Amendment_No_2_18-R-9015.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES 1 6

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

AMENDMENT NO. 02 July 20, 2018

6. ISSUED BY CODE 024B 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

U.S. FOREST SERVICE - CONTRACTING

NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER

3833 S. DEVELOPMENT AVE.,

BOISE, ID 83705-5354

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

12-024B-18-R-9015

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

06/15/2018

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning 1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (if required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS PURSUANT TO: (specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER

NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment is to make the following changes to solicitation:

1. Incorporate the question and answer documents (part 1 & 2) into the RFP. All answers to the Q&A’s shall supersede any conflicting language within the RFP.

2. Attached a conformed copy of the updated solicitation incorporating all of the changes outlined in the Q&A’s.

3. Exhibit’s 2, 9, 12 and 26 have been updated according to answers to the Q&A’s.

4. The proposal due date has been extended to July 27, 2018 at 2PM (MST)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) Matthew D. Olson, Contracting Officer

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed By GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

VLAT Questions part 2

27. What data is available to suggest an MEI is necessary?

Question was answered on question 28. Change made to section to remove MEI requirement.

52. Page 47, H.7, states, “A flight crewmember from each CLIN shall submit data to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) at the close of each work day. The NICC will provide a means of receiving this data than can be accessed via internet or handheld mobile devices on the following website: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fjhn3h3JI- 4D04C_SiOIOsrXUD2FQJOhjWIeFtKG3Vo/viewform

Question was answered with answer to question 53 on previous amendment.

63. B.5(b)(1): States: ”In reference to the above requirements, vendors shall offer a Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for the proposed aircraft. AFM’s are not acceptable substitutions.” Question:

We don’t have a POH, we have an FCOM. Is this acceptable?

Yes. Please see answers to questions ?? and ?? for further clarification.

69. C.9(L)(2)(i): Talks about requirements for Check Pilots and AKTP’s. Question: Why do our company Check Pilots need to have MEI, and CFII? The same goes for the AKTP’s and at a very minimum current AKTP’s should be grandfathered.

Question was answered on question 28. Change made to section to remove MEI requirement.

This section will be changed as follows:

(2) Only the following personnel with listed qualifications and under the conditions as stated may be authorized as an additional crewmember.

(i) Check Pilot (Contractor)

(A) Shall be qualified as an airtanker pilot or AKC.

(B) FAA type-rated in the aircraft to be flown.

(C) Shall have current designation as a Check Pilot from Contractor.

(D) Shall have current Agency Qualification Card for the aircraft and mission.

80. The effective period of the resultant agreement(s) will be from date of award to December 31, 2020. The FS has historically awarded air tanker contracts for longer periods of time. Why is this effective period only 2 fire seasons in length?

The effective period will cover two full seasons and a partial season (2018). The Forest Service is continually looking at new methods to procure services and decided that this performance period was best suited for our current needs.

81. The DC-10 does not utilize Pilot Operating Handbooks. The DC-10 does utilize an AFM. Why is an AFM not acceptable? Why is a POH required?

Either document is acceptable. The POH and/or AFM must be aircraft and tied to THAT aircraft serial #. The intent is the proposal must contain the POH and/or AFM specific to the make/model aircraft, and serial number if applicable.

82. All personnel will adhere to applicable USFS policy in Forest Service Manual 5700, Forest Service Handbook 5709.16 and all pertinent agency plans and interagency guides.

Question 1) Who determines what policy is applicable?

Question 2) Who will notify the contractor of changes to internal FS policy?

Question 3) How will changes in policy that affect contract price be adjudicated?

The applicable policy is related to airtankers and other operational missions related to airtanker use. Including, but not limited to, airworthiness, pilot standards, operations, contract provisions, aerial supervision, and safety.

The contractor will not be notified. Policy changes will be disseminated during mandatory training, such as the National Aerial Firefighting Academy, quality assurance reviews, contract modifications, and inspections.

If policy affects the contract price, the Forest Service will determine who is financially responsible. If the Forest Service asks for something that increases the price, the expectation is that the vendor’s price will increase to cover the additional requirement.

83. Authorizations for contractor employees shall be on a limited basis and by approval of the Contracting Officer or the WO Pilot Standardization Branch Chief. Mechanics are not authorized under any circumstances. This change will restrict the ability of the contractor to move mechanics to a secondary location when the aircraft is ordered to overnight at that secondary location. The result will create an impossibility of performance standard is the aircraft becomes unavailable due to a mechanical issue and the mechanic is not present. In addition, the result will be contractual non-compliance because a mechanic is not with the aircraft at that secondary location. Will the government accept unavailability and not consider it a non-conformance, accept that a mechanic is not present and therefore a violation of the contract terms, and not withhold Availability payment when the aircraft become unavailable at the secondary location due to mechanical issue?

See answer to question 47. Airworthiness is good with adding one mechanic to C.9, (l)(1) and leaving C.15 (c)(8) as is.

84. Definitions and Abbreviations. The solicitation contains many references to ‘Large Fire’ and

‘Large Fire Support’. What is the definition of Large Fire and Large Fire Support?

A large fire is defined as greater than 300 acres. Large fire support is ground and aerial support of a large fire. In the context of this solicitation, it is not an initial attack fire.

85. Offerors with IAB interim/provisional approval- submit the most recent IAB letter documenting the IAB interim/ provisional approval. In B.2 for each line item being proposed state a daily availability rate that reflects a reduction from known or previously stated Call-When-Needed rates. Compliance with this requirement may expose competitors pricing since previous awarded pricing is available to the public.

Question 1) What is the basis for this requirement?

Question 2 a) What will be the contractor’s recourse to adjust the price upward after the Interim Approval converts to a Full Approval during the life of the agreement?

Question 2 b) Will the contractor receive a backward adjustment to the beginning of the BOA if the approval converts from Interim to Full and there are no defects or performance deficiencies with the tank controller System?

If the aircraft has only interim approval, it is not fully compliant for some reason. The government should not pay full rates for an airtanker that is not fully compliant. The reduced rates will remain until the aircraft and/or retardant delivery system receives IAB full approval.

The contractor would submit the full approval from IAB to the CO and request a price adjustment.

No. The airtanker is not fully compliant. The fact that there may be no defects or deficiencies in the system or aircraft does not warrant a backward price adjustment.

86. These VLATs will be required to have a minimum tank capacity of 8,000 gallons that will deliver long term retardant to active large wildland fires

Is the minimum tank capacity of 8,000 gallons accurate?

Yes.

87. Offerors with airtankers that have the capability of carrying 5000 gallons of retardant or more will confirm in their proposal

Is the minimum tank capacity of 5,000 gallons accurate?

No. it should be 8000 gallons. The sentence noted in Exhibit 26 should read, “Offerors with airtankers that have the capability of carrying 8000 gallons of retardant or more will confirm in their proposal.”

88. Considering that the award of the BOA guarantees no usage of the aircraft there is very high costs associated with the movement of the aircraft to a location TBD but has been historically Boise, ID for post award inspections. Also, the aircraft maintenance facilities and maintenance records are located at each respective contractor’s facility. Considering that the aircraft are currently fighting fire and will likely do so for the remainder of the 2018 fire season, how will the FS address the logistical issue pre-award? Will the FS perform the pre-award inspection at the contractor’s facility or the location of the aircraft at the time of the scheduled inspections? This requirement is not in the CWN LAT solicitation. Why does the VLAT solicitation require a pre-award inspection and not the LAT solicitation?

The FS will not perform pre-award inspections as stated in Section L.6 (b) (3) (ii) or B.4. B.4 and L will be changed.

B.4 will read as follows:

B.4 OFFERORS SHALL STATE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT THEY ARE ABLE TO

PROVIDE.

Total number of aircraft: ______________ L.6 (b) (3) (ii) will read as follows:

(ii) Equipment (Tank) - Describe the tank(s) design (include modifications/improvements), capacity, operational functions, reliability and coverage levels and status as to whether or not it is Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) approved. If the tank does not meet the IAB criteria, explain how it will meet the criteria prior to any orders. The minimum tank capacity required is 8,000 gallons of mixed retardant.

Copy of the IAB Static and Grid Test Reports from NTDP (MTDC) and IAB letter of approval or Interim Approval. Reason for being on Interim Approval and date interim approval will end. If the approval letter is more than 6 years old, submit the letter of approval from the IAB conformity check.

(iii) duplicates (ii) above, so will be removed.

89. Will the weighing requirement in B.5 and C.6 (a)(9) remain the same or will there be some flexibility in when the weighing can be completed?

The language in B.5 (a) (1) has been updated to read:

(1) Aircraft Empty Weight in mission configuration. ______________ lbs. (As weighed and lifted on calibrated scales within 60 days of the original proposal submittal due date or within 60 days of being carded as listed in Exhibit 20. Must be certified).

The language in C.6 (a) (9) has been updated to read:

(9) Aircraft shall be weighed and configured as an airtanker within 60 days of the original proposal submittal due date or within 60 days of being carded, and every 36 months thereafter. Exhibit 24, Form B is required. The aircraft shall also be weighed following any major repair or major alteration or change to the equipment list which significantly affects the center of gravity of the aircraft (see Exhibit 24, Form C).