HSC/YAK, 8107 13th St, Brooks AFB, TX 78235-5218

65 -- NOTICE OF CONTRACT ACTION (NOCA), SPINAL CORD INJURY TRANSPORT SYSTEM (SCITS) SOL F41624-98-R-1001 POC Crystal Ebert, Contracting Officer, (210)925-3756 WEB: "San Antonio RFP Acquisition Highway" business opportunities web page, http://www.brooks.af.mil/HSC/PKA/rfp.htm. E-MAIL: click here to contact the contracting officer via e-mail, cryebert@ldgate1.kelly.af.mil. Notice of Contract Action (NOCA). This announcement serves as notice to all potential offerors that the Human Systems Program Office, Aeromedical Sytems Division, Brooks AFB, TX, anticipates release of a solicitation for an engineering, manufacturing, development and production contract to design and manufacture a Spinal Cord Injury Transport System (SCITS). This system will provide the Air Force, the Army, and the Navy an improved platform and stretcher for the aeromedical evacuation and care of spinal cord injury, burn, and other trauma patients. SCITS will incorporate commercially available components and technology to achieve the current medical standard of care for these patients from the point of evacuation to release at a stateside hospital. SCITS will be a manually operated system that provides: 1) patient immobilization to ensure safety during all phases of transport; 2) traction that is acceleration independent (no weights); 3) side-to-side rotation -- 60 degrees to left side and 60 to theright); 4) trendelenburg/reverse trendelenburg -- at least 15 degrees; 5) a patient support surface that minimizes pressure related skin complications (bedsores), allows access to the occipital (back of head), rectal, and thoracic areas, and permits in place x-rays of the entire vertebral column, chest, and lower abdomen; 6) functional design that fits into and operates in the litter stanchion of primary aeromedical evacuation aircraft. The contractor will develop, prototype, test, and integrate SCITS into transport vehicles identified in the specification. The item developed must meet all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for a medical device and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for use on aircraft. The contract will include options for 170 production units and upgrade of test units to the final SCITS configuration. A sources sought synopsis was published in the CBD December 16, 1996. A draft copy of the solicitation was published on the internet, 22 September 1997, at http://www.brooks.af.mil/HSC/PKA/rfp.htm (scroll to SCITS). The solicitation will be released on or about 15 November 1997. The solicitation will made available on the internet concurrent to its release. The contract arrangement for this solicitation is cost-plus -- -incentive-fee for the development portion and firm fixed price for the production options. This acquisition will utilize full and open competitive procedures. Verbal requests for the solicitation will not be honored. Firms may request a copy of the solicitation from the office address cited above, attn: Crystal Ebert, Contracting Officer. Firms already having submitted a written request to receive the solicitation are already on the mailing list. All replies to this synopsis must include this solicitation number, F41624-98-R-1001. This announcement is for information and planning purposes only. It does not constitute an RFP and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerorsand potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the program director or Contracting Officer, but to communicate Contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Mr. Emile Baladi, (HSC/XRY) at (210) 536-2903. See also numbered Note 26 (0300)

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