B09_Amendment_4_-_GRTE_Fire_Extinguishers_Amendment_1_Q_A_0004.docx

140P1426Q0098 Amendment 4 – Questions and Answers

PRICE SHEET:

1. Could you please clarify the specific sizes and brands for the FE-36 (qty 7) and CO2 (qty 5) units listed in the price worksheet? We saw FE36 and CO2 mentioned on the Excel price Worksheet, but it is not mentioned anywhere in the solicitation or Statement of Work. We were wondering if is to be priced for inspections or to purchase a new product.

There are a few FE-36 extinguishers in the IT areas, and CO2 extinguishers in the auto shop areas. Price these as inspections only. These would just need to be inspected.

2. In cases where a 12 year maintenance would cost about the same as a brand new unit, would the park accept a new equivalent extinguisher in place of servicing the old one? The old units would be disposed of properly and documented. We want to make sure we quote this the way the park prefers.

Yes, however the NPS reserves the right to approve or disapprove the equivalent replacements.

3. The SOW estimates approximately 677 extinguishers, but the quantities listed by location total 658. Should proposals be based on 677, 658, or another updated quantity? Statement of Work section 2.0 states the total estimated quantity as approximately 677 units. The location table in section 3.0 (341 Moose; 66 Beaver Creek Housing; 25 Highlands Housing; 20 Lupine Meadows Housing; 40 Moran; 146 Colter Bay Village; 20 Flagg Ranch) sums to 658. Which figure should offerors use for the annual inspection line on the Price Worksheet?

700 - The distribution of estimated quantities is meant to demonstrate the approximate allocation of extinguishers throughout the park. If all the extinguishers end up being found, there is a slight possibility that 700 units might need to be inspected. Highly unlikely but want to make sure we have them all inspected if they do come out of the woodwork.

4. The Scope shows. An estimated total for Hydro tests of 227. Also 12-year Maintenance of 225 total units. Typically, a 12-year maintenance includes hydrostatic testing. Wondering if this is a duplication? I understand your totals are an estimate, and we can make adjustments as needed. That said for the purpose of out Bid, knowing if the number is 225 or closer to 450 makes a huge time difference.

12-year maintenance pricing should include the necessary hydrostatic testing. Please also price hydrostatic testing individually in case it’s needed. Price worksheet is revised to reflect this intention. Please note that the base year will have significantly more 12-year test and the price sheet has been adjusted accordingly.

5. Since we are working off estimated numbers. When we are on site, do you want all extinguishers serviced no matter if they are due? I understand this will keep you on a similar cycle. Or if a unit is not due for 6-year or 12-year for say 2 years, do we simply preform an Annual only and plan to service those units when due?

All units will receive the standard annual inspection and any other specific individual tests as needed.

6. Should the hydrostatic, six-year and twelve-year lines be priced at the estimated quantities shown in sections 7.2 through 7.4 as written?

Use the quantities in the price worksheet.

7. Parts: Are replacement parts reimbursed according to the contractor’s quoted unit prices, actual cost, or a separate allowance?

According to the price sheet.

8. Is prior approval required before installing individual parts? No.

9. The RFQ describes the award as a not-to-exceed lump sum while also stating that payment will be based on actual services performed. Will the contractor invoice monthly or after annual completion using the awarded unit prices and actual quantities serviced?

This will be a time and materials contract. Award will be made for a not-to-exceed (NTE) lump sum amount. Payment will only be made for actual services performed. These quantities may not be exceeded during performance without approval by the Contracting Officer. Contractor will invoice after the annual completion once per year. See added clause FAR - 52.232-7 Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts.

10. If actual quantities exceed the estimates, will the contracting officer issue written authorization and additional funding before the contractor performs the additional work?

These quantities may not be exceeded during performance without approval by the Contracting Officer. The contract awarded as a result of this solicitation will be a time and materials commercial contract. The contract or order will include a ceiling price that the contractor would exceed at its own risk. See added clause FAR - 52.232-7 Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts.

DATES:

1. Is the September 1 to 30 service window firm, or would the park consider performance in early October?

Inspections for 2026 should occur within 30 days of award. Option periods should be in September of future years if exercised.

2. The proposed schedule appears to contemplate two crews working concurrently over approximately three days. Is that staffing level and schedule mandatory, or may the contractor propose an alternate schedule within the September 1–30 performance period?

Yes, an alternate schedule may be acceptable. This is just an example of what has worked most efficiently for contractors in the past.

3. On page 8 of the Scope, you have your Proposed Schedule. With a potential of 677 total services, we estimate that 2 crews will take approximately 2 to 3 full weeks to complete this year's work. As for the following 2 years, they may take less time if no services are due. Are we able to take the time required or is the 3-day schedule part of the requirement?

Yes, an alternate schedule may be acceptable. This is just an example of what has worked most efficiently for contractors in the past.

TECHNICAL:

1. Please clarify what work the government intends to be included under the twelve-year maintenance line item beyond hydrostatic testing and the applicable internal maintenance. Cylinders that require testing for twelve-year certification and cartridge type fire extinguishers. Some six-year fire extinguishers are this type also.

Only work required by the NFPA 10 is intended to be included.

2. There are CO₂ extinguishers listed, but are there any SCBA breathing air cylinders, clean-agent, Class D, wet-chemical, water, cartridge-operated, or other specialty extinguishers included in the estimated inventory? If so, please provide their types, sizes, and estimated quantities.

Details are not available; only plan on the standard annual inspections for these models.

3. Should recharge be included automatically in the six-year, twelve-year, and hydrostatic-test unit prices, or billed separately under the applicable recharge line item?

Maintenance/testing prices should include the necessary recharge cost. Please also price “Recharge extinguishers” individually in case it’s needed.

4. If an extinguisher fails inspection or hydrostatic testing, will the contractor be paid for the inspection, maintenance, hydrostatic test, agent handling, transportation, and disposal work completed before condemnation?

Yes, they will be paid for the above listed items. The condemned unit will be replaced with an on-hand NPS unit.

5. The SOW requires the proper disposal of expired, condemned, or non-serviceable extinguishers, but there is no dedicated CLIN for disposal fees. Should the costs associated with the environmentally compliant disposal of these units be included under the 'Possible Hazmat charge (1 LS)' CLIN, or should they be built into the individual inspection and testing unit rates?

See updated price sheet.

6. Are you looking for a quote for extinguishers replacement or disposal of retired extinguishers. If you are looking for a bid on replacement extinguishers, I will need a size that you are looking for.

Only price disposal; the NPS has extinguishers on hand that will serve as replacements.

7. Does the government intend for the contractor to take possession of condemned extinguishers for disposal? If so, is destruction required, and what disposal documentation must be submitted?

If units are determined to be condemned while at the NPS site, the NPS will retain the unit and provide a replacement. If units are determined to be condemned while off-site (with the contractor), then the contractor will be responsible for proper disposal and the NPS will provide a replacement.

8. What work or materials should be included under the hazardous-material line item, and is it intended to be a single annual lump sum rather than a per-unit charge?

See revised price worksheet.

9. When extinguishers are removed for off-site maintenance or hydrostatic testing, how will GTNP ensure they have coverage during the testing period?

A temporary replacement will be privided by the NPS. Usually there are enough NPS-owned extinguishers in stock to switch out the units that are taken for off-site testing and maintenance. We have not run into having a shortage of extinguishers in the past.

10. Per NFPA 10 standards, when portable fire extinguishers are removed from service for maintenance or hydrostatic testing, they must be replaced by extinguishers of the same type and capacity. Is the contractor expected to provide temporary 'loaner' extinguishers while the Government's extinguishers are undergoing off-site 6-year/12-year maintenance and hydrostatic testing, or does the Park Service have an internal inventory of spares to maintain coverage?

A temporary replacement will be provided by the NPS.

LOGISTICS:

1. The SOW requires the contractor to provide transportation to and between work locations and to remove and return extinguishers requiring off-site work. Should transportation be included in each service price, or may it be listed as a separate per-cylinder, per-pickup charge?

Many units will be consolidated, but driving and walking is required at the various locations. This should be included in the service price.

2. How many off-site pickup and return cycles should the contractor anticipate each year?

Just once a year in September or October. The inspections usually take 3-4 days. For fire extinguishers that need to be taken back to recharge off-site, they are typically brought back to the park roughly a week later (in past contracts).

3. Will all extinguishers—including those from vehicles and remote locations—be consolidated at Moose, Moran, and Colter Bay before the contractor begins work? Which locations will the contractor be required to visit directly?

Fire extinguishers from vehicles and remote locations will be gathered to Colter Bay and Moose. The SOW has been updated to reflect this more detailed list of possible locations. The following are the locations to visit directly:

Flagg Ranch, Colter Bay, Willow Flats, Brinkerhoff (for 2026 only), Signal Mountain, Jenny Lake, Moran, Lupine Meadows, Highlands, Beaver Creek, Moose area, White Grass Ranch, LSR Preserve, Granite Entrance, South Boundary houses, Elk Refuge houses, Helitack Base, Kelly housing, Antelope Flats housing, Shadow Mountain.

4. Given the geographically dispersed locations of the 700 extinguishers across housing and remote areas, and the strict performance window of September 1 to September 30 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM), will the Government provide a designated escort or master keys/access codes to facilitate immediate entry into locked or restricted facilities?

Per the SOW, a Government-designated laborer will be available during these hours to assist with navigation and location access.

5. To assist with transportation planning and vehicle requirements, could the Government provide a general breakdown of how many of the 700 extinguishers are located in remote areas requiring specialized transport (e.g., 4WD vehicles or hiking access) versus standard administrative and housing areas accessible by paved roads?

Specialized transport is not required.

6. What specific duties will the government-provided laborer perform? Will the laborer assist with locating, moving, loading, unloading, and redistributing extinguishers?

NPS staff is not a “government-provided laborer”. Per the SOW, “NPS staff will accompany work crews to locations, or go ahead of their arrival to ensure fire extinguishers are outside where they are easily accessible.” Thus, NPS staff will assist with locating extinguishers. Examples of what the NPS representative may do as needed: unlock housing units, accompany the crews inside buildings, wrangle tenants’ pets, and also go ahead of the crews to retrieve extinguishers from the interior of the units and set outside to streamline efficiency for the contractors. We ask all tenants to set their extinguishers outside on their porches ahead of time, but many forget, so we often go ahead of the crews to make sure those forgotten extinguishers are put outside to speed the process.

OTHER:

1. The solicitation requests three prior experiences involving projects of similar size and scope within the past five years. May an offeror satisfy this requirement by submitting the relevant experience of a proposed subcontractor that will be performing the fire extinguisher inspection, testing, maintenance, and related services under the contract?

Yes, but the proposed subcontractor must perform the work if award is received.

2. The solicitation states that the contract is structured as a Time and Materials (T&M) Contract requiring fixed hourly rates, yet the Price Worksheet requires unit pricing per CLIN (e.g., per-each for inspections and tests). Could the Government clarify how invoicing will be executed? Will the contractor invoice based on actual hours worked at the fixed hourly rates, or based on the unit prices of services completed up to the Not-to-Exceed ceiling?

See added clauses 52.216-31 Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition and 52.232-7 Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts

3. The solicitation notes that the Service Contract Act (SCA) applies. Could the Government please provide the applicable Department of Labor Wage Determination (WD) number and clarify which labor category (e.g., Fire Extinguisher Repairer or equivalent) is expected to apply to the technicians performing the work?

SCA Wage Determination 2015-5409 Teton County is an RFQ attachment. The suggested labor category seems appropriate for the required work.

4. Is there a copy of an Existing Extinguisher Inspection report from the previous year? We can use this information to answer many of these questions.

No, this is not currently available.