To: Board of Supervisors, County of Sonoma
Department or Agency Name(s): Emergency Management
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jeffrey DuVall / 707-565-1152
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Web-Based EOC Incident Management Software Award
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Emergency Management to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Veoci Inc. for a 3-year Web-Based Incident Management Software agreement, with the option of two one-year extensions, for a maximum total contract performance period of up to five years; not-to-exceed $425,662.
B) Authorize the Director of Emergency Management, or designee, to execute amendments for enhanced or modified scope of services for the term of the Agreement, not-to-exceed delegated purchasing authority of $50,000 annually.
end
Executive Summary:
This item requests authorization for the Director of Emergency Management to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Veoci Inc, for Web-Based Incident Management Software (Software) for the County of Sonoma/Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a three-year term, beginning July 8, 2025, with a maximum of two annual renewals; not to exceed $425,662 over a five-year period. Additionally, the department is requesting authorization for the Director of Emergency Management to execute amendments for potential enhanced or modified scope of services for the term of the Agreement, not-to-exceed delegated purchasing authority of $50,000 per year. Any additional enhancements would support additional customization from the vendor of build out of status boards, workflow customizations of resource requests, and staff system training.
Discussion:
Incident Management software is an integral part of any emergency/disaster activation, whether a flood, hazardous material event, power shut-off, earthquake, wildfire, pandemic, or special event. Having a centralized web-based system is key to the ability of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and the EOC to communicate and coordinate situational awareness, task management, and tracking of emergency resources/supplies that are deployed and tracked throughout the operational area. The incident management software supports the mission of the County Emergency Operations Center, which is the central coordination point for emergencies and disasters affecting the county's unincorporated areas. Under the State Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the County EOC acts as the Operational Area Coordinator for the incorporated cities and special districts for the State. The software helps develop a common operating picture of the emergency and disaster impacts on the county's unincorporated areas and within the cities and special districts.
The previously awarded web-based incident management software contract was approved by the Board of Supervisors on May 19, 2020, after a competitive procurement process. The decision to seek a new web based incident management system came from the June 11, 2018, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) After Action Report <https://sonoma-county.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=945&meta_id=244351>. The report found that, “Current EOC equipment and systems do not support high intensity or sustained staff functions.” DEM was formally established on March 19, 2019, and developed an RFP for a web-based incident management system that had the ability to support multiple simultaneous incidents, multiple jurisdictions/organizations, and utilize role-based user identification. On May 19, 2020, your board authorized the Director of Emergency Management to enter into a Professional Services Agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc./Juvare LLC for Web-based Incident Management Software for a one-year term, with a maximum of four annual renewals that terms with no extensions in June of 2025.
The selected system through the newest RFP process (March 2025), Veoci, includes the following integral features that enable the County to manage and coordinate emergencies/disasters:
1. Resource Management: The system provides a robust inventory management system that enables emergency management/the EOC to track stockpiled resources, resource requests, deployed resources, and costs associated with deployed resources.
2. Task Management: The system provides a vigorous task management structure that enables the DEM/the EOC to assign missions, objectives, required actions, and other incident needs to various roles and users within the system.
3. Status Boards: The system can display multiple types of situational awareness information in a dashboard format.
4. Incident Action Plan (IAP) Builder: The system supports the ability to build/create/update a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS) /Incident Command System (ICS) compliant IAP using standard modifiable ICS forms.
5. GIS Integration: The system supports the county’s ESRI ArcGIS mapping file types without special programming. It displays critical data across multiple status boards and maps within the incident management system and is exportable to ESRI ArcGIS Online, such as the SoCoEmergency.org maps and ESRI on-premises GIS systems.
6. Administration: The incident management system provides a robust administration and security platform.
The System can be integrated with the County's existing technologies and systems, such as Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc Geographic Information System (GIS) Software and Microsoft Teams, ensuring no delay in the County's ability to manage and respond to emergencies. The System also complies with and supports the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the State Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) standards, allowing multiple EOCs, County Department Operation Centers (DOCs), jurisdictions, and organizations to operate under a unified command platform. Additionally, the System features a streamlined and user-friendly interface, allowing both existing and new users to adapt quickly. Veoci was founded in 2011 as a leader in collaboration, continuity, and response software. Veoci currently supports emergency operations center incident management boards for the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) (Since 2025), City of Los Angeles (since 2020), County of Santa Clara (since 2025), County of Sutter (since 2024), County of Sacramento (since 2025), City of Long Beach (since 2017) City of Signal Hill (since 2017) San Francisco International Airport (since 2023), and, locally, City of Rohnert Park (since 2022).
The system features status boards that display real-time situational awareness information and updates, such as road closures, shelter locations & status, resource requests, task orders to other EOC positions, along with developing EOC action plans. Users can interact with the System from a simplified dashboard interface that contains all the tools needed to perform their role or position. The System serves as a helpful tool for tracking the time, tasks, and resources necessary to meet FEMA disaster reimbursement requirements.
Procurement
On March 26, 2025, DEM issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Web-Based Incident Management Software (Software), which detailed the services and system functions required for the EOC incident management system. The RFP event was an open bidding process and DEM received five vendor proposals. Each proposal and software performance demonstration was comprehensively evaluated and rated by a core evaluation team consisting of staff from the County and operational area partners.
Five (5) responses were received from following vendors (listed in no particular order):
1. Salamander Tech.
2. ESI Acq. Inc.
3. Buffalo Computer Graphics, Inc
4. Rayvn US Inc.
5. Veoci Inc.
Proposals were evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to perform the services described.
2. Experience and Qualifications.
3. Methodology
4. Costs relative to the scope of services.
5. References
6. Local Preference
Based on the criteria, proposals were evaluated and ranked as follows:
1. Veoci Inc
2. ESI Acq. Inc
3. Buffalo Computer Graphics, Inc.
4. Rayvn US Inc.
5. Salamander Tech.
Veoci scored highest in ‘Methodology’ and ‘Costs relative to the scope of services’.
Full implementation and system customization will begin immediately upon execution of the contract. DEM will work with Veoci for the first three months in scoping out specific board builds (Shelter, road closures, animal shelters, resource requests, EOC Action Reports, situation reports (EOC/DOC sections and DEM Duty Officer), along with security measures such as single sign-on. This process also includes County of Sonoma-specific workflows built out for resource requests within the county and to elevation to Cal OES. The system will go live in October 2025. Prior to October, DEM staff will receive training (both general user and administrative). Once the system goes live, DEM will deliver training on the system to our DOC/EOC staff and operational area partners over the following six months.
The Director of Emergency Management recommends entering into a three-year agreement with Veoci Inc., for $254,780, renewable for up to two years, for an additional not-to-exceed amount of $170,882, with an anticipated start date of July 8, 2025.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 2: Invest in capital systems to ensure continuity of operations and disaster response.
Objective: Objective 1: Strengthen critical communications infrastructure, interoperability, and information technology tools relied upon during disasters.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
05/19/2020: Authorize the Chair to execute a Professional Services Agreement with ESi Acquisition, Inc./Juvare LLC for Web-based Incident Management Software for a one-year term with a maximum of four annual renewals; not-to-exceed $336,475 over a five-year period.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$99,320 |
$75,895 |
$79,565 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$99,320 |
$75,895 |
$79,565 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
$99,320 |
$75,895 |
$79,565 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$99,320 |
$75,895 |
$79,565 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Funding for Alert and Warning Software and Web-Based Incident Management Software was approved during the FY2025/26 Budget Hearings in the amount of $270,000 and will be used to cover the costs of this contract. The department is returning to the Board with this item for approval of a contract for the Alert and Warning Software. The Web-Based Incident Management Software agreement costs for FY2025/26 are $99,320, including $29,420 in one-time fees for the initial software implementation. Software agreement costs for FY2026/27 will total $75,895, increasing the Annual Subscription Fee cost by 5% per year until the end of the contract. The Integration Support cost of $2,500 per year will not increase year over year.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
1. Notice of Intent to Award
2. Professional Services Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.