SYRACUSE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/REQUEST FOR QUALIFICAITONS

November 2, 2007

Emergency Travel Study

1. Description:

Notice is hereby given that the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC), which is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in New YorkState for OnondagaCounty and small portions of Oswego and MadisonCounties, is seeking information and/or qualifications froma consultant firm, or team of firms, to guide anEmergency Travel Study within Onondaga County/Central New York.

As part of the 2007-2008 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), the SMTC agreed to complete an Emergency Travel Routes Study on behalf of OnondagaCounty.Funding is anticipated in future years to complete this project. A detailed project budget is yet to be determined, and the responses from this RFI/Q will help to guide the future budget. The SMTC’s member agencies have emphasized that this study is a significant and much needed project for OnondagaCounty.

The SMTC’s initial tasks for this project include publishing a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early 2008 with intent to hire a consultant to complete this study. This RFI/Q is the initial step in preparing the RFP.

2. Background:

The Emergency Travel Routes Study was initiated by Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA) in an effort to comprehensively plan for the safety of the population in an emergency. The final Plan will be sponsored by the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management (OCDEM); this division of OnondagaCounty will be responsible for the implementation of the final Plan.The potential study area will be OnondagaCounty, with a focus on the City of Syracuse due to its role. But, the Plan should include coordination beyond OnondagaCounty (into surrounding Central New York counties). There are many individual emergency-type plans currently in place that will need to be reviewed prior to creating the final Plan.

The information included in the list below was established by the Study Advisory Committee (SAC) as initial guidelines for the final Plan. These guidelines, along with the information received in the Proposals from this RFI/Q, will help guide the SMTC with the creation of the Request for Proposals (RFP), which will be published in early 2008.

The SAC has established that the final Plan should likely:

  • include the key components of communications, coordination, education, operations, evacuation (including all types of transportation services and multiple flexible evacuation routes) and identification & management of resources
  • include a master template with a comprehensive approach to planning for all hazards emergency
  • include framework for how to put a Plan into effect, such as how/who to get together to make decisions at the time of the emergency
  • include resource lists (i.e. local/regional shelter options, law enforcement contacts, etc.) with prioritization, possibly on CD/other technology
  • identify various possible local and regional scenarios (i.e. weather related, bio/terrorist related, nuclear plant related) and rank the type of risk-- but the Plan should be independent of specific types of individual emergencies. The Plan should be response based, and a designated group of people (lead by the OCDEM) should be able to look at the type of emergency and put the most appropriate option from the Plan into place
  • include evacuation scenarios (clearing streets, shelter-in-place) and scale (geography and direction); debris clearing scenarios; modes of transportation to move people (transit, etc.)
  • include a public information component, such as how to notify the public during an emergency (i.e. signage for emergency routes, an emergency alert system such as radio advisory, etc. to be coordinated with the OCDEM)
  • incorporate, where applicable, all current local, regional, state and national emergency plans in place and identify those that are not compatible
  • include research on other similar plans found around the country
  • include types of equipment needed for emergency response and funding sources, as well as identify agencies/people that should pursue this
  • include the structure of a realistic scenario with a special event substituting for the potential emergency event (although the scenario will not be carried out as part of the Plan)
  • identify agencies/formal group to lead this plan in an emergency, as well as in preparation of an emergency.

3. RFI/Q Format / Requirements:

Please submit any information that will help guide the SMTC with the creation of the Request for Proposals (RFP), which will be published in early 2008. Although the information in this RFI/Q should be used a guideline, various and innovative approaches based on your firm’s experience are encouraged.

The issuance of this RFI/Q in no way obligates the SMTC to retain a consultant for services. The SMTC reserves the right to not accept any proposal and not obligate future funds for the Emergency Travel Study.

All qualification packages should include the following:

  1. Firm Identification:

Provide a description of the Consultant's firm, size and organizational structure, number of full-time and part-time employees, area(s) of practice, and number of years the firm has been in the business of conducting the described services.

  1. Qualifications (Experience and Technical):

Provide a description of the Consultant's qualifications for projects of this nature, including a short history of the Consultant's experience. The firm's background, resources (financial and personnel), and capabilities in the relevant areas shall be described.

  1. Recent Projects:

In the submittal, it is encouraged (but not required) to include a list of recent projects of similar described services. Any pertinent contact information should be included, as well as when the work was performed and the type of work and services performed.

  1. Cost Estimate:

Additionally, please include an order of magnitude cost estimate for an Emergency Travel Study of the requested nature so as to allow the SMTC to adequately plan for this project. An exact budget has yet to be established for this project.

4. Submittal Requirements:

Two (2) hard copies and one (1) Adobe Acrobat PDF file of the complete package must be received on or before December 5, 2007 at 4:00 P.M.

Address submittals to:

Jen Deshaies

Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council

100 Clinton Square

126 North Salina Street, Suite 100

Syracuse, NY13202

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