SOLICITATION NOTICE
C -- Spectral Signatures Development and Upgrades for EPA ASPECT and DHS RDCDS
- Notice Date
- 12/21/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Program Management And Regional Coordination Service Center, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20460
- ZIP Code
- 20460
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-DC-07-00066
- Response Due
- 1/5/2007
- Archive Date
- 2/5/2007
- Description
- NAICS Code: 541511 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) National Decontamination Team intends to award a sole source acquisition to the University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry Optical Science and Technology Center under the authority of FAR Part 6.302-3. The primary purpose of this acquisition is to support the Airborne Spectral Photometry of Environmental Contaminants Technology (ASPECT) program in expanding the automated spectral signature identification for the FT-IR systems onboard the EPA ASPECT aircraft. Background: EPA's ASPECT project focuses on spectral technologies to remotely detect chemical and radiological vapors, plumes, and clouds. EPA operates the ASPECT system in support of local, State and Federal first responders. The detection systems being used rely on unique hardware and software components. The overall system configuration has been designed and optimized to provide the response community with standoff detection, imaging and mapping of chemical and radiological plumes from various sources such as facilities, transports, and other hazardous material release situations. The three main hardware components consist of a geo-registered high-speed infrared line scanner, a fast scanning FT-IR spectrometer and a gamma-ray spectrometer. These components are integrated with commercially available digital cameras, air-to-ground telemetry links, and various systems control computers. The entire instrument package is mounted in the passenger cabin of an aircraft uniquely suited for remote sensing applications. The detection systems, controls, computers, and monitors are mounted on specially designed racks installed in the aircraft cabin. A custom designed aircraft power buss supplies the required power for all of the above systems. Description of Work: The contractor shall provide to the EPA ASPECT program automated spectral signature detection software filter upgrades. The principal focus of the work will be chemical specific filters to install into the specialized software used by the ASPECT system for rapid, automated chemical detection. These software filters will be loaded into the software user interface to the data processing computer aboard the ASPECT response aircraft. These filters will improve the speed and reliability of the system to detect specific chemical signatures while responding to emergency response actions. Demonstration of Contractor Qualifications: The intended contractor, the University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry Optical Science and Technology Center, has unique qualifications and experience necessary for successful completion of this work, including: ASPECT Spectral Signature Pattern Recognition: The personnel available through the University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry Optical Science and Technology Center initially developed the data processing techniques designed for the outputs from the ASPECT MR254AB sensor. The intended contractor currently is in possession of significant volumes of previously collected data from the ASPECT sensors that are critical to the development of chemical specific filters for incorporation into the pattern recognition software program. Specifically there is a large amount of background data sets used to develop pattern recognition coefficients for these chemical signature recognition filters. The intended contractor is one of only two known existing resources with expertise and experience in the development and upgrading of the chemical signature recognition software being used by the ASPECT program. The second resource is unavailable to perform the needed tasks. The chemical signature recognition techniques applied by the ASPECT program deviate significantly from the widely practiced techniques being applied by other similar federal and commercial organizations. At this time the ASPECT sensor package has no equivalent commercially and no other vendor has developed the necessary skills to produce the spectral signatures data processing programs that are required..EPA has been determined that the University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry Optical Science and Technology Center is the only viable source to meet the Government's requirements. NO SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) IS AVAILABLE. Notwithstanding, any firm who believes it is capable of meeting EPA's requirements as stated herein may submit a response, which if received with 15 calender days of the date of this announcement will be considered. Responses to this posting must be in writing. A determination not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All questions should be directed to Rebecca Hindin via e-mail at hindin.rebecca@epa.gov. For information regarding the Statement of Work, please refer to EPA's Office of Acquisition Management website at http://www.epa.gov/oam/srpod/.
- Record
- SN01201490-W 20061223/061221221140 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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