Final Round Q-A 2022 Annual Review.pdf

Final Round Questions for 2022 Annual Review

Question: I currently have an alternate crew boss on an IA crew. I would like to use him on Type 2 BPA is that allowed?

Answer: Yes. Alternate key personnel are interchangeable. However, Primary key personnel are not.

Question: I wanted to reach out and confirm that my documentation certified by state is adequate to prove crews boss certification. I realize I will have to show currency, but to prove ff2-fft1 some of the records I am working with are from the early 90s and fading.

Answer: Any documentation from a Wildland Fire Agency representing that Key Personnel meet the position requirements will be accepted as representing Key Personnel qualifications.

However, fire history must be submitted to represent currency is maintained. I cannot provide a definitive answer at this time as the documentation must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Submit the documentation you have, and it will be reviewed.

Question: I need clarification on the term "performance" regarding Section C.17(b). "During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment." Is that 90 days after the award of the BPA agreement? After the Notice to Proceed? Is that after being dispatched to the first fire? Does this only apply to new BPA contractors? What are the first (90) days of performance?

Answer: The first 90 days is from the date of establishment of the BPA. Companies with existing BPAs with capacity that has already been established have already met this 90-day requirement.

However, any new capacity would have the same 90-day requirement. Furthermore, any time key personnel are substituted or replaced the requirements of Section C.9 apply.

Question: Can you clarify that the 2021 FS type 2 BPAs are currently active BPAs and the Company can status crews at this time with the 2021 awarded rates or were those only valid until 12/31/2021?

Answer: BPAs established in 2021 are valid through May of 2022 with the terms originally established (or until updates are finalized) whichever occurs first.

Question: Does Amendment 04 with effective date March 11, 2022 need signed and returned?

Answer: Yes.

Question: At which time the 2022 FS BPA’s updated pricing submitted March 30th, 2022 is considered fair and reasonable and awarded will that become the new award date and create an expiration date for the 2021 awarded crews?

Answer: Yes and no. Once the annual review is complete the new terms are valid, it is not a new award date unless you did not have a BPA already established from last year. Each annual review will be posted on or around December of every year and that review will be completed NLT May of every year.

Question: Will Key Personnel who have worked in the past 5 years as a CRWB but do not have a current WCFT or RT-130 within the past 12 months be considered for this agreement if they will complete their RT-130 and or WCFT at a later date before accepting an assignment?

Answer: Key Personnel must meet the qualifications as stated in the solicitation. One requirement is to have a valid WCFT and RT-130 (within the last 12 months) to be considered qualified.

Question: Regarding sufficient documentation of Key Personnel’s qualifications, as it lists in E.2.ii.(ii). Is the Exhibit D.9 “Key Personnel Resume Template" page 2 fire history section (which shows year, job title, fire name, fire number, # of operational shifts, etc.) sufficient to prove currency, fire experience and/or trainee experience for this agreement? If no, we need to send in copies of shift tickets to prove currency, fire experience or trainee experience?

Answer: If page 2 of Exhibit D.9 or an equivalent form containing at a minimum the same info is submitted and shows sufficient fire history for the position qualification then CTR’s need not be submitted.

Question: If an offeror submits an agency approved, signed, and verified ODF Position Qualification Inspection form and a properly completed Exhibit D.9 “Key Personnel Resume Template” for Key Personnel, will the offeror need to provide any further documentation for that specific Key Personnel to be accepted? For example, will a WCFT or RT-130 certificate be required?

Answer: Any documentation from a Wildland Fire Agency representing that Key Personnel meet the position requirements will be accepted as representing Key Personnel qualifications.

However, fire history must be submitted to represent currency is maintained. Exhibit D.9 shall show all relevant (up to date) training (to include but not limited to WCFT and RT-130 with valid dates when completed) but certificates are not required to be submitted. Each company is required to maintain training records for all personnel, and those records (certificates) can be inspected at any time to ensure they are maintained properly.

Question: In a submitted bid packet, if one Key Personnel, or one DDP, or one crew is rejected, will this result in rejection of the entire offer?

Answer: No. However, only capacity that is offered and has been determined to be technically acceptable with fair and reasonable pricing would be eligible for establishment under the BPA.

Question: Are multiple separate offers from a single entity acceptable?

Answer: Not sure what this question implies. You can only submit one quote. However, you can bid as much capacity (crews) at the locations you wish to be considered.

Question: I just wanted to confirm that section B on E4 is just an acknowledgment that we have completed the sam requirements electronically . Just wanted to make sure that no paperwork was required to be returned in that section. It is my understanding that C-V is not required since it is already in Sam. Is this correct?

Answer: You are required to submit all of Section E.4. However, if you read the instructions, it states that you only have to fill out section b if you have completed your reps and certs electronically through sam.gov.

Question: I have a firefighter who has completed the PTB and classes to become a crew boss.

Per the new requirement that overhead must be verified by a federal or state agency, I contacted my local state agency (ODF) and asked if they would verify the record. They said that they no longer do record verifications.

My question is: If my state agency no longer does verifications, how do I get this record verified? Do I send it to you?

Answer: We (the Forest Service) will only verify key personnel that are submitted on a quote in response to a solicitation. Or when the requirements at C.9 for substitution or replacement are met. That being said, if you are looking for key personnel, primary or alternate substitution or replacement then it needs to meet the requirements of the solicitation or resultant agreement.

What that means is we are not going to verify contractor personnel just because an individual has “met” a new position requirement.

Question: I'm not sure if the deadline to submit questions has ended but I am referencing CLINs and DDCs to finalize our bid, and realized that several DDCs are included in the map (Section B.4) that are not listed on the list of CLINs on section B.3 (e.g. Klamath Falls).

Section B.4 has a footnote that states that the map is only a visual general representation, but I was wondering if you could confirm that Section B.3 is the correct list of available CLINs (and not section B.4)?

Answer: The map in B.4 is for visual representation only. B.3 is the list of DDCs.

Question: Is there a limit on the number of crews a single company can offer?

Answer: No. However, you must keep in mind that this is set-aside for small business and at some point, there is a capacity that would/could possibly exceed the threshold for small business.

Question: Is the crew identifier attached to the location of the crew or the crew boss itself?

Answer: Both.

Question: Can you please clarify where we should return Amendment 4? Do we email it directly to you or send it with our response to the e-mail listed on the first page of the solicitation?

Answer: All responses to this solicitation shall go to the link listed in the solicitation:

(Type_2_.kk0kwrwu671ucku5@u.box.com) mailto:Type_2_.kk0kwrwu671ucku5@u.box.com