SOLICITATION NOTICE
L -- Skilled Technicians with Specialized Knowledge and Ability in the care, safe handling, and health management of canines.
- Notice Date
- 4/15/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 812910
— Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Acquisition and Property Management Division, 650 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Room 3290, Washington, DC, 20226, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- 750100000480-BKW
- Response Due
- 4/25/2007
- Archive Date
- 5/10/2007
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a combined solicitation synopsis. No other solicitation is available. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. The requiring office is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Canine Training and Operations Support Branch, Front Royal, VA. Service is as follows: STATEMENT OF WORK 1. Background Information a) The ATF Canine Training and Operations Support Branch train canines to detect accelerant and explosives for State, local, and other Federal and foreign law enforcement agencies. The Accelerant Detection Canine Program places accelerant detection canines with State and local law enforcement and fire service agencies to support their arson investigation activities. The Explosives Detection Canine Program was initiated through an agreement with the Department of State to train explosives detection canines to be used overseas in the war against terrorism. In addition, the Explosives Detection Canine Program trains explosives detection canines for Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. b) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is contracting for a skilled technician with specialized knowledge and ability in the care, safe handling, and health management of canines. The ATF canines are housed at the ATF Canine Center located in Front Royal, Virginia. The workforce at the Center is composed of canine technicians and a canine center supervisor who are responsible for the care and health of approximately 45-70 canines housed in the kennel at any given time. The contractor performs the same work as the Canine Center technicians. 2. Requirements The contractor must adhere to the following requirements: a) The contractor would be required to possess a valid State driver?s license to transport canines to veterinary clinics. b) The contractor must comply with State, Federal, and local animal welfare standards. c) The contractor must follow all established guidelines and procedures set by ATF, the Canine Center supervisor and the Branch Chief. d) The contractor would be required to have knowledge of the manual labor tasks relative to the maintenance of a large kennel facility and experience in working with a veterinary in the proper care and health management of canines. e) The contractor will be required to work both indoors and outdoors during all types of weather and may be required to work in areas which are hot, cold, dusty, odorous, or with high humidity, as well as in closed areas and cramped spaces. f) The position requires considerable walking, standing, heavy lifting of up to 100 pounds, stooping, and other types of physical effort and dexterity in moving and distributing canines, animal food, and equipment, and in opening and closing kennel doors and gates. Although safety measures are taken, there is a hazard of injury or canine bites in working with unpredictable and new canines. g) The contractor is required to utilize proper and prescribed safety methods and safety procedures in handling trained and untrained canines in the kennel areas, public environment, and veterinarian clinic. The contractor is required to report all injuries and canine bites to ATF authorized personnel located at the Canine Center. h) During all operations on Government premises, the contractor shall abide the rules and regulations governing the conduct of personnel. i) The contractor will need to pass a security background investigation. 3. Hours of Work The contractor will work at the ATF Canine Center in Front Royal, Virginia. The contractor must be available seven days a week but cannot work more than 40 hours a week and cannot exceed 240 days a year. The working hours of the contractor shall be any 8-hour shift during the 24 hours of operation and is subject to call at any time. The contractor must be available for duty on holidays. The Government will provide a monthly work schedule to the contractor on the first of each month. The following Federal Holidays are observed by ATF: New Year?s Day, Martin Luther King?s Birthday, President?s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran?s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Inauguration Day (every 4th year, Washington DC Metropolitan area). There are certain types of irregularly occurring circumstances that prompt the government to close its offices where contractor personnel are working, either on a national or local basis (i.e. bomb threats, inclement weather, power outages, death of national figures, or funding lapses). Contractor shall not work if the Government is closed unless prior approval is given. In the event of a government emergency and the facility is closed, the contractor may work only if prior approval is received. Non-work due to the government closing its facility(ies) is not an expense directly reimbursable to the contractor. However, in those rare instances when the government operations are curtailed for the balance of a workday that has already commenced, the contractor may bill for the balance of the scheduled workday with the written acknowledgement of the COTR and final approval of the Administrative Contracting Officer. 4. Period of Performance The period of performance shall be 12 months from the date of the award of the contract, with four option years. Within each option year, there is a price increase. The government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the contractor within 30 days; provided that the government gives the contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the government to an extension. If the government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause. The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 60 months. 5. Tasks to Be Performed The contractor will perform the following tasks: a) The contractor will clean and disinfect kennel areas and/or canine housing and equipment, which include sweeping, scrubbing, and removal of canine?s stools, hair, and other debris. b) The contractor will administer functions relative to the health, safety, and general care of the Bureau-owned canines, which include, but are not limited to, grooming, bathing, exercising, feeding, socializing, and medicating. c) The contractor will assist the veterinarian and technicians in the positioning and restraining of canines for examination, treatment, and emergency procedures as required. d) The contractor will transport canines to veterinary appointments or from one kennel facility to another. The contractor will ensure safe handling of canines during transportation. e) The contractor will observe the appearance and activity of canines for signs of illness, wounds, disease, and discontent and will report abnormalities or noted changes immediately to the supervisor or proper authority. f) The contractor will assist in administering veterinarian-prescribed medication to canines on a timely basis. g) The contractor will maintain proper and accurate daily records and documentation relative to the health of the canines. h) The contractor will assist the Canine Technicians in cleaning of the Branch?s fleet of vehicles and will assist in transporting the vehicles to maintenance and service appointments. i) The contractor will be performing tasks relative to the maintenance of the kennels and other Training Center facilities. j) The contractor will set up the canine transport vehicles to provide for the safe transport of canines. k) The contractor will prepare training aids to support the program and accurately maintain all training aid documents. l) The contractor may perform landscape beautification and procurement of supplies. m) The contractor may assist in the procurement of canines. n) The contractor may assist in training support activities as assigned. 6. Contractor?s Qualification The contractor at a minimum shall include the following qualifications: a) The contractor must possess knowledge and experience working with a veterinary to properly care for ATF detection canines. The contractor will administer functions relative to the health, safety, and general care of the Bureau-owned canines, which include, but are not limited to grooming, socializing, bathing, exercising, feeding, and medicating. b) The contractor must possess knowledge of the manual labor tasks relative to the maintenance of a large kennel facility. c) The contractor must have experience specific to veterinary health care in order to safely care for and recognize factors necessary to maintain the basic well-being of ATF canines. d) The contractor must have experience restraining and handling canines. e) The contractor must have knowledge of canine care and health. f) The contractor must have the ability to perform the administrative functions of a kennel and training center. g) The contractor must know how to operate a computer and be familiar with the Microsoft Word Program and Microsoft Outlook in order to maintain and create canine health documents and reports. h) The contractor must have the ability to meet and deal effectively with managers, coworkers, colleagues, and customers. 7. Quality Assurance The COTOR will monitor and evaluate the contractor?s performance. 8. Payment Monthly invoices for fixed fee for service must be submitted to the Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative assigned to the Canine Training and Operations Support Branch, who will, upon approval for payment, forward the invoices to ATF?s Financial Management Division (FMD) for payment. The contractor shall submit invoices electronically. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all Contractor employees assigned hereunder shall undergo a Background Investigation to determine their suitability to access ATF facilities, proprietary information, and data, including ATF?s automated information system. The Background Investigation will be conducted by or under the auspices of the Personnel Security Branch, Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It is the responsibility of the Contractor employee to provide the necessary security package in a timely manner, through the assigned Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR), to ATF?s Personnel Security Branch so that a Background Investigation can be conducted. The Contractor shall screen and review each potential Contractor employee and ensure that each potential Contractor employee to be assigned to this contract possess a personal history that is in compliance with DOJ and ATF personnel security guidelines and will permit each employee to successfully pass a Background Investigation conducted by the ATF. Prior to requesting the potential contractor employee to complete necessary security package, the Contractor shall screen the following aspects of each potential contractor employee?s personal history: a. Criminal conduct b. Financial responsibility c. Drug use d. Employment e. Selective Service registration, if male f. U.S. Residency g. Country of citizenship During the Contractor?s review of each potential Contractor employee?s personal history, the contractor is required to review each potential Contractor employee?s personal security package to ensure the forms are fully complete, signed, and dated. The Contractor is hereby advised that a Background Investigation may take ninety (90) days or more to complete, depending on the complexity of the investigation. The contractor is encouraged to fill all positions with employees who have recently been the subject of a Limited Background Investigation (LBI), Background Investigation (BI), or Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) and/or who possess a Top-Secret clearance, or a Secret clearance based on a LBI or BI. The Contractor shall submit documentation proving such Investigation was conducted or clearance granted with the Contractor employee?s complete security package. In those instances where the Contractor believes that it (or any of contractor?s employees) will not need unescorted access to any ATF facilities, or access to any ATF proprietary information, data or automated information systems, the Contractor shall notify the COTR. The COTR will then apprise ATF?s Personnel Security Branch of the Contractor?s initial determination, citing the reasons therefore. The Personnel Security Branch, in consultation with the COTR or Bureau Contracting Officer, will make the final determination as to whether or not the contractor employee will need to undergo a Background Investigation. The nature and specific degree of Background Investigations will be determined by the Personnel Security Branch, depending upon the nature and degree of risk associated with the contract position. At the conclusion of the Background Investigation, the Personnel Security Branch will annotate ATF Form 8620.5, either granting or denying access, and return a copy of the form to the COTR. The COTR is then responsible for advising the Contractor of ATF?s determination. In those instances where access is granted, the COTR will be responsible for securing from the Contractor employee an executed ATF Form 8800.2, Conditional Access to Sensitive But Unclassified Information Non-Disclosure Agreement for Contractors. Access to ATF facilities, proprietary information, data, or automated information systems is not authorized until such time as an executed ATF Form 8800.2 is delivered to the Personnel Security Branch, Room 2474, 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20226, unless initially submitted with the security package. Contractor employees are not authorized to access ATF facilities, proprietary information, or data, including ATF?s automated information systems, until such time as they have been favorably adjudicated by the Personnel Security Branch in accordance with the adjudicative guidelines as directed by the Department of Justice. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT All Contractor employees assigned to this contract and working within the United States shall meet the DOJ Residency Requirement. The Residency Requirement states that, for three (3) of the five (5) years immediately prior to applying for a position, the individual must have: 1) resided in the United States; 2) worked for the United States overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas. This requirement can be waived for short-term (i.e., those employees performing duties for a cumulative total of fourteen (14) days or less) if there is a critical need for their specialized or unique skills (for example, interpreters for rare foreign languages). These individuals must be United States citizens or Permanent Resident Aliens. A waiver request from the head of the Component outlining the extenuating circumstances along with the requisite contractor clearance package shall be submitted through the COTR to the Department Security Officer (DSO) for approval. Each waiver request will be reviewed by the DSO and a determination made on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Justice does not permit the use of non-U.S. citizens in the performance of this contract or commitment for any position that involves access to or development of any DOJ Information Technology system. By signing the contract or commitment document the contractor agrees to this restriction. In those instances where other non-IT requirements contained in the contract or commitment can be met by using non-U.S. citizens, these requirements shall be clearly described. Additionally, any individual, whether employee or contractor, who is not a U.S. citizen must be from a county allied with the United States. Since countries on the allied nations list are subject to change, refer to the following website for current information: http://www.opm.gov/employ/html/Citizen.htm FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Contractor employees who have delinquent unpaid debt may be required to provide proof of payment and/or proof of participation in a payment plan. If this documentation cannot be provided, the Contractor employee?s Background Investigation may be terminated and/or access to ATF facilities, proprietary information and data, including automated information systems will be denied. DOJ & ATF POLICY VIOLATIONS A Contractor employee who is in direct violation of a policy established by DOJ or ATF may be denied access to ATF facilities, proprietary information and data, including automated information systems, without being offered an opportunity to mitigate the information. DENIAL OF ACCESS TO ATF FACILITIES, INFORMATION & DATA, AND AUTOMATED SYSTEMS In the event that a Contractor employee be denied access to ATF facilities, proprietary information and data, including ATF?s automated information systems, the Personnel Security Branch will notify the Contractor employee of ATF?s determination, citing the specific reasons for denial. The Contractor employee will be afforded fifteen (15) days to provide mitigating circumstances to the Chief, Personnel Security Branch. If the Contractor employee fails to provide mitigation within the allotted fifteen (15) days, the COTR, the Bureau?s Information Security Officer, and the Physical Security Programs Branch will be notified that the Contractor employee has been denied access and the matter will be closed. In the event the Contractor employee provides sufficient mitigation to warrant reconsideration of the original determination, the COTR and the Bureau?s Information Security Officer will be notified via ATF Form 8620.5 that access has been granted to the Contractor employee. Should a Contractor employee be found unsuitable, he or she may ask to review the investigative file by filing a request under the Freedom of Information Act with the Disclosure Division, Room 8400, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20226. It is the responsibility of the Contractor employee to assume any and all monetary liabilities associated with such request. In addition, if ATF denies a potential or current Contractor employee possessing the appropriate level of Background Investigation or security clearance as previously identified above, the Contractor shall deduct $1,100 from its next invoice for each denied potential or current Contractor employee, which corresponds to the cost to ATF to conduct the Background Investigation. The contractor shall deduct $1,100 from its next invoice for each potential or current contractor employee who does not meet the requirements set forth above, which corresponds to the cost to ATF to conduct a new Background Investigation. Pricing shall be submitted on a ?Firm Fixed-Price basis? for support services at a fixed daily rate. The following provisions are applicable to this commercial item acquisition: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations; (Vendor must furnish Offeror Representations in writing); FAR 52-212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; and FAR 52-212-5. The provision at FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. Offerors will be evaluated on (1) Technical Capability/Experience, (2) Past Performance and (3) Price. Order or importance of the evaluating factors will be in descending order with Technical being the most importance. Price is not a rated factor but will be considered as part of the best value decision. Award will be made to the offeror that provides the best value to the Government. The Government may elect to pay a cost premium to select a vendor whose ratings on non-cost evaluation factors (e.g. technical capability/experience and past performance) are superior. A ?premium? is defined as the cost difference between the lowest evaluated cost of a technically acceptable offer and a higher priced offer deemed to be superior from a Technical Capability/Experience and/or Past Performance standpoint. Interested parties must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration Database (CCR) as prescribed in FAR Clause 52.232-33 CCR can be obtained by accessing the Internet at www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423. The written quote must include Technical Capability, Past Performance and Price. This is all or none requirement. This Solicitation closes on April 25, 2007, 3.00pm EDT. Alternatively, vendors may fax quotes or email quotes and questions concerning this procurement to Brian Wilkins, 202/927-7311 fax, or email to brian.wilkins@atf.gov. NOTE: NO HAND CARRIED QUOTES WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE ADDRESS LISTED ABOVE.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Front Royal, Virginia
- Zip Code: 22630-0000
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 22630-0000
- Record
- SN01273985-W 20070417/070415220250 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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