To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Resources
Staff Name and Phone Number: Andrew Lemen, (707) 565-2940
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Behavioral Threat Assessment Consultation, Workplace Violence Prevention Planning, Security Assessment Services, and Training Agreements
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Director of Human Resources to execute agreements with Alvarez Associates, LLC. in the amount of $150,000, CPW Consulting Group, Inc. in the amount of $150,000, and Foresight Security Consulting in the amount of $225,000, to provide Workplace Violence Prevention Planning, Security Assessment Services, Behavioral Threat Assessment Consultation, and Training Services during the initial terms effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027, with an option to enter into amendments to renew for two additional one-year terms increasing contract capacity not to exceed one third of the initial contract amount per year, per agreement.
end
Executive Summary:
The requested Board action authorizes the Director of Human Resources to execute agreements for, Workplace Violence Prevention Planning, Security Assessment Services, Behavioral Threat Assessment Consultation, and Training Services with three firms that were selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process initiated in March of 2024. The vendors will be utilized to provide consultation and support for compliance programs, Cal/OSHA regulations and guidelines, and legislative requirements set by Senate Bill 553 effective as of July 1, 2024.
The agreements proposed in this report are all fee for service contracts, with no minimum or maximum amount of work guaranteed to the firms. The proposed agreements are for a three-year term, July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, with no rate increases from existing rates during the term, with the option to extend each for up to an additional two years. Actual costs will depend on demand from departments and training needs of the County.
Discussion:
The County of Sonoma is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace in which to deliver governmental services in alignment with the Sonoma County Safety and Security Policy for county employees The policy “establishes standards for appropriate workplace behavior, to provide training regarding the process for prevention of and responses to workplace violence, and to establish other inappropriate workplace behavior, in order to conduct business with the public safely and effectively”. Workplace violence prevention has been a major area of focus in recent years with county-wide activities utilizing one primary vendor. Based on increasing security-related support requests from departments, as well as new security-related program design, implementation and training needs required by the SB553 legislation (effective July 1, 2024), the recommendations for approval represent an increase to both the available number of consulting vendors and contract amounts to provide departments additional support and access to resources.
SB553 requires all employers in California to establish, implement, and maintain, at all times, in all work areas, an effective workplace violence prevention plan containing specified information. Records of workplace violence hazard identification for every work location, evaluation, correction and training records, violent incident logs, workplace incident investigation records, and documented corrective actions, are required to be maintained. The bill requires the employer to record information in a violent incident log for every workplace violence incident, as specified, and requires the employer to provide effective training to employees on the workplace violence prevention plan, as well as provide additional training when a new or previously unrecognized workplace violence hazard has been identified and when changes are made to the plan.
It is anticipated that departments will utilize the services provided by the recommended vendors to assist in the development and implementation of new body of work presented by SB553, and fund their department specific needs through their respective budgets, in addition to county-wide Workplace Violence Prevention support provided by HR-Risk. Additionally, a series of campus moves are anticipated during the upcoming contract cycle that may require security consultation and facilitation in the development of appropriate safety/security protocols. The increase in the number of vendors and individual contract amounts is recommended to increase contract capacity and provide adequate resources for departments to leverage as they develop their required programs.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) was conducted in March 2024. Nine proposals were received and evaluated by staff from County Counsel, the Department of Health, District Attorney’s Office, Human Resources, and Probation. As a result of the selection process, HR recommends the County execute agreements with Alvarez Associates, LLC, Foresight Security Consulting, LLC, and CPW Consulting Group for amounts not to exceed those listed below. The agreements will each have a three-year term from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, with an option to enter into amendments to renew for two additional one-year terms increasing contract capacity not to exceed one third of the initial contract amount per year, per agreement, at the discretion of the Human Resources Director.
Alvarez Associates, LLC ($150,000) provides workplace security program consultation including physical security assessment, workplace security training, and assistance to County departments with the development of related Workplace Violence Prevention strategies and program direction. Alvarez Associates, LLC has been on contract with the County since 2016 and has trained over 3,200 of County Employees on Workplace Violence Prevention, Confrontation Management, and Field Safety.
CPW Consulting Group, Inc. ($150,000) was formed in 1996 to aid institutions, government agencies, and corporations in the development and evaluation of their safety and security programs, targeted violence threat assessment processes, and management strategies, in relation to workplace and school violence prevention. CPW has extensive experience with both private and public organizations in the creation of violence prevention programs, conducting hazard vulnerability assessments, training, and providing clinical support in behavioral threat assessment process.
Foresight Security Consulting, LLC ($225,000) is a northwest-based, national security consultancy founded in 2018 offering holistic, proactive, risk mitigation solutions. The firm specializes in threat assessment and management, security vulnerability assessments, physical security, safety training, intelligence, investigations, safety program assessment and development. They have extensive experience in physical security, emergency management planning, continuity of operations plans, organizational assessments, training, policy development and planning for municipalities.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
September 20, 1994 (item 33) - Board adopted policy and action plan to reduce risk of violence in the workplace.
June 20, 2017 (item 19) - Board approved a First Amendment to Workplace Security Consultation Agreement with Alvarez Associates, LLC.
July 23, 2019 (item 13; 2019-1108) - Board approved agreement with Alvarez Associates, LLC for workplace security consulting services from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2022.
June 4, 2024 (item 19; 2024-0594) - Board approved a Second Amendment to the agreement with Alvarez Associates, LLC for workplace security consulting services through June 30, 2024.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Certain safety-related services are paid for through central Human Resources and these costs are estimated at $100,000 per year and are budgeted in the Workers’ Compensation Internal Services Fund 51220 and the General Liability Internal Services Fund 51230. Departments may request to utilize these services for department-specific needs, which are billed at-cost directly to each department.
The cost of the agreements will be absorbed within existing budget appropriations in FY 2024-25. The costs for subsequent years will be included in the recommended budget process.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
N/A |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
1. Alvarez Associates, LLC Agreement
2. CPW Consulting Group, Inc. Agreement
3. Foresight Security Consulting, LLC Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.