^
J
)
!
PA^'b^0^
•«.
T 0
•N ^
© z
{Q 0<5 0
^.^ ^^ 0^ i^reo
Agenda Report
July 20, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Fire Department
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT
WITH SINTRA GROUP INC FOR BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
SERVICES FOR FIVE YEARS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED
$400,000
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the project proposed herein is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the "Common Sense" exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that may have an effect on the environment; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a five-year contract with Sintra Group Inc. as the result of a competitive selection process, as specified by Section
4.08.047 of the Pasadena Municipal Code (P.M.C.), to provide pre-employment background investigation services, for an amount not to exceed $400,000.
Competitive price bidding is not required pursuant to City Chari:er Section 1002(F) Contracts for professional or unique services.
BACKGROUND:
The Pasadena Fire Department holds firefighter trainee and paramedic intern recruitments based on vacancies and departmental needs. Background investigations are a critical component of the hiring process and can help to minimize potential personnel problems for the Department. Components of comprehensive background investigation services include assessment of criminal history, drug usage, credit history, personal history, and employment records.
The Department typically holds one recruitment academy a year targeting approximately 15 to 20 recruits, requiring approximately 50 candidates to participate in background investigations. Additionally, as part of its local area recruitment Paramedic Internship program, candidates undergo background investigations requiring an additional 25 to 30 MEETING OF.07/20/2026AGENDA ITEM NO.1
Authorization to Enter into Contract with Sintra Group
July 20, 2026
estimated background investigations. Due to the particularly high number of targeted recruits and potential candidates over recent years and the establishment of the Paramedic Internship Program, a greater volume of background investigations are performed annually.
On June 26, 2025, the City published a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide background investigation services as required by the Fire Department. The RFP was advertised for close to four weeks through OpenGov. Notifications were sent to 824 vendors, and 37 vendors downloaded the RFP document. No local Pasadena vendors downloaded or submitted a proposal. On July 16, 2025, the Department received nine (9) proposals from vendors. Proposals were evaluated by three (3) independent evaluators from various Divisions within the Fire Department, based on pre-established criteria including Project Approach, Experience and References, and Cost Proposal.
Table 1 summarizes the average scores of the proposals by the evaluators:
Table 1: Proposal Evaluations
ProposerAverage Total Points
(Out of 100)
Sintra Group, Inc., Ventura, CA77.84
Research Associates, Inc., Westlake, OH77.33
National Testing Network, Inc., Lynnwood, WA75.83
North American Security and Investigations, Inc, Carson, CA72.16 Kentech Consulting Inc., Chicago, IL70.74
Tru View BSI, LLC, Arcadia, CA70.30
ASM Consulting & Investigations, Inc, Temecula, CA68.63 Palicon Group, Riverside, CA67.62
Crown Pointe Investigations, LLC, Rancho Cucamonga, CA67.27 Following staff evaluations, Sintra Group Inc. has been selected to provide pre- employment background investigations services for the Fire Department. Sintra Group's proposal presented the highest qualifications for meeting project understanding and the scope of work indicated in the RFP, professional experiences of key staff, prior experiences with similar municipal agencies, and pricing of services. Sintra Group also provided strong references across the fire industry, proposed a flexible turnaround time for project completion, and has a positive track record with the City of Pasadena. Based on historical annual expenditures for background investigation services, the Department recommends a five-year contract with Sintra Group in an amount not to exceed $400,000 to complete background investigations for recruit classes and paramedic intern candidates.
The Fire Department has previously contracted with Sintra Group, Inc. for these services. Contract No. 31,508 was executed on July 16, 2019 following a competitive selection process, in an amount not-to-exceed $200,000. In April 2023, City Council approved an increase and extension to the contract based on the vendor's performance.
Authorization to Enter into Contract with Sintra Group
July 20, 2026
Page3 of 4
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed contract furthers the City Council's strategic planning goals to ensure public safety.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
CEQA excludes, from environmental review, actions that are not "projects" as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 21065 and within the meaning of Section 15378(b). Sections 21065 and 15378(b) define a project as an action which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Section 15378 excludes from the definition of "project" government fiscal activities that do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. The actions proposed herein do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment, and therefore is not a "project" as defined by CEQA. Since the action is not a project subject to CEQA, no environmental document is required.
Authorization to Enter into Contract with Sintra Group
July 20, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total cost of this action will be $400,000 for a five-year term. Funding will be addressed by utilization of existing and future budgeted appropriations in the Fire Department General Fund operating budget account for contract services. There are no anticipated impacts to other operational programs or capital projects as a result of this action.
Respectfully submitted,
C^ A-^nO^
CHAD AUGl/STIN
Fire Chief
Fire Department
Prepared by:
St^kClk
Steph'anie Chan^
Management Analyst V
Fire Department
Approved by:
-a f
{^n
MATTMEW £'. HAWKESWORTH
Interim City Manager