Electrical Safety Program Consulting Services

TACOMA POWER
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
ELECTRICAL SAFETY PROGRAM CONSULTING SERVICES
SPECIFICATION NO. TP26-0118N

City of Tacoma
Tacoma Power/Transmission & Distribution
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TP26-0118N
Electrical Safety Program Consulting Services
Submittal Deadline: 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division by 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
For electronic submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by our email server,
as the official time of receipt. This clock will be used as the official time of receipt of all parts of electronic bid
submittals. Include the specification number in the subject line of your email. Your submittal must be sent as
an attachment, links to your electronic submittal will not be accepted.
For in person submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by the timestamp
located at the lobby security desk, as the official time of receipt. Include the specification number on the
outside of the envelope. Late submittals will be returned unopened and rejected as non-responsive.
Submittal Delivery: Submittals will be received as follows:
By Email: In Person:
sendbid@tacoma.gov Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building North,
Maximum email size, including attachments: 35 MB. Main Floor, Lobby Security Desk
Multiple emails may be sent for each submittal. 3628 South 35th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Note: Email may pass through multiple servers before arriving Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
at its destination. Please allow sufficient time for email delivery
of submittals. Timely electronic delivery is at the risk of the
supplier.
Solicitation Documents: An electronic copy of the complete solicitation documents may be viewed and
obtained by accessing the City of Tacoma Purchasing website at www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
* Register for the Bid Holders List to receive notices of addenda, questions and answers and related
updates.
* Click here to see a list of vendors registered for this solicitation.
Pre-Proposal Meeting: A pre-proposal meeting will not be held.
Project Scope: It is the City's intent to select a consultant based on qualifications and abilities of the firm
and key project individuals. The selected Proposer shall provide comprehensive consulting,
assessment, and planning on an electrical safety program for various divisions of Tacoma Power.
Estimate: The recommended budget for this work is $100,000 and should be completed in less than a year.
Proposals resulting in a budget over $100,000 will still be considered, but the additional spend will need to be
detailed in the submittal documents.
Paid Sick Leave: The City of Tacoma requires all employers to provide paid sick leave in accordance with
Washington State law.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Information: The City of Tacoma, in accordance with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. Specification materials can be
made available in an alternate format by emailing the contact listed below in the Additional Information
section.
Title VI Information: "The City of Tacoma" in accordance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. sections 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 08/12/2024

that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged
business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and
will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin in consideration of award.
Additional Information: Requests for information regarding the specifications may be obtained by
contacting Brittany Riolo by email to BRiolo@tacoma.gov.
Protest Policy: City of Tacoma protest policy, located at www.tacomapurchasing.org, specifies procedures
for protests submitted prior to and after submittal deadline.
Meeting sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities can be arranged with 48 hours advance notice by calling 253-502-8468.
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 08/12/2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST ......................................................................................................... 5
1. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 6
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 6
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES................................................................... 7
4. CONTRACT TERM ............................................................................................................. 8
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................................................................................................... 9
6. INQUIRIES ......................................................................................................................... 9
7. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING............................................................................................... 9
8. DISCLAIMER ...................................................................................................................... 9
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA ...................................................................................................10
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible scoring
criteria. ......................................................................................................................................10
11. INTERVIEWS / ORAL PRESENTATIONS .....................................................................14
12. RESPONSIVENESS .....................................................................................................14
13. ACCEPTANCE / REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS ..........................................................14
14. CONTRACT OBLIGATION ............................................................................................15
15. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS / GENERAL PROVISIONS ...........................15
16. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................15
17. PARTNERSHIPS ..........................................................................................................15
18. COMMITMENT OF FIRM KEY PERSONNEL ...............................................................16
19. AWARD .........................................................................................................................16
20. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT ..............................................16
21. PROPRIETARY OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ..................................................17
22. ADDENDUMS ...............................................................................................................17
23. LEAP REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................17
24. EQUITY IN CONTRACTING .........................................................................................17
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................18
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................26
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST
This checklist identifies items to be included with your submittal. Any submittal received without
these required items may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered for award.
Submittals must be received by the City of Tacoma Purchasing Division by the date and time
specified in the Request for Proposal page.
The following items make up your submittal package:
One electronic copy of your complete submittal package
Signature Page (Appendix A)
Information in Section 10 - Content to be Submitted
After award, the following documents will be executed:
Services Contract
Certificate of Insurance and related endorsements if required
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

1. BACKGROUND
Tacoma Power is a vertically integrated municipal electric utility that includes the generation,
transmission, distribution, and marketing of energy and serves approximately 190,000
residential, commercial and industrial customers in Pierce County, WA and operates remote
sites across southwest Washington State. The utility does business as a division of Tacoma
Public Utilities (TPU), a department of the City of Tacoma. Tacoma Power staff also manage
and maintain facilities for the TPU campus and remote sites. Safety professionals and programs
reside at the City-wide Safety department and are embedded within the utility.
This initiative scales successful electrical safety behaviors and systems across every Tacoma
Power location, recognizing that departmental needs differ. We are committed to shifting our
organization away from a dependent safety framework (where compliance is driven by rules)
toward an interdependent framework built on mutual care, ownership, and proactive team
involvement.
To learn more about the City of Tacoma, visit tacoma.gov
The City anticipates awarding one contract for this work.
The recommended budget for this work is $100,000 and should be completed in less than a
year. Proposals resulting in a budget over $100,000 will still be considered, but the additional
spend will need to be detailed in the submittal documents.
Submittals submitted and/or the selected Consultant(s) may be used for projects of similar type
and scope at the sole discretion of the City for up to one year.
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
The key personnel and any proposed subcontractors performing substantial work under this
contract, shall demonstrate the following minimum qualifications:
* A minimum of five (5) years of experience providing electrical safety consulting, program
assessment, or program development services for electric utilities or similarly complex
organizations with significant electrical hazard exposure.
* Experience conducting comprehensive electrical safety program evaluations involving
regulatory compliance, management systems, work practices, and organizational
implementation.
* Experience developing recommendations and implementation strategies for electrical
safety program improvement.
* Knowledge of applicable electrical safety regulations and standards including, at a
minimum:
WAC/Washington DOSH
o
OSHA
o
NESC
o
ISO 45001
o
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
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NFPA 70E and equivalent safety regulations
o
Electric utility best practices
o
* One of the following certifications:
Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional (CESCP)
o
Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
o
Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP)
o
Other equivalent credentials demonstrating electrical safety expertise (as
o
approved)
* A licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Washington or have an employee
of the company or a subcontractor who is a PE.
* At least 5 - 10 years of experience specifically in the electric utility distribution or heavy
industrial power systems with broader experience in light commercial/residential
industries. This experience shall encompass the full spectrum of electrical systems,
including residential (120/240 VAC), commercial (120/208 VAC and 277/480 VAC),
industrial power distribution (480 VAC through medium voltage), and utility transmission
and distribution systems, including substations, switchgear, protective relaying,
transformers, and high-voltage infrastructure.
* Experience in cultural transformation
* Expertise in DuPont Bradley Curve or similar maturity models
* Ability to conduct in-person interviews at various sites throughout the TPU Service Area
(Appendix A). Some of these interviews will be conducted in remote locations such as
the hydropower facilities operated by TPU.
* Ability to assess organizational structure, staffing, roles and responsibilities, and
governance associated with safety program implementation
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
Tacoma Power is seeking consultant services to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its
electrical safety program and provide recommendations to strengthen and advance the program
across the organization. The objective of this effort is to assess the current state of the electrical
safety program, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop a practical roadmap toward
a comprehensive, sustainable electrical safety program that aligns with applicable regulatory
requirements, recognized industry standards, and electric utility best practices. The evaluation
should consider program effectiveness, governance, staffing, roles and responsibilities,
implementation consistency, and the degree to which electrical hazards are systematically
identified and managed.
Tacoma Power's operating environment includes a broad range of activities and facilities with
potential electrical hazard exposure, including traditional electric utility operations as well as
hatcheries, office complexes, parks, campgrounds, communication sites, and other supporting
facilities and operations. The selected consultant shall evaluate the electrical safety program as
it applies across these varied operational settings and workforce functions. Work under this
scope shall include gathering and reviewing existing documentation and program materials,
conducting interviews and engagement activities with personnel at all levels of the organization,
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

evaluating current practices against regulatory and industry expectations, and developing
recommendations and implementation alternatives intended to support a future-state electrical
safety program framework.
It is the City's intent to select a consultant based on qualifications and abilities of the firm and
key project individuals. The selected Proposer shall provide comprehensive consulting,
assessment, and planning on an electrical safety program for various divisions of Tacoma
Power. The project will be divided into the following phases:
Analysis Report Steps:
Outline findings through a deep-dive analysis to evaluate the baseline. This shall include:
* Conduct in-person stakeholder interviews
Approximately 70 interviews to be conducted of employees throughout the
o
organization from management to field crews.
* On-site walkthroughs/field observations
* Operational assessments to include:
Organizational structure
o
Staffing
o
Roles and responsibilities
o
* Document reviews
Deliverables:
1. Issue a comprehensive report comparing the current operating baseline to the
interdependent state.
a. Must provide specific, actionable improvements in leadership, communicating,
and reporting.
2. ESP (Electrical Safety Program) Roadmap & Implementation Strategy:
a. Establish the ESP roadmap through collaborative planning guidelines and report
analyses. This shall include how to roll out the implementation via a phased
approach.
b. Within the roadmap, define which group(s) in the City responsible for every
phase of the project utilizing the standard RACI framework.
Responsible: Group(s) which performs the work to complete the task.
o
Accountable: Group(s) which delegates the work and is the "owner" of the
o
project.
Consulted: Group(s) which provides key subject matter expertise and feedback.
o
Informed: Group(s) which need to be advised of progress but doesn't actively
o
work on or approve the task(s).
4. CONTRACT TERM
The contract will be for a one-year period. The City reserves the right to cancel the contract for
any reason, by written notice, as stipulated in the contract.
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This is a tentative schedule only and may be altered at the sole discretion of the City.
The anticipated schedule of events concerning this RFP is as follows:
Publish and issue RFP: 7/24/2026
Pre-Submittal Questions: 8/6/2026
Response to Questions: 8/18/2026
Submittal Due Date: 8/26/2026
Submittal Evaluated: 8/31/2026
Interviews/presentations, on or about: 9/14/2026
Award Recommendation, on or about: 10/5/2026
6. INQUIRIES
6.1 Questions should be submitted to Brittany Riolo via email to briolo@tacoma.gov. Subject
line to read:
TP26-0118N - Electrical Safety Program Consulting Services - VENDOR NAME
6.2 Questions are due by 3 pm on the date included in the Calendar of Events section.
6.3 Questions marked confidential will not be answered or included.
6.4 The City reserves the discretion to group similar questions to provide a single answer or
not to respond when the requested information is confidential.
6.5 The answers are not typically considered an addendum.
6.6 The City will not be responsible for unsuccessful submittal of questions.
6.7 Written answers to questions will be posted alongside the specifications at
www.tacomapurchasing.org
7. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING
7.1 No pre-proposal meeting will be held; however, questions and request for clarifications of
the specifications may be submitted as stated in the inquiries section.
8. DISCLAIMER
The City is not liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent for the preparation of materials,
or a submittal submitted in response to this RFP, for conducting any presentations to the City, or
any other activities related to responding to this RFP, or to any subsequent requirements of the
contract negotiation process.
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

9. EVALUATION CRITERIA
A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) will review and evaluate submittals. The relative weight
of each scoring criteria is indicated in the table below.
Criteria Max Points
Qualifications/Experience of Firm 20
Examples of Projects 20
Reporting Capabilities 5
Client References 10
Fees and Charges / Method of Billing / Hourly Rates 15
Qualifications / Experience of Key Personnel 20
Sustainability 5
Equity in Contracting 5
Contract Exceptions 0
Total 100
After the evaluation, the SAC may conduct interviews of the most qualified Respondents before
final selection.
9.1 The SAC may select one or more respondent to provide the services required.
9.2 The SAC may use references to clarify information in the submittals and interviews, if
conducted, which may affect the rating. The City reserves the right to contact references
other than those included in the submittal.
9.3 A significant deficiency in any one criterion is grounds for rejection of the submittal as a
whole.
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible
scoring criteria.
Proposals should formatted as 8 12" x 11". A "page" is defined as one single-side of a document
that has written text or graphics. The font should be Times New Roman or Arial with font size no
smaller than 11 and the margins shall be 0.75" or greater. Submittals should be limited to a
maximum of 10 pages, double-sided, or 20 pages total, excluding any required forms or
resumes. All pages that exceed the specified page limit will not be part of the evaluation.
A full and complete response to each of the "CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED" items is expected
in a single location; do not cross reference to another section in your submittal.
Information that is confidential must be clearly marked and provide an index identifying the
affected page number(s) and locations(s) of such identified materials. See Section 1 of the
Standard Terms and Conditions - Solicitation 1.06 for Public Disclosure: Proprietary or
Confidential Information.
Request for Proposal Specification No. TP26-0118N
Template Revised: 08/01/2025