) elected official positions. There are approximately 40 city staff members for EOC training. There are 5O CERT volunteers.

Q (No subject): What is the anticipated number of participants per session?

A: There are five (5) elected official positions. There are approximately 40 city staff members for EOC training. There are 5O CERT volunteers.

Q (No subject): How many participants are expected for each training/exercise session?

A: There are five (5) elected official positions. There are approximately 40 city staff members for EOC training. There are 5O CERT volunteers.

Q (Logistical Support): Will the City provide A/V equipment and related logistical support for training delivery?

A: The City will provide A/V equipment and facilities for training.

Q (Registration Management): Is the contractor expected to manage participant registration and coordination?

A: The City will handle the coordination of participant registration

Q (Past Exercises): When was the last EOC exercise conducted and what type?

A: The last EOC tabletop exercise was conducted May 2024.

Q (EOC Staffing): What is the typical size of the City’s EOC activation staffing?

A: There are about 40 city staff assigned to the EOC.

Q (Training and Exercise Participation): What is the expected number of participants for each training and exercise type?

A: There are five (5) elected official positions. There are approximately 40 city staff members for EOC training. There are 5O CERT volunteers.

Q (Planning and Exercise Partners): Should external partners (e.g, Orange County, neighboring jurisdictions) be incorporated into exercises?

A: The City contracts with Orange County Sheriffs Department and Orange County Fire Authority for services. They could potentially be incorporated into exercises but the focus and priority will be on City Staff.

Q (Improvement Tracking): Should improvement tracking be included across the contract term?

A: Improvement tracking should be included during the term of the contract.

Q (RFP Page 13, EOC Activation Plan): An EOC Activation Plan is generally not something considered by a City Council. Will this be for the purpose of adopting the plan or for informational purposes only?

A: The EOC Activation Plan is for information purposes only and use as a guide for EOC personnel.

Q (RFP Page 12, CERT Exercise 4.8): What is the desired length or duration of the CERT Functional Exercise? What is the anticipated location or venue for the CERT Functional Exercise?

A: The CERT Functional Exercise should not exceed 5 hours. It will be held at the Civic Center Complex.

Q (RFP Page 11, EOC Functional Exercise 4.7): What is the desired length or duration of the EOC Functional Exercises? Does the City desire the selected contractor to coordinate field personnel during this exercise? Does the City desire the selected contractor to coordinate the actual set up of a shelter during this exercise?

A: The EOC Functional Exercise should not exceed 5 hours. City staff will assist with the coordination of field personnel during the exercise. A mock shelter will be incorporated during the exercise.

Q (RFP Page 12, Training for Elected Officials): Last bullet point, should this read “Senior Elected Official's role in preparedness, response, and recovery”?

A: Correct: Senior Elected Official's role in preparedness, response, and recovery.

Q (Interview Clarification): Can the City provide additional details on the anticipated interview/presentation process, including the format, duration, and expected participants?

A: The selected respondents will be invited to participate in an interview/presentation phase as part of the selection process. A total of 45 minutes will be allocated for the selected respondent to provide a presentation (30 minutes) and a question and answer session (15 minute) with a selected panel. Actual date to be determined. The selected respondent will be given the option of in-person or virtual presentation.

Q (Task Orders/Scope of Work): Will the City issue task orders or annual scopes of work, or should respondents assume a consistent level of effort and pricing across the initial three-year term?

A: The annual objectives and expectations are included in the scope of work and pricing should be reflected accordingly for each year in the initial agreement.

Q (EOC Activation): For the Year Three EOC Activation Plan, can the City clarify expectations regarding stakeholder engagement (e.g., workshops, interviews) and level of coordination with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Orange County Fire Authority?

A: The purpose of the EOC Activation is to provide the guidelines for city staff to follow when the EOC is activated. The City contracts with the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Orange County Fire Authority for services there will be minimum coordination needed.

Q (No subject): Please confirm any OpenGov submission constraints (page limits, file size limits)

A: There are no constraints or file size limitations.

Q (Multi-Year Pricing): Given recent variability in market conditions, including labor and travel costs, beyond year 1 does the City expect pricing to remain fixed relative to what is proposed in response to this RFP, or may proposers have an annual opportunity to include reasonable escalation to reflect changes in these costs?

A: Per Section 3.3.5 Rate Increases of the City Standard Agreement, In the event that this Agreement is renewed pursuant to Section 3.1.2, the rate set forth in Exhibit "C" may be adjusted each year at the time of renewal as set forth in Exhibit "C". The initial term for the agreement is three years.

Q (Exercise Type): Please confirm that the CERT exercise is intended to be a functional exercise rather than a drill or full-scale exercise.

A: The CERT Exercise is intended to be a functional exercise.

Q (Previous Contractor): Is there a current or previous consultant supporting this program? If so, can the City share any lessons learned or areas for improvement from prior efforts?

A: There is not a current consultant supporting this program; only city staff.

Q (Exercise Complexity): What level of complexity is the City expecting for exercises (e.g., facilitated tabletop discussions versus fully developed HSEEP-compliant exercises with complete documentation and evaluation support)?

A: The intention is to build the level of complexity year to year from tabletop discussions to compliant exercises to included complete documentation and evaluation support.

Q (Exercise Materials): Does the City have preferred templates, formats, or branding requirements for training materials, exercise documentation, and After-Action Reports?

A: The City will provide branding requirements for training materials, exercise documentation and After-Action Reports to the successful respondent.

Q (CERT Exercise): Can the City provide additional detail on the scale and objectives of the annual CERT functional exercise (e.g., number of participants, duration, and operational complexity)?

A: The Lake Forest CERT program consists of approximately 50 CERT members. The objective of the CERT functional exercise is to ensure the knowledge and perishable skills taught in the Basic CERT Training program are reinforced.

Q (Training and Exercise Planning Meetings): Can the City provide additional detail on the anticipated level of effort for planning activities associated with each training and exercise (e.g., number of planning meetings, expected deliverables such as Situation Manuals, Controller/Evaluator Handbooks, Master Scenario Events Lists, etc.)?

A: The City is seeking the respondent’s professional recommendation regarding the appropriate level of planning effort for each training and exercise. Respondents should outline the planning meetings, deliverables, and timelines they believe are necessary to successfully design and execute each activity.

Q (AAR Requirements): Can the City clarify expectations for After-Action Reports, including the level of detail, format, and whether Improvement Plans must include SMART objectives and POETE alignment?

A: The City expects After‑Action Reports (AARs) and Improvement Plans (IPs) to follow HSEEP‑aligned structure and content. While the City is not prescribing a specific level of detail or a required template, AARs should provide a clear analysis of performance, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and document observations in a manner that supports actionable follow‑up. Improvement Plans should include recommended corrective actions. The City encourages the use of SMART objectives and POETE (Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training, and Exercises) categories; however, proposers may recommend an alternative structure if it better supports the City’s needs. The City will evaluate proposed formats and methodologies as part of the overall proposal review.

Emergency Management Training and Exercise

Opportunity details

Description

Background

Project Details

Important Dates

Evaluation Criteria

Submission Requirements

Questions & Answers

Key dates

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