11-25-54 Specs~Scope - Bergen County Mosquito Control Helicopter.doc

Bergen County Mosquito Control Helicopter

BC-BID-25-54

General

For Bergen County Mosquito Control program the contractor shall provide aerial application of specified mosquito control compounds or biological materials over acreage of tidal or fresh water marshes, marsh margins or upland areas within Bergen County primarily for the destruction of larval mosquitoes.

In the interest of minimizing insecticide hazards to valuable plant and animal life and securing maximum effectiveness under the special conditions obtained in mosquito control, the operation is classified as a professional technical service, where experience and demonstrated performance are primary consideration.

In accordance with these requirements the contractor shall provide the following:

a. Aircraft

b. Pilots

c. Airport facilities as required

d. Proper aircraft maintenance

e. All required fuel

f. Any and all services associated with providing the aircraft rental service described herein.

PAYMENT OF LANDING AND OTHER ASSOCIATED FEES

The contractor shall make all necessary arrangements for the following:

a. Use of each required airport.

b. Payment of all landing and other associated fees for airport use.

c. Payment for any and all repairs, contamination or damages that result from the use of the contractor’s aircraft, equipment, or personnel.

d. Immediate removal of all aircraft and equipment from the airport(s), unless other satisfactory arrangements are made with the airport authorities.

FACILITY SURVEYS AND INSPECTIONS

The County reserves the right to periodically, and at any time during normal work hours, to inspect the contractor’s work location. Inspection may occur prior to contract award or at any time during the term of the contract or any extension thereof.

In the event, the result of any inspection made by the County indicate that the material / services supplied do not meet RFP specification, the contractor shall immediately rectify the situation at no additional cost to the County.

LICENSES AND PERMITS

The Contractor shall be required to secure, pay for and maintain, during the term of this contract, all licenses, permits, certifications, inspections, authorizations, or any documents required by the Federal, State, County and Municipal governments to perform all services listed in this RFP. Upon request, the contractor shall supply the County with written evidence that such licenses, permits, certifications, inspections, authorizations or other required documents have been obtained.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE/PILOT PROFICIENCY AWARD CRITERIA

The contractor shall provide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved maintenance as necessary for the safe operation of aircraft. Maintenance shall be performed in accordance with all applicable requirements of the Federal government including, but not limited to, maintenance programs in accordance with manuals approved by the FAA.

The contractor shall provide fully licensed, qualified and proficient pilots who have met 11 applicable requirements of the Federal and State governments.

Inspection, Approval of Equipment

All aircraft equipment and storage facilities are subject to inspection and approval as per the “Facility Surveys and Inspections” section of this RFP by a representative from the County. Bidders are to specify where aircraft equipment and storage facilities may be seen for inspection. All aircraft equipment and storage facilities must be available for the inspection within one (1) week after notification.

PROOF OF AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP

Proof or aircraft ownership or evidence of a satisfactory lease agreement must be provided as requested at any time during the contract period. Failure to provide the ownership documents within five (5) business days of a request from the County shall be cause for cancellation of the contract. Contractor shall own a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the aircraft contracted. Failure to own fifty percent (50%) of the aircraft will be cause for rejection of the bid proposal.

CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION/LICENSE

The contractor shall be certified under Federal Aviation Regulations parts 91,135,137,141 and /or part 133 as appropriate. Contractor must possess licenses, certificates and registrations required by N.J.A.C. 7:30.6.2(a), 16:54 and 16:55 as appropriate. Contractor shall provide a copy of each required certificate, license, or registration as required by the County at any time during the contract period. Failure to provide proof of licenses, certificates, and registrations within five (5) business days of a request from the County shall be cause to void the contract.

CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL REGULATION

The contractor shall comply with all applicable FAA and State regulations.

CURRENT AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE

A current FAA airworthiness certificate must be displayed in each aircraft operated in conjunction with this contract.

INSTALLATION OF SPECIAL EQUIPMENT ON AIRCRAFT

The installation of any special equipment required by this contract must be FAA approved.

CONTRACTOR’S REPRESENTATIVE

At each airport being utilized by the contractor there shall be a contractor’s representative who shall have full authority to make decisions for the contractor and direct the contractor’s operations. The contractor’s representative shall be stationed at the airport for the duration of the contract service and shall be available for consultation at all times as requested by the Contract Manager.

PILOTS

Pilots shall be qualified and certified in accordance with applicable Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR’s) and capable of completing flight activities as scheduled. Pilots shall possess a current valid FAA commercial or higher pilot certificate and maintain currency necessary for conduction operations specified in this contract and possess an appropriate medical certificate as required by FARs. Each pilot must also hold an instrument, multi-engine or rotorcraft-helicopter rating(s) where applicable.

In addition to the above, the pilot shall meet the following minimum experience requirements which must be verified by a personnel or company log book when requested by the Contract Manager.

1. Rotorcraft-helicopter: total time 1200 hours, including the following:

A. Pilot in command rotorcraft-helicopter 900 hours

B. In each class of aircraft to be flown (make and model)

C. Turbine helicopter 100 hours

D. Multi-engine rating

E. Instrument rating

The pilot in command is responsible for the safety of the aircraft, its occupants and cargo. The pilot shall operate the aircraft in accordance with the FAA regulations. The pilot shall comply with the direction of the Contract Manager, except when in the pilot’s judgement such compliance will be in violation of applicable Federal or State regulations.

COUNTY’S RIGHT TO REJECT AIRCRAFT

The County may reject any aircraft deemed not suitable for providing services defined in this RFP. Qualifying tests of aircraft may be conducted by the County’s representative to assure that operational standards are met.

All operational costs incurred in conducting these tests must be borne by the contractor. All aircraft and equipment proposed for use in these contracts will be inspected for compliance at sometime during the term of this contract.

The County may reject at any time during the contract period the contractor’s representative, any pilot, or any other employee whom it finds unqualified or incompetent, violates contract provisions, or operates an aircraft or equipment in a negligent or unsafe manner.

Should the contractor wish to provide additional aircraft and pilot(s) that meet all RFP requirements, they may do so if approved in writing by the County. No adjustment will be made in the contract price for providing additional aircraft.

The starting date shown is the approximate date when all aircraft, personnel, and facilitating equipment must be ready to begin operation. The official starting date, to be specified by the Contract Manager after the award is made, will be the latest date on which the contractor must be fully prepared to begin operations.

The Contract Manager will determine whether the program process is satisfactory.

PERSONNEL TRAINING AND INSTRUCTIONS

When the pilot is asked to perform restricted flying duties which require special certification, the pilot shall attend indoctrination, briefing, debriefing, and refresher training sessions, when so requested by the County.

AIRCRAFT REQUIRED

Restricted agricultural turbine powered rotary wing aircraft with capacity of 400 pounds of granular insecticide and an application speed of 65 mph, such as, Bell 206 “Jet Ranger”.

SCHEDULE AND LOCATIONS

The scheduling of application of insecticides will be at the time and in areas designated by a representative of the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division. Applications will be observed and guided (with respect to placement) by a representative from the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division. The representative may change schedules for cause including climatic conditions, emergency priorities as may arise from public health situations or other conditions as determined by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division.

Flying operation dates will be from date of award through date of contract termination. Cost per hour should include pilot and aircraft for each of two one year periods through the date of contract termination.

The contractor shall provide the specified type and number of aircraft and pilots during the months of March through October inclusive. The actual dates shall be determined by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division.

CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY/PAYMENT

The contractor will be paid at the hourly rate for the actual hour flown.

Unavailability shall mean “whenever the aircraft of pilot are not in condition to perform or fails to perform duties as required by the term and conditions of the RFP”.

Rates will be prorated as necessary.

Each aircraft shall commence operations from an airport convenient to the area of operations, as designated by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division.

FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

The aircraft and facilities assigned shall have the following support capabilities:

· Heliports equipped with FAA approved lighting.

· Unicom radio for communication with aircraft and to monitor aircraft communications with base airport, other airports, FAA flight service stations, air route traffic control centers, arrival/departure flight control facilities as well as other airports and weather stations within the target area

· National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather recording/reporting equipment including, but not limited to: the parameters of rainfall, wind speed and direction, and temperature.

· National Weather Service radar access to the New York – New Jersey – Philadelphia corridor.

· Contractor provided USCGS maps and aerial photographs of target areas for flight planning.

· An FAA approved maintenance aircraft facility with the capability to perform repair of fabrication of chemical application equipment for use on agricultural (restricted) aircraft.

· FAA licensed mechanic will be on staff with regard to such work. A facsimile of “airframe and power plant” license must be submitted upon request.

· Helicopter operations must be from a facility with the above requirements, and may be centrally located. Loading and applications, however, will commence and conclude from a restricted helistop located near where service is required.

FLIGHT SCHEDULING

The contractor shall maintain a telephone number for scheduling notice and other related communications. The number shall be staffed and operating from 5 am through 9 pm local time or through official evening twilight which ever is alter and on a seven day a week basis during the months of March through October.

ADDITIONAL PILOT PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT

For all aerial application aircraft, pilots must have one thousand hours of agricultural flying time as a pilot crew member in a restricted aircraft.

CREW DUTY LIMITATION

Crew flight time for mosquito control shall not exceed a total of seven (7) hours per day/pilot.

LOADING OF AIRCRAFT

Loading will be under the pilot’s direction and will be inspected by the pilot before takeoff. The pilot will supervise loading, and apply insecticides as set forth in the Cooperative Extension Service aerial application training manual, “category eleven (11)”; where, as a New Jersey certified pesticide applicator, the pilot should make all efforts to avoid participation in the actual loading of the aircraft.

The useful load will not exceed the maximum specified by limitation for the aircraft at the elevation at which operating. Useful load will be reduced /downloaded to compensate for the density altitude and within manual and as provided by the FAA. The pilot shall compensate for altitude, temperature, landing field conditions, and other adverse flying and climatic conditions to insure the safety of each flight. The Contract Manager shall have the authority to reduce the useful load whenever special conditions require such action in the interest of safety.

Inspectors of the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division shall transport, mix, and load aircraft with granular insecticides. All other aspects of the loading of aircraft except as noted in this paragraph.

APPLICATION OF MATERIALS

The materials shall be applied at the rates and on the acreages as set forth below, or as designated by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division. Applications will be confined to the designated areas. Application of material to areas with different rates of application will be performed in such a sequential manner and be preplanned to assure the least possible amount of recalibration or change of equipment and/or personnel.

Dry formulations will be applied at approved rates of 0.5 pounds to 10 pounds per acre (minimum). These may include the following insecticides: Bacillus Thuringiensis granules and Bacillus Sphaericus granules. The insecticides to be used are subject to change.

WEATHER CONTROL OF FLIGHTS

During the day to day administration of the contract a representative from the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division shall use the following conditions as a guideline for when spray operations shall begin or cease. Spraying operations will generally, but not specifically be prohibited when the following conditions exist over the spray areas:

1. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions not met.

2. Wind velocity exceeds ten (10) miles per hour.

3. Conditions set forth by the County and N.J.A.C. title 7, Chapter 30, Subchapters 1-11.

RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS

A representative of the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division shall be authorized to accompany the pilot of spray aircraft on reconnaissance flights when required, and to orient the spray pilot and delineate spray area boundaries. This same aircraft with pilot and the representative will also be used to monitor spray aircraft during actual spray operations.

NOTICE TO PROCEED

The actual date spraying will start is dependant upon climatic and mosquito development conditions. It is anticipated that the applications will begin on the first of March. The contractor will be notified at least 24 hours in advance and will be required to have aircraft, personnel and equipment on location at the designated heli stop of operation within 24 hours after notification. The aircraft shall be available and ready for flight and spray operations with operating personnel and service facilities at the designated base point 24 hours/day in order to be on time for the beginning of applications; and must remain available and ready for use at all times during the period of contract. The ability to respond promptly to a call for spray services is of primary importance in mosquito control.

Failure to comply with a request within 24 hours, weather permitting, will be considered a breach of the agreement by the aircraft operator and the County shall have the right to continue work by other means , with the contractor paying for any differences between the contract price and actual cost to the County for obtaining services.

SEQUENCE OF AREAS TO BE SPRAYED

It is the responsibility of the contractor to provide services which respond to the demands of high-acreage mosquito control. This requires large payload (400 pound minimum) and wide-swath producing aircraft. Primarily, minimum speed via rotorcraft of sixty five (65) mph is necessary in order to satisfy Federal insecticide label requirements and to achieve an application rate of approximately 100-300 acres/hour.

All aircraft must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for application of agricultural chemicals. In this work, swaths of 65 to 100 feet are desirable in most areas to avoid excessive gaps.

AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

A. All aircraft shall be equipped with a fully operative two-way radio capable of transmitting and receiving 122.9MHz. The VHF transceiver must be capable of producing a quality level of output so as to assure easily-made, understandable, communications by both pilot and the Contract Manager. All aircraft must have cabin intercom headsets and microphones.

B. All aircraft, and surface support vehicles shall be equipped with an adequate voice communication device for non-FAA required transmissions and technical communications. This communication device must be able to provide voice communications between the base airport, the operating aircraft and any of the several target areas.

C. Radio equipment required for County use will be provided by the County.

D. All aircraft must also be equipped with global positioning system equipment, capable of delineating target sites, recording treated target areas and downloading such data for the production of reports and maps.

GRANULAR APPLICATION EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

The following are the requirements for the granular application aircraft.

A. The cargo payload should be 400 lbs. capacity minimum.

B. The flow rate and swath width must be produced by the blower, fan and spreader system of the aircraft, independent of the forward speed when the aircraft is at a fixed altitude. Airspeed-dependent or “ram-air” spray equipment will not be accepted as part of a provided rotary wing aircraft system.

C. Blowers should be electrically operated and valves electrically actuated.

D. Rotary wing operating airspeed should not be less than 45 mph and nor more than 85 mph.

E. The system should be capable of delivering granules with mesh size of 5/8 (bulk density approx. 25 lbs. per cu. Ft.); 10/14 (bulk density approx. 30lbs. per cu. Ft.).

F. The system should also be equipped with a spray “trigger-timer” which is capable of metering and recording the elapsed time of applying load.

G. All application equipment shall be fixed to the aircraft airframe and /or cargo hooks in a fashion integral with the fuselage or cabin. No slung, cabled or separated spray equipment will be accepted.

CLEANING OF INSECTICIDE CONTAINERS

Insecticide containers shall be properly handled, stored and disposed of by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division according to the guidelines of the New Jersey D.E.P. of Waste Management.

INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE – BACKUP AIRCRAFT AND PILOTS

The contractor is also required to provide and maintain at least one (1) fully operational spray aircraft and pilot, or each type specified in the contract, at all times during the contract period, adequate to insure uninterrupted performance of the contract. In the case of major aircraft malfunction which cannot be repaired on location, the contractor will be required to supply replacement aircraft to meet the same standards under this contract within 24 hours of a malfunction.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICE PERFORMED AND ACCEPTED

All charges will be made on the basis of tachometer hours involved in the particular application of insecticides. Helicopter hours are determined by recording hour-meter time upon arrival at the heli-stop or airport; and again upon departure at the conclusion of the operation. Ferry-time from base airport to county and fuel trips are not to be charged to the County. Hour meter must be mounted in a location easily visible to the Contract Manger.

Charges for inspection (area survey) will also be made on a tachometer-hour basis.

The aircraft contractor shall complete the aircraft spraying work record, providing all data required, prior to approval by the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division.

COUNTY PROVIDED INSECTICIDE

All insecticides will be supplied by Bergen County Mosquito Control Division and will be delivered to the designated heli-stop.

Additional Insurance Requirement

Chemicals drift liability coverage with a minimum limit of liability of $100,000 per claim/$300,000 per incident combined bodily injury and property damage. The policy shall be endorsed for; aerial application, crop dusting, spraying, and/or to include passengers with the County named as an additional ensured.

CONTRACT MANAGER

Mary Cate Rosen

Buyer – Purchasing Division

Bergen County – NJ

Ph: 201-336-7104

Fax: 201-336-7105

Email: MRosen@co.bergen.nj.us

DIVISION DIRECTOR

Warren Staudinger

Bergen County Mosquito Control Division

Bergen County – NJ

Ph: 201-634-2881

Fax: 201-634-2888 Email: WStaudinger@co.bergen.nj.us