New Castle County committee finalizes RFP scope and procurement timeline for fire service operational study

The New Castle County Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday agreed on the scope and procurement timetable for an operational study of county fire services and outlined evaluation and confidentiality procedures for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP).

The committee discussed a procurement schedule that will include two required weekly public advertisements, a vendor question deadline of about 10 days after advertisement, a county response deadline, and roughly two additional weeks before proposals are due, producing an estimated 6–12 week window before an award recommendation. Committee members said these steps are intended to allow sufficient time for quality, competitive proposals.

Assistant County Attorney Mary Jacobson advised that scope-of-work discussions are not eligible for executive-session confidentiality protections, while proposal evaluations will remain confidential until officially opened. The committee discussed forming a three- to five-member evaluation panel (larger participation remains possible) and required that all evaluators sign confidentiality agreements before accessing proposals.

Committee members reviewed standard RFP provisions including subcontractor approval and pricing, insurance and indemnification requirements, supplier diversity provisions, non-collusion affidavits, AI disclosure requirements for proposal preparation, and a clause permitting future project additions without rebidding. Robin Allen described secure handling procedures for sealed submissions, secure storage, and public opening processes.

On technical scope, the committee revised volunteer-response language to read: “Determine the average number of volunteers responding on apparatus to each call as of January 31, 2025,” clarifying that the study should count actual volunteers who responded on apparatus rather than listed active members. Members also agreed the consultant should analyze response times and call-volume trends, evaluate facility relocation or consolidation only if warranted, and include administrative and command-structure recommendations where appropriate.

Regarding standards, the committee discussed referencing existing NFPA guidance versus the newest consolidated standard (NFPA 1750) and reached consensus to retain a reference to NFPA 1720 for the study’s scope. The committee also confirmed that consultants should use the most current 12 months of fire company financial data already submitted to the County rather than requiring resubmission.

Stakeholder engagement will be required in the scope: the RFP should direct the consultant to interview all fire company chiefs and presidents (or their designees), leadership of IAFF Local 4417, and other relevant stakeholders; the scope should include at least one public workshop or information session, with the possibility to add further engagement using an additions clause.

Members discussed vendor geographic scope and noted proposals could come from firms nationwide and potentially internationally; the committee emphasized that vendor experience and recent project history should carry significant weight in scoring. The procurement office will finalize the advertisement timeline prior to issuing the RFP, and shortlisted firms may be invited to present virtually or in person and be re-scored.

The committee briefly discussed seeking State funding but emphasized support only if any funding preserved the study’s exclusive focus on New Castle County rather than creating a multi-county study structure. Members also noted the Delaware Auditor’s Report on Marydel Fire Company as background but unrelated to the current scope.

During public comment, a member of Port Penn Fire Company raised concerns about potential station consolidations or closures; the committee reiterated that no conclusions have been reached and any recommendations would be based solely on the completed study’s findings.

The committee approved the May 6, 2026 meeting minutes by unanimous vote and adjourned at 3:24 p.m.