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

2. 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

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

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

5. Proposed Budget - $663M

6. Minutes of Fire Commission - Public

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

10. 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