RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study Recommendation Copyrighted
April 6, 2026
City of Dubuque ACTION ITEMS # 2.
City Council
ITEM TITLE: RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities
Study Recommendation
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approval to move
forward with Wendel, Five Bugles Design, in partnership with
Mitchell Associates Architects, to complete the Fire
Department's Fire Station Location and Facilities Study for
$97,500.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. MVM Memo RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study
2. DFD-RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study
Recommendation 3-25-2026
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Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study
Recommendation
DATE: March 31, 2026
Fire Chief Amy Scheller is recommending City Council approval to move forward with
Wendel, Five Bugles Design, in partnership with Mitchell Associates Architects, to
complete the Fire Department's Fire Station Location and Facilities Study for $97,500.
This study will provide a data driven framework to guide long-term capital planning,
facility investment, station location, and service delivery improvements.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Amy Scheller, Fire Chief
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Dubuque
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TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Amy Scheller, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: RFP Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study
Recommendation
DATE: March 25, 2026
INTRODUCTION:
This memo respectfully requests approval to proceed with the selected consultant team
to conduct a comprehensive Fire Station Building Condition Assessment and Station
Location Study for the City of Dubuque Fire Department. This study will provide a data-
driven framework to guide long-term capital planning, facility investment, station
location, and service delivery improvements. The RFP outlined a two-part study to be
conducted by a qualified firm:
1. Building Condition Assessment:
A comprehensive evaluation of each facility's structural integrity, building
systems (mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing), code and ADA compliance,
deferred maintenance, and space utilization.
2. Station Location Study:
A professional analysis of station placement and response coverage using GIS
and emergency response modeling tools. The study will validate the City's
internal analytics which include current response and station location software
and planning development and growth projections. The selected consultant
would provide recommendations for optimal station distribution/ location and
long-term facility planning which would consider the current condition and
location of current stations as well as future projections for station locations. This
would confirm current locations or recommend a modification to current locations
which could include combining stations, moving stations, adding stations, or
removing stations.
DISCUSSION:
On November 17th of 2025 the department requested and was approved to issue a
Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify a qualified consulting firm to conduct a
Comprehensive Fire Station Location and Facilities Study. This project directly supports
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the 2025-2027 City Council Goals and Priorities, which identify the completion of a
comprehensive fire station facilities and location study as a top priority. The department
was also approved to reallocate funds from project 1315000028 with a balance of
$188,000 at the same November council meeting and limited the proposal request
amounts to $120,000.
On November 18, 2025, the RFP review committee was approved by the city manager
under AP 3.09 consisting of the following individuals:
Fire Chief, Amy Scheller
Deputy Fire Chief, Kevin Esser
Assistant Fire Marshal, Derek Paulson
911 Emergency Communications Manager, Jessica George-Rethwish
Project Manager, Jim Bousley
CFO, Finance Manager, or purchasing and Risk Manager as identified by the CFO
Planning Services Director, Wally Wernimont
GIS Specialist, Nikki Rosemeyer
Data Analyst, Braden Daniels
On December 1, 2025, the City of Dubuque issued a formal Request for Proposals
(RFP) seeking qualified consultants to complete a comprehensive evaluation of fire
station conditions and a station location study.
The RFP outlined a structured and competitive procurement process and clearly defined
expectations for:
• Facility condition assessments of all six fire stations
• Analysis of station locations relative to service demand and response
performance
• Validation of existing response modeling and GIS-based data
• Development of recommendations for modernization, relocation, or replacement
• Creation of a final report to support long-term capital improvement planning
The schedule of events for the project includes the following activities:
Activity Date
RFP Issued December 1, 2025
Deadline for Submitting Questions January 15, 2026
Distribution of Responses to Questions January 22, 2026
RFP Due Date February 5, 2026
Anticipated Evaluation and Award February 25, 2026
Anticipated Implementation March 2026
Report Completion August 2026
Presentation to City Manager/ City Council September 2026
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A total of eleven (11) high quality firms submitted proposals.
An RFP review committee consisting of eight (8) members representing Fire,
Engineering, Dispatch, Finance, GIS, Data/Analytics, and Planning conducted a
comprehensive evaluation. Each member independently reviewed and scored
proposals based on established criteria. The data analyst provided oversight and
documentation of the scoring during the initial review.
Following initial scoring, the committee identified a shortlist of four (4) firms for further
evaluation.
Formal presentations and interviews were conducted over two separate dates in early
March 2026. Following these presentations, the committee completed final evaluations
and reached consensus on the top-ranked proposer. The data analyst provided
oversight and confirmed the scoring results of the final proposers.
The RFP committee recommends moving forward with:
Wendel, Five Bugles Design, in partnership with Mitchell Associates Architects.
The selected team brings significant national expertise and specialized fire service
knowledge, including:
• Over 140 years of combined public safety experience and more than 400 public
safety projects completed nationwide
• Experience in evaluating over 150 public safety facilities and conducting
hundreds of feasibility, location, and programming studies
• Dedicated emergency services designers, including current and former fire
service professionals, providing real-world operational insight
• National leadership in public safety response, station location, facility design,
including participation on NFPA technical committees and industry recognition
Importantly, this team demonstrated a strong capability to independently validate and
enhance the City's existing deployment and response modeling. As outlined in the RFP,
the selected consultant will perform an independent review of current response
performance data, GIS modeling, and service demand trends to confirm or refine
existing station locations and deployment strategies.
Their approach includes:
• Advanced GIS-based response modeling and travel-time analysis
• Independent validation of existing analytical tools and assumptions
• Identification of gaps in coverage and response reliability
• Development of optimized station location scenarios based on current demand
and projected future growth and development patterns
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This ensures that recommendations are not only data-driven but also forward-looking,
positioning the Fire Department to meet evolving service demands across all areas of
the community.
In addition, the consultant team brings extensive experience in facilitating complex
public safety planning discussions with elected officials, staff, and the community. Their
proposal highlights a structured and transparent engagement approach that includes:
• Public meetings, stakeholder workshops, and neighborhood engagement
sessions
• Clear, visual communication tools to explain service impacts and options
• Collaboration with City leadership to support informed decision-making
• Assistance in communicating recommendations in a manner that is
understandable, transparent, and actionable for the public and City Council.
This level of engagement is critical for a project of this magnitude, where future facility
decisions will have long-term community and financial impacts.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Consistent with the RFP, the study will include:
• Comprehensive condition assessments of all six existing fire stations
• Evaluation of station functionality, compliance, and long-term viability
• Analysis of current deployment effectiveness and response perFormance
• Review and validation of existing GIS and response modeling data
• Identification of service gaps and future system needs
• Development of data-driven recommendations for station relocation, renovation,
or replacement which could include combining stations or adding a 7t" fire station
if needed
• Phased implementation strategies aligned with capital improvement planning
The study will leverage City-provided data including incident response data, GIS
mapping, demographic trends, and the Fire Department's Standard of Cover.
This project is critical to ensuring the Fire Department remains aligned with:
• Community growth and changing service demand patterns
• Industry best practices and response performance standards
• CPSE accreditation and continuous improvement efforts
• Long-term capital planning and financial stewardship
Equally important, this study will provide clear, defensible, and transparent
recommendations that can be effectively communicated to stakeholders, supporting
informed policy decisions and community understanding of future fire station
investments and timelines for collaboration and sustainability with competing needs of
the city.
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The recommended proposers cost was $22,500 under the RFP project cap amount of
$120,000.
To support this initiative, the Fire Department proposed and was approved to reallocate
existing funds from CIP Project #1315000028 (All Fire Stations Tuckpointing) with an
available balance of$188,638.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City approve moving forward with Wendel, Five Bugles
Design, in partnership with Mitchell Associates Architects, to complete the Fire Station
Location and Facilities Study for $97,500.
This consultant team provides the experience, technical expertise, and facilitation
capability necessary to deliver a comprehensive, forward-looking, and community-
informed plan for the City of Dubuque.
CC
Dawn March
Jim Bousley
Wally Wernimont
Jenny Larson
Gus Psihoyos
Kevin Esser
Derek Paulson
Jessica George-Rethwisch
Nikki Rosemeyer
Braden Daniels
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