- Summary and Background
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is seeking a minimum of two (2) independent contractors to serve as Spanish-speaking Hazmat Safety Instructors. Selected independent contractors will support development and delivery of town-hall-style training seminars, along with tabletop or full-scale exercises on the topic of Pipeline Emergency Preparedness and Response in two (2) states in the country of Mexico annually.
This opportunity is for current or retired fire department or industry personnel with extensive experience in hazardous materials (Hazmat) safety and response, with specific knowledge and experience with pipeline safety, preparedness, and response. Contractors are expected to demonstrate subject-matter expertise, a high degree of professionalism, native (or near native) Spanish language abilities, and outstanding communication skills in delivering training and facilitating dialogue to ensure that participants gain the awareness level knowledge and skills to effectively support pipeline emergency preparedness and response. Experience as a fire safety training instructor, exercise facilitator, and/or experience developing & delivering Hazmat response training.
- Proposal Submission Guidelines and Timeline
The proposal period for instructors of Pipeline Emergency Preparedness and Response will be open from May 22, 2023, until June 23, 2023. All proposals must be submitted by 5 PM ET on June 23, 2023.
Interested individuals should submit a cover letter and resume/CV describing relevant experience and qualifications via email to Chelsea Lear, Clear@iafc.org.
Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated upon receipt and those selected to advance in the process will be interviewed by IAFC in June 2023. The selection committee will review all submissions and make selections based on the criteria listed in section 6 below.
Selected individuals will be provided with a contract and must agree to terms and conditions set forth by the IAFC.
Project Timeline
- Contractors will be notified no later than July 30, 2023.
- Selected contractors will need to attend ~4 hours of virtual train-the-trainer sessions in the Summer of 2023.
- Selected contractors will work with the IAFC and sponsor team in planning and customizing the training seminars over several months leading up to delivery. Training planning and preparation is estimated to require ~25 hours cumulatively for both training seminars annually, mostly in document review and virtual meetings.
- Training will be held over the course of two days on two occasions in two locations in Mexico, which change annually, and will conclude no later than December 31, 2023. For 2023, training events in Mexico are expected to occur between October and early December 2023.
- Each training delivery is expected to require 2 travel days, 1 field preparation day, and 2 training & exercise delivery days – for a total of 5 days per delivery.
- Project Purpose and Description
The two-day Pipeline Emergency Preparedness and Response training and exercise seminar is designed to help local fire and emergency response organizations in both planning and responding to pipeline-related emergencies.
Day #1 Day: Training topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Natural gas pipeline 101 information
- Incident Command System (ICS) introduction
- Sponsor representative(s) will review the Sponsor assets in the area and discuss the various response and recovery options.
- There will also be an educational component that will include a discussion of the equipment that will be on the scene should an incident occur.
- Sponsor will provide a presentation that will cover its community outreach efforts including the safe digging program.
- How to create a Natural Gas Pipeline Emergency Response Plan
- Provide effective practices to help create pipeline preparedness plans to add to existing Municipal Emergency Response Plans. This includes:
- Educating the first responder to understand when/how they respond to an incident and when/how Sponsor responds.
- Education on Sponsor’s response capabilities.
Day #1 Evening: Incident Commanders Training Module
The IAFC will acquire pertinent information and data from Sponsor and their civil protection and firefighting agencies to conduct this focused training. This data will be used extensively in the analysis and development of a tabletop or full-scale exercise, specifically the implementation of the ICS.
- Pipeline geographical information system (GIS)
- The IAFC will demonstrate this capability for the planning of and response to a natural gas pipeline incident.
- Participants will also discuss their existing pipeline response plan or put a plan together to develop one.
- A focus on the Incident Command System (ICS) components that will assist the commanders with their decision-making process.
- A review of the Incident Action Plan will be provided with an emphasis on the Incident Objectives, ICS Form 202
Tabletop or Full-Scale Exercise
The IAFC will create customized tabletop or Full-Scale Exercises for a natural gas pipeline emergency with both the administrators/regulators (planning) and first responder audiences.
The Tabletop will consist of:
Tabletop Assessment
After the completion of the tabletop exercise, the IAFC, sponsor, and appropriate civil protection and firefighting representatives will meet to evaluate the outcomes from the training and discuss lessons learned effective practices, and improvements. This feedback will be part of the after-action report that will be distributed roughly 30 days following the completion of the training seminars.
- Contractor Qualifications and Expectations
Required Contractor Qualifications
Individuals submitting a cover letter and resume should possess the following qualifications and abilities and should address each of the following items as part of their proposal for consideration:
- Extensive experience in hazardous materials (Hazmat) safety and response, with specific knowledge and experience with pipeline safety, preparedness, and response.
- Outstanding communication skills in delivering training and facilitating dialogue to ensure that participants gain the awareness level knowledge and skills to effectively support pipeline emergency preparedness and response.
- Demonstrable experience as a fire safety training instructor, exercise facilitator, and/or experience developing & delivering Hazmat response training.
- Instructors are expected to be flexible with date options for in-person delivery of the training in Mexico.
- Fluency in Spanish (preference given to native speakers) and English.
- Instructors must have a valid passport, or be able to obtain one, and ability to travel to various locations within the country of Mexico.
Expectations of Contractor
- Travel to training locations in Mexico
- Work with IAFC to receive train-the trainer-training virtually, work independently (with support from IAFC as needed) to learn and customize all class materials with IAFC and sponsor to ensure that preparation is adequate such that training will be delivered as developed, intended, and expected.
- Work with IAFC to review the local needs-assessment survey to understand any unique circumstances and considerations to the area where the class is being conducted to inform customization of each training delivery.
- The Pipeline Emergency Preparedness and Response class is a two-day in-person program delivered on back-to-back days.
- Deliver classroom training on Day 1 on Day 2. Answer questions that arise or work with IAFC staff onsite to get answers.
- Provide feedback on experience and course to IAFC staff.
- Submit invoice and travel expense reimbursements in a timely fashion and in accordance with the IAFC Travel Policy.
- Compensation
Contractors will be paid $65 per hour with a Not to Exceed (NTE) of 200 hours for 2 training seminars annually (NTE $13,000 for 2 training events per year). This includes compensation for participation in virtual train-the-trainer, preparation meetings and work, travel time, and in-person training and exercise delivery.
Travel expenses will be reimbursed on a cost reimbursement basis in compliance with the IAFC Travel Policy.
The IAFC will provide an invoice template to selected contractors who must submit an invoice upon completion of each training and exercise delivery.
- Proposal Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the qualifications listed above. To ensure consideration for this Request for Proposal, each submission must include a cover letter and resume/CV outlining experience and qualifications relative to this opportunity, and it must address each individual qualification listed above. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following factors:
- Technical proficiency in hazmat safety and response
- Experience as an Instructor or Educator
- Spanish language fluency
- Ability to travel to Mexico
- Communication and facilitation skills and experience