FBO JA Sole Source Fire Ignition Resources.pdf

JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL

ONLY ONE RESONSIBLE SOURCE AND NO OTHER

SERVICES WILL SATISFY THE AGENCY REQUIREMENTS

REQUIREMENT: Procure Premo Fire Balls for the Prescott National Forest Fire Cache located at 2400 Melville Drive Prescott, AZ 86301

1. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Southwestern Region, Forest Service, U.S.D.A. Gila National Forest 3005 E. Camino Del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: Sole source award to Fire Ignition Resources 7151 Horns Valley ROAD Talladega, AL 35160

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES: Aerial Ignitions Spheres. 1.25-inch-high impact polystyrene sphere containing approximately 3 grams of potassium permanganate.

4. AUTHORITY: 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(2) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies Will Satisfy the Agency Requirements.

5. APPLICABILITY OF AUTHORITY: Premo Fire Balls are manufactured in Canada by SEI. Fire Ignition Resources Inc. is the only authorized US distributor of Premo Fire Balls. These ignition devices are currently the only aerial balls authorized by the NWCG/ETC in Boise Idaho. Other fire balls are manufactured but are not authorized for use at this time.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITON: Efforts were made to check the availability of other authorized sources. No other source was found.

7. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST: This contract is for a quantity of 1260 boxes at delivered total cost of $248,507.00. Pricing for this contract is in line with price breaks offered to other Forest Service facilities and National Fire Caches and is therefore determined as fair and reasonable.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: The Contracting Officer (CO) worked with the Forest Service customer Prescott Fire Cache to gather all relevant information and documentation. The CO also spoke with Fire Ignition Resources regarding the availability, pricing and shipping costs. This Contracting Officer agrees that this was a sole source situation and that no other source will satisfy the agency requirements.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL

AND OPEN COMPETITION: Aerial Ignition is a critical firing technique used during the management of prescribed and natural fire. It is also one of the most dangerous activities that is performed with helicopters.

The fight profile used during this mission is low and slow, flying just above the tree tops in some cases and with very little forward air speed. In aeronautical performance charts, this combination of elevation and airspeed is referred to as the Deadman’s curve, and leaves little margin of safety in the event of an aircraft emergency. As a result, in order to manage risk to the extent possible, we must remain in this profile for as little time as possible.

The aerial ignition mission involves the delivery of spheres through an approved device mounted in the helicopter. The operator of the device is completely exposed to environmental influences as his/her door of the aircraft is removed during the mission.

There are generally 2-3 other people in the aircraft, including the Pilot, all of whom are exposed to this complex flight profile.

The objective of an aerial ignition mission is to ignite wildland fuels on the ground over large areas which would be too time-consuming for available resources, or in area where fuels and topography make ground ignitions unsafe for firefighters.

In order to ensure the aerial ignition platform is operating in the Deadman’s curve for as little time as possible, while meeting mission objectives, it is critical that we achieve as close to 100% sphere ignition (in a receptive fuel bed) as possible. After tens of hours every year bench testing the PSD machines using both Premo and other proposed candidate ignition spheres at the same hours delivering spheres from the aircraft. We have found that, on the Prescott National Forest, at the elevations, temperatures, and humidity that we generally operate in, the Premo fire aerial ignition sphere is superior to other alternatives in percentage of spheres which successfully ignite on the ground.

Utilization of spheres other than the Premo fire brand leads to more spheres having to be dropped in the same area, leading to more time spent in the Deadman’s curve, significantly increasing risk to occupants of the aircraft.

This is entirely a safety and risk management issue. The mixing of different sources inventory is also a safety issue since the products have slightly different chemistry. This requires the helicopter to land, recalibrate the glycol quantity, delivery timing and test fire the different product before flight. Adding to further safety concerns.

10. INTERESTED SOURCES: Fire Ignition Resources Inc. of Talladega, Alabama.

11. STEPS TO FOSTER COMPETITION: The acquisitions office will continue to thoroughly research every agency requirement and ensure procurements are competed to the fullest extent possible while adhering to agency manuals, policies, and instruction.

12. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S CERTIFICATION: I hereby certify that the above justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Sonia Torres Contract Specialist 27 January 2020