Launched in 2014, Wildfire Partners is Boulder County’s wildfire mitigation program. Homeowners, with the assistance from Wildfire Partners, work to better protect their homes by actively creating and maintaining defensible space (in addition to home hardening efforts).

This RFP is for forestry contractors to be included on the Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors List and to be eligible to bid on and complete defensible space projects for participating homeowners. From 2015 to 2022, Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors completed over 960 defensible space jobs totaling more than $2.5 million. Some residents hire Wildfire Partners Forestry Contractors to complete work that is not associated with defensible space and a Wildfire Partners Financial Award. This work is not included in the above totals.

Homeowners apply to join the program. Applications that meet all program criteria are accepted into the program as funding and mitigation specialist are available. Over 3,200 homeowners are currently in the program. Wildfire Partners offers motivated homeowners different benefits depending on their location. Some of these benefits include:

• A comprehensive, on-site, wildfire home assessment with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

• A Wildfire Partners Assessment Report that identifies the weak links in a home’s defenses and specific mitigation measures to be undertaken.

• Wildfire Partners Financial Awards

• Free access to Wildfire Partners Phone Advisors

• Follow up visits and inspections with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

• For qualifying homeowners who pass their inspections, a Wildfire Partners Certificate, yard sign and letter stating that they have performed mitigation

The forestry contractors are not responsible for defensible space marking. This task is performed by Wildfire Partners Mitigation Specialists. Homeowners are required to actively participate in their home assessments so that they learn the principles and science behind wildfire mitigation. Homeowners provide essential input to the Wildfire Mitigation Specialists as they mark vegetation for removal as part of the program. The specialists use an iPad assessment app to gather information, take photographs and evaluate 50 mitigation related questions grouped into 10 different categories (i.e., roofs, decks, zone 1, emergency preparedness). Following the assessment, the homeowner receives a customized report containing a Mitigation Checklist with their photos of items requiring mitigation. Wildfire phone advisors, along with the mitigation specialists, help homeowners navigate their individual steps in the process. To learn more about Wildfire Partners, visit www.WildfirePartners.org

All inquiries regarding this RFP will be submitted via email to the Boulder County Purchasing Office at purchasing@bouldercounty.org on or before 2:00 p.m. February 22, 2023. A response from the county to all inquiries will be posted and sent via email no later than February 27, 2023.
Do not contact any other county department or personnel with questions or for information regarding this solicitation.

Submittals are due at the email box only, listed below, for time and date recording on or before 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time on March 8, 2023.

Vendors must answer whether line-item pricing information submitted with a bid is confidential or closely held.

Please note that email responses to this solicitation are limited to a maximum of 50MB capacity.

NO ZIP FILES OR LINKS TO EXTERNAL SITES WILL BE ACCEPTED. THIS INCLUDES GOOGLE DOCS AND SIMILAR SITES. ALL SUBMITTALS MUST BE RECEIVED AS AN ATTACHMENT (E.G. PDF, WORD, EXCEL).
Electronic Submittals must be received in the email box listed below. Submittals sent to any other box will NOT be forwarded or accepted. This email box is only accessed on the due date of your questions or proposals. Please use the Delivery Receipt option to verify receipt of your email. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer to ensure their documents are received before the deadline specified above. Boulder County does not accept responsibility under any circumstance for delayed or failed email or mailed submittals.

Email purchasing@bouldercounty.org ; identified as RFP # 7419-23 in the subject line.

RFP 7419-23