Working with State and Local Customers Jenny C. Servo, Ph.D. May 17, 2018

As you approach Phase III… It’s important to understand: How purchase decisions are made? Does it vary depending on cost Who is the end-user, who is the customer, who is the influencer? When are decisions made? Does the process differ between volunteer and career fire depts How do customers find out about new technologies Where does funding come from

City of Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief is responsible Reports to the Mayor Minutes of monthly meetings are publicly available

Do you apply for grants Yes, with varying degrees of success Handout – has summary or grants available in 2017 We’ll look at late

Proposed Budget - $663M

Minutes of Fire Commission - Public

Who generates budget requests? Varies depending on size of fire department Ultimately method needs to filter up to the Fire Chief Could come from Safety Committee Research Committee Recommendations of firefighters

What type of documentation is needed Depends on size of purchase Less than $5,000 simpler purchase Larger purchases – respond to RFP Many consult with other fire departments of comparable size for recommendations Many conduct their own internal research Attend conferences Test and evaluation

What is the length of the purchase cycle? It varies There are magic moments Register with state’s eProcurement system Monitor RFPs Look at Contractor Disclosure Policies Register with California State Contracts Register (CSCR)

DHS Grants for Emergency Responders Port Security Grant Program Fire Assistance Grant Program Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program Assistance to Firefighters Grant