US Forest Service Medical Qualifications for Wildland Firefighters
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a request for offers or proposals. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. It is to explore the interest and capabilities of industry to provide Medical Qualification Services for Wildland Firefighter positions the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) employees with specific medical standards and/or physical requirements. The Government will not accept unsolicited proposals, nor pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this announcement; all costs associated with responding will be solely at the interested party's expense. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized at this SAM.gov site. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.
The requirement to maintain minimum Interagency Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards is a condition of employment and critical to performing the full range of essential arduous duties and responsibilities safely and efficiently. eMedical is a web-based system designed to automate and facilitate the health screening and medical clearance process for wildland fire-related and incident qualified employees who are required to take the Work Capacity Test (WCT). It provides an efficient, confidential, and secure process for electronically documenting and tracking the Arduous Medical Process (AMP), the Health Screening Questionnaire (HSQ) process, and the associated forms and waiver information. More information on Medical standards can be found on the USFS eMedical Qualifications website:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/safety/emedical
The FS Fire Medical Qualifications Program (MQP) oversees the medical screening of all fire personnel with positions requiring fitness qualifications. When fully implemented, this program will have two pathways, one for light or moderate fitness levels and one for arduous fitness levels. FS employees seeking medical clearance to take the WCT will use eMedical to initiate the medical clearance process, complete the AMP or HSQ form and, if necessary, any additional exam forms and waiver requests. eMedical serves an estimated 17,000 USFS employees and Administratively Determined (AD) casual employees taking the WCT annually.
The Forest Service is implementing the Arduous Medical Process, each employee who holds an arduous fire qualification will have an initial exam, and then every three years thereafter. The Moderate and Light qualifications will continue to use the HSQ, obtaining exams on an as-needed basis.
Employees are located in all US Territories and States. Services shall be provided in fully operational and credentialed examination facilities, and health care providers to perform all elements of the examination within 50 miles radius of identified USFS wildland fire personnel duty stations. Alternative cost-effective solutions may be considered when services cannot be provided in the same facility location within the 50 mile radius.
The goal is to provide timely access to standardized, quality occupational medical exam services on a nationwide scale and produce accurate and secure records of these medical exams for all USFS positions requiring such. Services from a contract provider would include a basic employment physical exam and ancillary services (EKG, Chest X ray, urinalysis, audiometer, vision tests – distant/close visual acuity and color vision) as indicated. The contract terms would require providers to use eMedical to input and store exam information for employees, and maintain HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
Period of Performance: the estimated period of performance would begin August 2022, with an estimated 3500 individuals of arduous fire personnel going through the process, phasing in the remainder from January 2023 through January 2025, anticipating 17,000 exams over the course of three years.
US Forest Service is seeking information on firms that are interested in this acquisition. The North American Industry Classification System Code for this potential acquisition is 621498 All Other Outpatient Care Centers. The Small Business size standard is average annual sales and receipts for the past three years that are less than $22 million. If you are an interested, please address the below along with your Written Letter of Interest.
1)Provide Interested Party Information:
a)Business Name
b)Full Address
c)Point of Contact Name, include phone number and email address
d) DUNS Number
2)Are you registered in SAM (www.sam.gov)?
3)If registered in SAM as a Small Business, provide the Socioeconomic Programs type(s) that apply. For additional information on small business size standards and small business programs, please visit www.sba.gov
4)If Other Than Small Business, do you currently have an approved Master Subcontracting Plan?
5)Provide a synopsis of experience.
Firms who have experience in this specific scope of work and interested in providing a proposal are requested to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice via email to: rita.loper@usda.gov with their information by 4:00 p.m. (pacific), Friday, November 26, 2021.
12318722R0002 Department of Agriculture Forest Service
11/10/21, 3:20 PM US Forest Service Medical Qualifications for Wildland Firefighters
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Wildland Firefighter (FFTR) Medical Screenings, providing timely access to standardized quality medical exam services, producing accurate and secure records of annual medical qualification determinations for Forest Service (FS) FFTR positions. Provide FFTR (including annual new hires) initial and periodic (every three years) medical exams services required by regulation including basic physical exams and ancillary services, specialized tests such as vision, hearing, urinalysis, EKG or Chest Xray as required, performed by a licensed health care professional.
12318722R0011 Department of Agriculture Forest Service
5/10/22, 12:55 PM