CITY OF HOBOKEN
Request for Qualifications 
Fire Department Audit

Interested consultants and/or firms are invited to submit a Statement of Professional Qualifications, to conduct a performance, management and operational audit of the City of Hoboken Fire Department, and provide the City with a detailed report of the results.

Summary: Interested consultants and/or firms are invited to submit a Statement of Professional Qualifications, to conduct a performance, management and operational audit of the City of Hoboken Fire Department, and provide the City with a detailed report of the results.

Purpose: The Mayor and City Council seek a consultant and/or firm to conduct a performance and management audit of the City of Hoboken Fire Department. This includes analyzing the department organization, budget, policies, staffing, equipment, facilities, capacity, and related variables, and providing a report that seeks to address the efficiency and effectiveness of the Fire department within the City budget constraints and that assesses department needs into the future. The purpose is to provide the Council and Mayor with accurate and detailed information for informed OPERATIONAL AND budget decisions that promote an effective department to best meet the needs of the community. The Council and Mayor plan to conduct a performance audit program for all City departments in the coming year(s), and the Fire Department is among the initial subject departments. To insure the best understanding of Fire operations, this particular contract seeks a consultant familiar with fire management and operations.

Project Background: The City of Hoboken is a growing, active and progressive City of SLIGHTLY OVER one square mile, located in Hudson County, New Jersey. There are approximately 40,500 residents living in the City. The City employs approximately 540 full time employees to provide services of general government, public safety, public works, recreation and culture. For additional information about the City of Hoboken, visit www.hobokennj.org.

The Hoboken Fire Department is a broad base code enforcement and emergency response team and system. In addition to fire and emergency response systems, public safety, fire prevention and public education are also an emphasis from this department. The Department has a 2010 fiscal -year budget of $13.7 million. The Department operates seven companies out of 3 front line fire stations and 1 headquarters station.

The Department emphasizes building inspection, fire safety and fire prevention in its ongoing activities.

There are several challenges currently facing the Department. First, fire and emergency response trends, locally and nationally, show changes in the type of emergency responses that municipalities respond to compared with historical traditions. The City desires to understand and shift the department and its budget resources to best prepare for the future needs of modern municipal development.

Secondly, the City’s revenue growth has not kept pace with expenditures, placing a budget burden upon the City. The City has emphasized economic development to increase its tax base, while attempting to restrain cost increases in the City’s personnel expenses. While the City Council and Mayor have consistently supported increases in the Public Safety budgets including Fire, the budget concerns of the City make it necessary to insure that spending in the Fire Department is as efficient and effective as possible, and that cost saving initiatives are identified and realized.

Scope of Work: Respondents to this RFQ must demonstrate they have the qualifications to achieve the desired results of:

1. A thorough analysis and evaluation of functions, programs, and services provided by the Fire Department’s existing operations.

2. An estimate of anticipated future demands on the Fire Department based in part on the history of growth of the City and the Fire Department’s service to the City. 
    
3. An assessment of how the Fire Department’s future demands may be carried out in a more cost effective manner through management, personnel, operational, utility and performance changes. 
    
4. A recommended action plan, or alternative plans as applicable, for the City to carry out its purpose which maintaining high standards of safety and wellbeing for the residents of the City. 
    
5. Identification of actions to be taken with regard to service, personnel and equipment levels.  

Selection Criteria: Respondents must also clearly demonstrate in their submission capabilities and experience sufficient to complete the Fire Department Audit. Consideration will be given for experience and capabilities including, but not limited to:

1.  Experience assessing local government operations and alternative methods for providing public service needs

2. Experience with union contracts and their provisions 
    
3. Experience with Fire Department and Emergency Management operations 
    
4. Experience with technological advances available in the public sector and/or emergency management service sector 
    
5. Experience with preparing similar operational and performance audits of local government operations, with preference given to those respondents who have experience preparing similar audits on emergency management agencies and fire departments. 
    
6. Experience in assisting public employers in implementing audit findings in a New Jersey civil service environment. 
    
7. Experience with identifying and securing grant opportunities to support Fire Dept. operations.

    

Minimum Qua: lifications to be Submitted

1. Name of the individual(s) to be assigned to perform the tasks, and the professional and educational experience of each individual, including all experience each individual has with the City of Hoboken, other municipalities whether within New Jersey or elsewhere, and/or the State or Federal government. 
    
2. A statement concerning the ability of the firm and each individual to be assigned. 
    
3. Professional licenses and/or certifications by each individual to be assigned. 
    
4. A description of the support staff available to the individual(s) assigned. 
    
5. A copy of all Certificates of Insurance issued by an insurance carrier licensed in the State of New Jersey for the firm/individual(s), showing the amount of professional liability insurance and/or all other insurance coverage currently in place. 
    
6. A list of four (4) professional references with addresses and telephone contact numbers. Three (3) of the references must have direct knowledge relating to the firm/individual(s) experience in the requested service area. 
    
7. A copy of your New Jersey Business Registration Certificate. 
    
8. Statement of ability to meet the anticipated project deadline of July 1. 2010

    

Submission Procedure: Only completed responses to this Request for Qualifications “RFQ” will be considered. The Purchasing Director at the Purchasing Office will receive qualification statements. You should mail ten (10) proposals in a sealed envelop entitled “Fire Department Audit” to:

City of Hoboken – Purchasing Department c/o Richard England 94 Washington Street Hoboken, New Jersey 07030

Proposals are due Friday, April 2, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. eastern Daylight time. Qualifications of the consultant or firm will be evaluated to select finalists, who will then submit and/or negotiate specific work proposals and costs.