After-Action Report

Request for Proposals (RFP):
HazMat Incident After Action Report
RFP No. 2026-0029-01
ISSUE DATE: June 23, 2026
PROPOSAL DUE DATE: July 10, 2026 prior to 4:00 P.M. Pacific Time (Kelso,
Washington, USA.)
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Proposals may be
submitted via email to NevesS@cowlitzwa.gov or via mail or in person to:
Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management
Attn: Scott Neves
RFP No. 2026-0029-01: HazMat Incident After Action Report
312 SW 1st Avenue
Kelso, WA 98626
INITIAL TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: August 1, 2026 - July 31, 2027. The County
reserves the right to extend the contract as needed to ensure fulfillment of the scope of work.
CONTRACTOR ELIGIBILITY: This procurement is open to contractors that satisfy the
minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.
RFP COORDINATOR: Scott Neves, Director of Emergency Management
NevesS@cowlitzwa.gov
(360) 577-3130

Table of Contents
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 3
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................ 3
SCOPE OF WORK .................................................................................................................................... 3
PROJECT DELIVERABLES ...................................................................................................................... 5
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS.................................................................................................................... 6
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE .................................................................................................................. 6
RFP COORDINATOR ............................................................................................................................... 7
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES ................................................................. 7
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................................................... 7
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ........................................................................ 8
REVISIONS TO THE RFP ......................................................................................................................... 8
MINORITY & WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION ............................................................... 8
ADA ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
CONTRACTING WITH FORMER WASHINGTON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES .............................................. 8
ACCEPTANCE PERIOD ........................................................................................................................... 8
RESPONSIVENESS ................................................................................................................................. 9
MOST FAVORABLE TERMS .................................................................................................................... 9
CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ...................................................................... 9
COSTS TO PROPOSE ............................................................................................................................. 9
NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT ........................................................................................................... 9
REJECTION OF PROPOSALS ................................................................................................................. 9
COMMITMENT OF FUNDS ...................................................................................................................... 9
ELECTRONIC PAYMENT ......................................................................................................................... 9
INSURANCE COVERAGE ...................................................................................................................... 10
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................ 12
COVER LETTER ..................................................................................................................................... 12
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS .................................................................................................. 12
COST PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................................. 12
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 12
EVALUATION PROCEDURE .................................................................................................................. 13
EVALUATION WEIGHTING AND SCORING ......................................................................................... 13
ORAL PRESENTATIONS/ PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS (MAY BE REQUIRED) ........................... 13
NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS ......................................................................................................... 13
DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS .............................................................................. 13
PROTEST PROCEDURE ........................................................................................................................ 14
EXHIBIT A - CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES .......................................................................... 15
EXHIBIT B - SAMPLE PERSONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT ............................................................. 16

INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management is soliciting proposals from qualified firms or
consultants to conduct a comprehensive After Action Review (AAR) of the mass casualty hazardous
materials (HazMat) incident that occurred on May 26, 2026, at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview,
Washington.
The incident involved the catastrophic failure of a white liquor storage tank used in the paper manufacturing
process. The tank, with a capacity of 900,000 gallons and approximately two-thirds full at the time of failure,
ruptured and resulted in 11 fatalities and multiple injuries. The event required a large-scale, multi-agency
emergency response involving fire and rescue services, emergency medical services (EMS), law
enforcement, emergency management, public health, hospitals and healthcare systems, hazardous
materials response teams, public works, state and federal partners, and non-governmental organizations.
Response operations required extensive coordination under the Incident Command System (ICS) and
National Incident Management System (NIMS), including emergency response plan activation, resource
management, public information activities, responder safety measures, and recovery operations.
The purpose of this project is to provide an independent and objective evaluation of preparedness, response,
coordination, communications, operational effectiveness, resource management, public information
activities, responder safety, and recovery efforts associated with the incident. The resulting After Action
Report shall identify strengths, areas for improvement, corrective actions, and recommendations to enhance
future preparedness and response capabilities consistent with recognized emergency management and
incident management best practices.
OBJECTIVES
The selected contractor shall:
1. Conduct an independent and comprehensive review of incident response activities related to the May
26, 2026 mass casualty hazardous materials incident.
2. Assess interagency coordination, communications, resource management, and overall operational
effectiveness.
3. Evaluate compliance with applicable emergency plans, procedures, protocols, and regulatory
requirements.
4. Identify strengths, best practices, and successful actions that contributed to incident response and
recovery efforts.
5. Identify operational gaps, challenges, and areas requiring improvement.
6. Develop measurable corrective actions and improvement strategies to enhance future preparedness,
response, coordination, and recovery capabilities.
7. Prepare a final After Action Report and Corrective Action Recommendations document suitable for
executive leadership, operational personnel, partner agencies, and other stakeholders.
SCOPE OF WORK
The selected contractor shall perform the following tasks:
1. Project Initiation
a. Conduct project kickoff meeting.
b. Develop project management plan and schedule.
c. Identify stakeholders and key participants.
d. Establish communication and reporting protocols.
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 3 of 26

2. Data Collection and Document Review
Review available documentation including:
a. Incident Action Plans (IAPs)
b. Situation Reports
c. Incident Command documentation
d. Emergency Operations Center records
e. EMS patient tracking reports
f. Hospital surge reports
g. HazMat monitoring and sampling data
h. Public information releases
i. Mutual aid documentation
j. Resource requests and deployment records
k. Training and exercise records
l. Relevant policies and procedures
m. Local Emergency Planning
n. Timeline review to include dispatch, arrival, first patient transport and last patient transported
3. Stakeholder Engagement
Conduct the following:
a. Executive interviews
b. Incident Command staff interviews
c. Focus groups
d. Multi-agency after action workshops
Stakeholders may include:
a. Incident Command Staff
b. Responders
c. Healthcare representatives
d. Public Health officials
e. Emergency Management personnel
f. Government leadership
g. Community stakeholders
h. Local & State Emergency Planning Committees
4. Operational Analysis
Evaluate the following operational areas:
a. Incident Command and Coordination
i. Unified Command effectiveness
ii. ICS implementation
iii. Multi-agency coordination
iv. Emergency Operations Center integration
b. Hazardous Materials Operations
i. Hazard identification
ii. Monitoring and detection
iii. Protective actions
iv. Decontamination operations
v. Environmental considerations
c. Mass Casualty Management
i. Triage effectiveness
ii. Patient tracking
iii. Medical surge capacity
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 4 of 26

iv. Transportation coordination
v. Fatality management processes
d. Communications
i. Interoperable communications
ii. Information sharing
iii. Situational awareness
iv. Public warning systems
e. Public Information
i. Joint Information Center operations
ii. Risk communication
iii. Media engagement
iv. Community messaging
f. Safety
i. Responder health and safety
ii. PPE utilization
iii. Exposure monitoring
iv. Rehabilitation and responder accountability
g. Logistics and Resource Management
i. Resource ordering
ii. Mutual aid utilization
iii. Equipment availability
iv. Supply chain considerations
h. Recovery Operations
i. Transition to recovery
ii. Community support activities
iii. Environmental remediation coordination
iv. Long-term monitoring considerations
5. Corrective action recommendations.
Develop the following:
a. Priority rankings
b. Responsible agency assignments
c. Target completion timelines
d. Performance measures
6. Final Report Development
Prepare:
a. Executive Summary - overview suitable for elected officials and executive leadership.
b. After Action Report - detailed findings and analysis.
c. Corrective action recommendations - including responsible parties, timelines, and performance
metrics.
d. Presentation - final briefing to agency leadership and stakeholders.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
The following shall be provided in editable Microsoft Office formats and PDF:
1. Project Work Plan
2. Stakeholder Engagement Plan
3. Draft After Action Report
4. Draft Improvement Plan
5. Final After Action Report
6. Final Corrective Action Recommendations
7. Executive Presentation
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 5 of 26

8. Electronic copies of all project materials
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Respondents should demonstrate:
1. Experience conducting emergency management AARs.
2. Experience with mass casualty incidents.
3. Experience with hazardous materials response operations.
4. Knowledge of NIMS and ICS.
5. Familiarity with FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) methodology.
6. Experience facilitating multi-agency stakeholder engagements.
7. Expertise in healthcare emergency preparedness and public health response.
Preference may be given to firms with previous experience evaluating large-scale HazMat incidents or
complex disaster responses.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The initial period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP shall begin on August 1, 2026 and
end on July 31, 2027. The County reserves the right to extend the contract as needed to ensure satisfactory
fulfillment of the scope of work.
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 6 of 26

GENERAL INFORMATION
RFP COORDINATOR
The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the County for this procurement. All communication
between Contractor(s) and the County upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:
Name Scott Neves
E-mail Address NevesS@cowlitzwa.gov
Mailing Address 312 SW 1st Ave Kelso, WA 98626
Phone Number 360-577-3130
Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the County. Contractors are to rely
on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP
Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Contractor.
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES
Issue Request for Proposals June 23, 2026
Question & answer period ends June 30, 2026
Issue last addendum to RFP July 2, 2026
Proposals due July 10, 2026
Begin contract work August 1, 2026
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Contractors are required to submit one (1) copy of their proposal by mail, email, or in-person delivery.
Regardless of delivery method, the proposal must arrive at the County no later than 4:00 PM local time on
July 10, 2026.
If sent via mail or delivered in person, the proposal envelope should be clearly marked:
Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management
Attn: Scott Neves
RFP No. 2026-0029-01: HazMat Incident After Action Report
312 SW 1st Avenue
Kelso, WA 98626
Proposals can also be e-mailed to NevesS@cowlitzwa.gov. Proposals shall be attached as one PDF
attachment, and the subject line shall read "Proposal Submission: RFP #2026-0026-01: HazMat Incident
After Action Report." Receipt of proposal submissions will be acknowledged via email reply, but proposals
will not be reviewed until the due date and time listed above.
Contractors mailing proposals should allow normal mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their
proposals by the RFP Coordinator. Contractors assume the risk for the method of delivery chosen. The
County assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Proposals may not be
transmitted using facsimile transmission.
Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. All
proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the County and will not be returned.
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 7 of 26

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of the County
and shall be deemed public records as defined in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
Any information in the proposal that the Contractor desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure
under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure
of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the exemption
from disclosure upon which the Contractor is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the
information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words "Proprietary
Information" printed on the lower right-hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from
disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.
If a public records request is made for the information that the Contractor has marked as "Proprietary
Information," the County will notify the Contractor of the request and of the date that the records will be
released to the requester unless the Contractor obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the
Contractor fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, the County will release the requested
information on the date specified. If a Contractor obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction
enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for
nondisclosure, the County shall maintain the confidentiality of the Contractor's information per the court order.
A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.56. No fee shall be charged for
inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours' notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests
for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.
REVISIONS TO THE RFP
In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via e-mail to all
individuals, who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest.
The County also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a
contract.
MINORITY & WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION
Cowlitz County encourages participation in all of its contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and
Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this
solicitation or on a subcontractor basis. However, no preference will be included in the evaluation of
proposals, no minimum level of MWBE participation shall be required as a condition for receiving an award,
and proposals will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis.
ADA
The County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Vendors may contact the RFP
Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.
CONTRACTING WITH FORMER WASHINGTON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
Washington State Department of Retirement System reporting requirements apply to public entities
contracting with former Washington public employees pursuant to WAC 415-02-110, DRS Email 13-011 and
DRS Email 09-001. Proposers should familiarize themselves with these reporting requirements to the County
before submitting a proposal that includes former public employees. Information regarding these
requirements can be found on the WA Department of Retirement System's Independent Contractor
Verification and State Retirement Status Reporting Form located on the last page of this document.
ACCEPTANCE PERIOD
Contractors must provide 60 days for acceptance by County from the due date for receipt of proposals.
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 8 of 26

RESPONSIVENESS
All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative
requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Contractor is specifically notified that failure to
comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive.
The County also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.
MOST FAVORABLE TERMS
The County reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted.
Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Contractor can
propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The County does reserve the right to contact a
Contractor for clarification of its proposal.
The apparent successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract
resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Contractor's proposal. It is
understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without
obligation to the County.
CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The apparent successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same
as the County's standard personal services contract and in accordance with the general terms and conditions
therein, attached as Exhibit B. Additional terms and conditions specific to this solicitation can be found in
Exhibit F. In no event is a Contractor to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response
to this solicitation. The Contractor may submit proposed exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and
Assurances form, Exhibit A to this solicitation. All exceptions to the contract terms and conditions must be
submitted by Contractor as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form, or the standard
contract shall be deemed accepted, as attached. The County will review requested exceptions and
accept or reject the same at its sole discretion in awarding the contract.
COSTS TO PROPOSE
The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Contractor in preparation of a proposal submitted
in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this
RFP.
NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT
This RFP does not obligate the County to contract for materials, equipment, and/or services specified herein.
REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
The County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty
and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.
COMMITMENT OF FUNDS
The Board of County Commissioners or duly elected official are the only individual(s) who may legally commit
the County to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No cost chargeable to the
proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.
ELECTRONIC PAYMENT
Cowlitz County prefers to utilize electronic payment such as EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) or ACH
(Automated Clearing House) in its transactions. The successful Contractor will be provided a form to
complete with the contract to authorize such payment methods.
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 9 of 26

INSURANCE COVERAGE
The Contractor is to furnish the County with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized
representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth below.
The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be
maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in
the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and a copy shall be forwarded to the
County within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date.
The Contractor shall maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, and until final
acceptance of the work, public liability and property damage insurance with companies or through sources
approved by the state insurance commissioner pursuant to RCW Title 48, as now or hereafter amended. The
County, its appointed and elected officials, agents and employees, shall be specifically named as additional
insureds in a policy with the same company which insures the Contractor or by endorsement to an existing
policy or with a separate carrier approved pursuant to RCW Title 48, as now or hereafter amended, and the
following coverages shall be provided:
COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL LIABILITY:
Bodily injury, including death, $1,000,000 per occurrence
Property damage. $1,000,000 aggregate
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
$1,000,000 per occurrence
$2,000,000 aggregate
WORKERS COMPENSATION: Statutory amount
AUTOMOBILE: coverage on owned, non-owned, rented and hired vehicles
Bodily injury, liability, including death $1,000,000 per occurrence
Property damage liability $1,000,000 per occurrence
All Contractor's and Contractor's subcontractors' insurance policies and additional named insured
endorsements shall provide primary insurance coverage and be non-contributory.
Any insurance, self-insured retention, deductible, risk retention or insurance pooling maintained or
participated in by the County shall be excess and not contributory to such insurance policies. All Contractor's
and Contractor's subcontractors' liability insurance policies must be endorsed to show this primary coverage.
Upon request, the Contractor shall provide a full and complete certified copy of all requested insurance
policies to the County. The County reserves the right, but not the obligation, to revise any insurance
requirement, not limited to limits, coverages, and endorsements, or to reject any insurance policies which fail
to meet the requirements of this Agreement. Additionally, the County reserves the right, but not the obligation,
to review and reject any proposed insurer providing coverage based upon the insurer's financial condition or
licensing status in Washington. Any deductibles and/or self-insured retentions exceeding $10,000, stop loss
provisions, and/or exclusions contained in such policies must be approved by the County in writing. For any
deductibles or self-insured retentions exceeding $10,000 or any stop-loss provisions, the County shall have
the right to request and review the Contractor's most recent annual financial reports and audited financial
statements as a condition of approval.
Contractor hereby agrees to a waive subrogation with respect to each insurance policy maintained under this
Agreement. When required by an insurer, or if a policy condition does not permit Contractor to enter into a
pre-loss agreement to waive subrogation without an endorsement, then Contractor agrees to notify the
insurer and obtain such endorsement. This requirement shall not apply to any policy which includes a
condition expressly prohibiting waiver of subrogation by the insured or which voids coverage should the
Contractor enter into such a waiver of subrogation on a pre-loss basis.
The County, its departments, elected and appointed officials, employees, agents and volunteers shall be
named as additional insureds on Contractor's and Contractor's subcontractors' insurance policies by way of
Cowlitz County Request for Proposals # 2026-0029-01 Page 10 of 26