SPECIAL NOTICE
H -- Fire Protection Inspection Services
- Notice Date
- 6/16/2005
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 561990
— All Other Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Office of Administration, 6011 Executive Blvd, Rm 538, Rockville, MD, 20892-7663
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7663
- Solicitation Number
- 263-2005-P(GO)-0052
- Response Due
- 7/1/2005
- Archive Date
- 7/16/2005
- Description
- This is a sources sought announcement to seek potential Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) companies that could fulfill the below requirement. Only Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) companies registered within www.ccr.gov as an 8(a) shall be considered. SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMMITTED TO AWARD A CONTRACT PURSUANT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME AND REQUESTS FOR SOLICITATION PACKAGES WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. The applicable NAICS code is 561990 and the Size Standard is $6 million average annual receipt. This Sources Sought Synopsis is in support of market research being conducted by the NIH to identify capable potential Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) sources. The purpose of this Sources Sought Synopsis is to determine if there are potential. Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) companies that are capable of performing this effort. If this acquisition is determined to be reserved for Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) business the Government will use the information gathered from this Sources Sought Synopsis to help identify Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) companies participating in this market. DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK FOR FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTION SERVICES Article 1 Background 1.1 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has responsibility for conducting, supporting, and promoting biomedical research. NIH seeks to improve the health of American people through increasing the understanding of processes underlying human health, disability, and disease. The NIH supports biomedical and behavioral research domestically and abroad. Furthermore, NIH conducts research in-house in laboratories, primarily in the Bethesda-Rockville, Maryland, and works to distribute medical knowledge to the public. 1.2 The main NIH campus is located in Bethesda, Maryland, an urban area approximately ten miles north of Washington, D.C. While the normal duty station of all personnel covered under this contract will be with the NIH Division of the Fire Marshal (DFM)/Office of Research Services (ORS) at the Bethesda, MD Campus, several off-site facilities also exist, which may or may not be covered under this contract. These other facilities include: the NIH Animal Center, Poolesville, MD; the Gerentology Research Center, Baltimore, MD; the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, Hamilton Montana; and Frederick Cancer Research Center at Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD. 1.3 The NIH Fire Marshal (Director, DFM/ORS) is the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), as defined by the National Fire Protection Association for matters involving fire protection and life safety for all NIH-owned facilities. 1.4 The occupancies classifications of the buildings under the jurisdiction of the DFM include: Laboratory/Industrial; Office/Business; Health Care; Ambulatory Health Care; Public Assembly; Animal Holding/Storage; Residential/Single Family, Hotel and Dormitory and Power Plants (including utility distribution tunnels). 1.5 In accordance with Public Law 100-678 the NIH is mandated to follow a nationally recognized building code, as well as other nationally recognized fire safety codes and standards. In addition, the NIH has established certain fire safety policies that may exceed, or amend, the provisions of the model codes. Generally the versions of the codes in-use are the most recent editions. At present the building code of record is the 2000 Edition of the International Building Code, the fire safety code is the 2002 Edition of the NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code. In addition, the 2003 Edition of the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code is used as it is part of the National Fire Codes. In cases of conflicting code requirements, the most stringent provisions apply unless the issue is specifically addressed per NIH policy or a Variance Request has been approved by the NIH Fire Marshal. The use of any fire or building code by the NIH may be subject to change in accordance with NIH policy. 1.6 Staffing levels for the Division of the Fire Marshal will be determined by the NIH Fire Marshal using a performance management approach. It is intended that the number of personnel provided under this contract mechanism be flexible to accommodate changes to the NIH Fire Marshal?s jurisdiction. Article 2 Specific Requirements 2.1 The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision and management necessary to provide all fire protection inspector services described herein. All work functions are categorized into the following groups: a. Building Inspections: The DFM is required to provide one fire protection inspection of every building under its jurisdiction on an annual basis. Upon the establishment of this contract all buildings under the DFM?s jurisdiction will be assigned to either civil servant or contractor personnel. The number of buildings assigned to the Contractor is subject to change based on civil servant staffing levels and the growth or contraction of the facilities within the DFM?s jurisdiction. (1) The Project Officer will advise the Program Manager of the buildings assigned at the kickoff meeting. (2) For all buildings under its purview, the contractor shall provide the Project Officer with copies of all inspection reports, violation notices and supporting documentation, which will be forwarded to the appropriate NIH authorities for correction or action. (3) Any fire safety violations observed by the Contractor and deemed to be an imminent hazard shall be identified and brought to the attention of the building occupants. Reasonable actions to mitigate the hazard shall be taken at the time of the discovery, if appropriate. The Contractor shall immediately notify the NIH Fire Marshal and provide complete documentation of the occurrence to the Project Officer. The NIH Fire Marshal shall be the final authority in the determination of the suitability of buildings (or areas) to be safely occupied. b. JCAHO Nurses Training: The DFM provides required quarterly fire drills/fire safety training for the nursing staff and hospital departments at the NIH Clinical Center (CC) in accordance with the requirements of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). Upon the establishment of this contract the CC fire drills and fire safety training sessions will be assigned to either civil servant or contractor personnel. The portion of the workload assigned to the contractor is subject to change based on the number of nursing units and departments at the CC as well as the civil servant staffing levels. (1) The DFM is required to perform unannounced fire drills for each 24 hour nursing unit and each shift (3 shifts per day) on a quarterly basis. This will require night and evening work to ensure that all shifts are trained. The ambulatory care units and day hospitals are trained quarterly as well, but only operate on a day shift. On the average these drills are ? hour in length. (2) The Clinical Center departments (eg. Pharmacy, Phlebotomy, Housekeeping, etc.) are provided with fire safety training that is arranged with the department in advance. These sessions are generally in a classroom setting and should average approximately 1 hour in length. c. Fire Safety Awareness: The DFM provides fire safety awareness information to the entire NIH community. This outreach is in the form of fire safety awareness training sessions, fire safety displays and news articles promoting fire safety subjects. Upon the establishment of this contract the fire safety awareness training sessions will be set-up on a building by building basis. Civil servant and contractor personnel will perform fire safety awareness training in the buildings to which they are assigned for the purposes of building inspections. Requests for training usually come from various safety committees and contact persons within the buildings. (1) Fire safety awareness training sessions are provided to groups within the NIH community (usually within a specific building). Topics may include, but are not limited to fire safety in the workplace, home fire safety, laboratory fire safety and dormitory fire safety. The fire protection inspector is given the latitude to tailor the training session to meet the needs of the group and these classes, which are generally performed in a classroom setting, are usually 1 hour in length. (2) Fire protection displays are set up 3 or 4 times per year (on average) in conjunction with NIH Fire Safety Awareness Day, other public safety events and NIH Career Day. Information and pamphlets are distributed and the DFM staff are available to answer questions from the community. Displays are generally setup for 4 to 6 hours. (3) Fire safety news articles are generally written for publication in NIH media such as the NIH Record and the ORS News2Use. Topics for publication are usually relevant to the season, related to significant fire incidents, discuss noteworthy changes to fire protection policies and identify major upgrades/changes to fire protection systems. The Contractor shall write fire safety news articles at the discretion of the NIH Fire Marshal, generally 4 to 6 topics per year. d. Hazardous Work Permits: The DFM is charged with issuing hazardous work permits Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM of each work week (excluding government holidays and periods when government offices are closed due to inclement weather). Civil servants and contractor personnel will split this duty on a day-by-day basis with one person assigned to respond to requests for hazardous work permits each work day. Hazardous work permits are required prior to the commencement of any work (by contractor or government employees) or operation that will involve the use of an open flame, or will evolve sparks, embers or smoke either in a building or outdoors. While the goal of this process is to identify the means to prevent localized hot work from igniting a fire, consideration shall also be given to minimizing the potential for unwanted fire alarms and unnecessary fire department responses. (1) Contractors shall receive and respond to requests for hazardous work permits within 30 minutes. (2) Contractors shall inspect the area in which the hazardous work will be performed and evaluate the nature of the hazard as it relates to the surroundings. (3) Contractors shall advise the requestor of any measures that will reduce the risk associated with the hazardous work in writing. Standard forms will be provided. One copy remains posted at the job site, one copy is provided to the NIH Fire Marshal and one copy remains with the contractor for record keeping. e. Public Assembly Events: From time to time the DFM is required to monitor public assembly events to ensure that the spaces are being utilized safely and in accordance with the posted occupant load limits. Civil servant and Contractor personnel will be assigned this duty on an as-needed basis. The lead time for such assignments is generally on the order of days or weeks, however, there are occasions in which the DFM is expected to respond immediately to evaluate conditions in which overcrowding is suspected of being a hazard to the public. (1) The Contractor shall evaluate the hazard of the public assembly event based on the actual number of attendees versus the posted occupant load limit, impediments to the means of egress, and impediments, if any, to the fire suppression and fire alarm systems. The identification of any issues that would compromise the safety of any persons shall be immediately forwarded to the NIH Fire Marshal. If the NIH Fire Marshal is not immediately available a reasonable means to alleviate the hazard shall be made in conjunction with the NIH Police and/or Fire Departments as necessary. (2) If the Contractor is called to respond to an area subject to public assembly that is not provided with an occupant load limit sign the Contractor shall use the principles in the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, to determine a safe occupant load for the area. The NIH Fire Marshal shall be notified of this determination and all supporting documentation shall be maintained. The Contractor shall then coordinate the NIH Fire Marshal?s requirements with the safe functional use of the space. (3) Any issues that involve the removal of persons from an event for public safety reasons are the responsibility of law enforcement officers. The Contractor shall immediately coordinate these activities with the NIH Police Department and notify the NIH Fire Marshal. (4) Public assembly events that involve the participation of government or private sector VIPs may require additional background checks or security screening for personnel representing the DFM. The Contractor is expected to cooperate fully with all security requirements prior to or during an event. f. Fire Investigations: The DFM is charged with determining the cause and origin of all fire incidents at the NIH. Per NIH policy a Technical Fire Investigation is required to be conducted for any fire incident involving $10,000 in property loss, injuries to personnel or loss of life. Investigation reports for fires falling under the threshold for a technical fire investigation may be required at the discretion of the NIH Fire Marshal. Civil servant and Contractor personnel may be assigned as the lead fire investigator for any incident at the discretion of the NIH Fire Marshal. (1) The Contractor shall be available to conduct fire investigations during normal working hours as well as off-hours (evenings, nights, weekends, government holidays and times when the government is closed due to inclement weather) and shall respond to all such requests within 2 hours. (2) The methodology for cause and origin determination shall be in accordance with a nationally recognized standard (eg. NFPA 921, Standard for Fire Investigations) and applicable NIH policies. (3) If the investigation reveals a potential crime scene the NIH Police Department shall be notified immediately, with subsequent notification to the NIH Fire Marshal. The Contractor shall preserve the potential crime scene until the arrival of the responsible law enforcement authorities. (4) If the scene is already under or becomes under the control of other government investigators (FBI, ATF, etc.) the Contractor shall cease his investigation until receiving clear direction on how to proceed from the NIH Fire Marshal. (5) All technical fire investigation reports shall follow the NIH Technical Fire Investigation format, which will be provided. (6) The Contractor shall provide information on any fire investigation, that is not considered a Technical Fire Investigation, in a concise format suitable to the NIH Fire Marshal. (7) The Contractor shall be available, under the provisions of this contract, to participate in any litigation that may arise from any fire investigation that he conducts on behalf of the DFM. g. Tent/Trailer Inspections: The DFM is responsible for inspecting and approving temporary facilities such as tents and trailers prior to occupancy by the government, contractors or the public. The lead time for any such inspection is generally 1 or 2 days, however there may be occasions where an immediate response is necessary. NIH has specific policy requirements for tents and trailers that will be provided. (1) The Contractor shall respond to inspection requests for temporary facilities at the discretion of the NIH Fire Marshal. (2) The Contractor shall recommend that the NIH Fire Marshal approve or deny occupancy for the temporary facility. If denial of occupancy is recommended, a punchlist citing the deviations from NIH policy shall be provided in writing. h. Consultations: The DFM provides consultation services, for matters related to fire protection, to the NIH community. Responses to questions from the community may need to be coordinated with the NIH authorities for Occupational Safety & Health, Security, Emergency Management, Emergency Response, Maintenance and Facility Management. (1) The Contractor shall respond to questions from the NIH community orally or in writing. Documentation of the response to the question shall be in writing (Consultation Form) and shall include appropriate references to fire code and/or NIH fire safety policies. Article 3 Contractor Effort Required The contractor shall provide staffing at the levels determined by the NIH Fire Marshal and will be notified at least 30 days in advance of changes. All contract positions shall be full time (40 hours per week). Article 4 Response Specifications 4.1 The Contractor shall respond to all problems presented by the Project Officer upon notification. This response shall conform, at a minimum, to the following schedule: a. Emergency Response: Emergency responses consist of: 1) assisting the NIH Fire Department with securing a fire scene and commencing any fire investigation efforts and 2) Responding to complaints involving potentially hazardous situations. The Contractor shall remain on the scene until a confirmation that a hazardous situation no longer exists or is released by the NIH Fire Marshal or his representative. From 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during regular work days, the Contractor shall respond within 15 minutes upon notification. During all other times (3:00 p.m to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, weekends and government holidays), the Contractor shall respond within two (2) hours of the first attempt of notification. b. Routine Response: Routine responses consist of addressing fire safety related issues that will not significantly interrupt or otherwise adversely affect the NIH operations or the safety of persons. Examples of routine responses include requests for hazardous work permits and any other condition requiring evaluation as determined by the Project Officer. From 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Contractor shall respond within 30 minutes to routine service calls and address each item within one hour. Article 5 Qualifications of Personnel 5.1 General Qualifications. a. The personnel employed by the Contractor shall be certified in the field of fire protection as Certified Fire Inspections and Certified Fire Investigators. In addition: (1) Fire inspector certifications shall be obtained through any state, the District of Columbia, or the National Fire Fighters Professional Qualifications Board certification program. The basis for the certification program shall be NFPA 1031, Standard for the Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspectors. (2) Fire investigator certifications shall be obtained through the National Association of Fire Investigators, any nationally recognized program that uses NFPA 921, Standard for Fire Investigations, as the basis for the curriculum, or any program that is deemed as equivalent by the Project Officer. (3) Certified Fire Protection Specialist Certifications shall be obtained through the National Fire Protection Association or any other nationally recognized program. (4) All Contractor personnel shall have a valid drivers license (equivalent to State of Maryland Class C) and shall remain eligible to operate government-owned motor vehicles as a condition of their performance on the contract. 5.2 Qualifications of the Program Manager: a. The Contractor will provide a Program Manager who will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of all the services required under this contract, all reporting of activities, as well as the supervision of employees. A detailed resume containing the information specified below must be submitted to the Project Officer for approval before assignment of any Program Manager to the contract (refer to Addendum to FAR Clause 52.212-4, paragraph 15, Key Personnel). Resumes shall include at a minimum: full name of the proposed individual(s); detailed description of the individual(s) previous five-year employment history; name and address of companies for whom the individual was employed for the past five years along with the name and telephone number of the immediate supervisor. The qualifications for the position of Program Manager are as follows: (1) 10 years fire inspections experience, and (2) Certified Fire Inspector III or Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), and (3) Certified Fire Investigator or (4) Registered Fire Protection Engineer 5.3 Qualifications of Senior Fire Inspectors a. Senior level fire inspectors will be expected to schedule, execute and document all work activities independently, coordinating their activities with the Program Manager to ensure that all of the Specific Requirements are completed during the course of the contract year. The qualifications for the position of Senior Fire Inspector are as follows: (1) At least 10 years fire inspections experience, and (2) Certified Fire Inspector III or Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), and (3) Certified Fire Investigator 5.4 Qualifications of Junior Fire Inspectors Junior level fire inspectors are expected to work independently in the performance of routine work items and are expected to work in conjunction with a senior level inspector in the performance of complex items. The requirements for the position of Junior Fire Inspector are as follows: (1) Certified Fire Inspector I and (2) Certified Fire Investigator ANY INTERESTED Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled 8(a) FIRM should submit an original and one copy of their capability statement which demonstrates the firm's ability to perform the key requirements described above. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. At a minimum, each 8(a) company shall provide capabilities/knowledge/experience specific to the Statement of Work (SOW). Also, a firm must demonstrate they have the necessary personnel with demonstrated experience, qualifications, labor, materials, services, equipment and facilities to support the efforts detailed in the Statement of Work (SOW). Responses must reference the sources sought to Sources Sought 263-2005-P(GO)-0052 and include the following: (1) Name and Address of the Organization, (2) If the 8(a) firm is Hubzone or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Disabled Type, (3) Point of contact with name, title, phone, fax and email, (4) DUNS number, (5) Contractors capability statement addressing the issues listed above, (6) List of organizations to whom similar types of services have been previously provided to include contract number, dollar value, name and phone number of contracting officer. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION REQUESTS. RESPONDENT WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED OF THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION. ALL INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. THE CLOSING DATE FOR RESPONSES IS JULY 1, 2005 at 1PM EST. Faxed and emailed capability statements are NOT authorized. All questions must be in writing and may be emailed to Zedekiah J. Worsham at worshamz@od.nih.gov. It is the vendor?s responsibility to call (301) 594-3560 and verify that questions were received. Questions will not be taken after June 24, 2005.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Primary Place is NIH Main Campus located at:, , 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Zip Code: 20892
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN00831032-W 20050618/050616211850 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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