2024 Portable Gas Detector Lease Software and Servicing (RFP) Final.docx

Request for Proposal Multi-Gas Detector Lease, Software, and Service

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (District) is seeking a company to provide a portable multi-gas detector solution to meet the health and safety needs of our employees. Proposal must outline equipment leases and a remote access Cloud based software solution designed to seamlessly identify, schedule, and document equipment maintenance and repair services. Proposal must also include service costs to configure, setup, and implement equipment migration within the specified schedule. Additional requirements and equipment specifications are outlined in the request for proposals.

The selected vendor must be the equipment manufacturer or O.E.M., authorized representative that can provide documented exceptional customer service and a long-standing history of positive professional relationships.

The contract will be awarded for a four year term. Specific requirements, specifications and expectations, and other details for this RFP are described below.

The district will accept proposals until 5:00 pm, CST, on Friday, May 24, 2024, Proposals shall be emailed to Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, Marcus Canty, at marcusc@madsewer.org. The email should clearly state in the subject line: “Multi-Gas Detector Lease, Software, and Service.”

Any questions should be directed to the project manager, Marcus Canty, Health, Safety and Security Leader, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District at (608) 709-1828 or marcusc@madsewer.org. The deadline for submitting questions is Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Only formal written addenda that are posted on the district website can materially alter this Request for Proposal (RFP). No verbal statement made by a district employee or anyone else is binding, nor shall such a statement be considered an official part of this public proposal.

The district is federal and state tax exempt and reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any technicality and accept any proposal which may, in its opinion, be advantageous to the district. All proposal responses and their contents will be public records.

Contents

I - Introduction

Established in 1930 to protect the lakes and streams of the upper Yahara watershed, the District is a wastewater collection and treatment utility serving about 429,000 people in 24 Madison-area owner communities covering about 187 square miles. Organized as a municipal corporation, the District is governed by a nine-member Commission appointed by the communities we serve.

The District owns and operates 145 miles of pipe and 18 regional pumping stations that convey approximately 37 million gallons of wastewater to the Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant daily. Through the treatment process, we recover valuable resources from the wastewater we receive before returning clean water to the environment.

Our mission is to protect public health and the environment. The District is dedicated to service, reliability, and sustainability, and our tradition of innovation has positioned us as a leader among clean water utilities.

Learn more at www.madsewer.org.

II – Background

The District staff use portable gas detection equipment throughout the physical plants inside and outside locations including wetwells, pump stations, and manholes. The detectors are exposed to different conditions, ranging from wet and humid to dry and warm depending on the physical location.

The majority of detection equipment is currently maintained in one dedicated area but there are also two remote docking station locations.

III – Objective and Scope

General Objectives The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (District) is seeking a company to provide a portable multi-gas detector solution to meet the health and safety needs of our employees. Proposal must outline equipment leases and a remote access Cloud based software solution designed to seamlessly identify, schedule, and document equipment maintenance and repair services. Proposal must also include service costs to configure, setup, and implement equipment migration within the specified schedule. Additional requirements and equipment specifications are outlined in the request for proposals.

The district’s goal is to select a vendor by May 31, 2024, and finalize the preparation for migration by June 21, 2024. The selected vendor must have the capability and capacity for a turn-key implementation by July 9, 2024.

IV – Deliverables

Program Requirements Vendor must provide a Cloud hosted Web-based Gas Detection Service program that includes comprehensive gas detection equipment management and maintenance service. Capable of providing documented exceptional customer service and a long-standing history of positive professional relationships.

The proposal must outline a four-year subscription agreement that meets or exceeds the following service and equipment specifications:

Required Service Specifications

· Cloud based Web hosted:

· Seamless administrative user interface with remote 24/7 access to gas monitoring data and fleet management functions. Including access to all program data via the internet from any web enabled PC or mobile device.

· Automated service program management that must limit required end user interactions to bump testing, calibration, returning and receiving equipment.

· Automated reporting capabilities that include scheduled downloads and remote printing capabilities for all instrument calibration, bump tests, gas exposure, history, and maintenance data.

· Automated emails alerts:

· Notifications (informational) – failed bump test, failed calibration

· Failed state – notification, required actions, return material authorization, acceptance, exchange.

· Centralized management of equipment fleet regardless of physical location. Including system management, program administration, instrument settings and optional features.

· Continuous internet monitoring of detectors and docking stations

· Support of major web browsers including, but not limited to, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox, and Chrome.

· Secure, off-site, and unlimited storage of all instrument data

· Real time inventory status and equipment identification in-use

· Automated 1-for-1 exchange, full repair (including printed circuit boards) and/or replacement per program guidelines of instruments, docking stations and accessories requiring repair service or maintenance beyond routine field calibration included in the guaranteed contract price.

· Facilitate required maintenance services for equipment repairs outside of calibration and bump testing (e.g. belt clip, batteries, docking stations) as necessary.

· Supply of all instruments and related equipment necessary to perform gas detection functions, including routine maintenance, per the user application.

· Manufacturer ownership and maintenance of all instruments, docking station and accessory hardware.

· Ethernet compatible docking stations to perform automatic instrument calibration, testing, data capture and communication to host Cloud software.

· Communication between docking stations and instrument hardware

· Remote monitoring of calibration gas usage and automatic replenishment of calibration gas cylinders

· Automatic firmware upgrades of instruments and docking stations and hardware, on-site via internet

· Annual program performance index which benchmarks client gas detection performance against industry best practices and other similar industry subscribers.

· Live technical support from customer-oriented, knowledgeable staff

· Greater than 99% of Cloud software uptime and availability guarantee excluding planned maintenance of less than 2 hours per week.

· Installation and setup of all docking stations and instruments

· Program startup and annual on-site training provided for affected staff that covers equipment, docking stations, instruments, bump testing, calibration, and software.

· Four-year subscription agreement which guarantees monthly costs for the term

· Provide customer support process and hours of operation

Required Multi-Gas Detector Specifications

· The proposer must be the equipment manufacturer or O.E.M., authorized sales and service representative with greater than 5 years of experience supplying, servicing, and administering a program of similar size.

· Must detect at a minimum four gases: oxygen, combustible gas/CH4, H2S and CO

· Sensor options

· Lightweight motorized integrated sampling pump

· Can be used without the pump for continuous personal monitoring.

· OPERATING TEMPERATURE RANGE

· -20 °C to 50 °C (-4 °F to 122 °F) typical

· OPERATING HUMIDITY RANGE

· 15% to 95% non-condensing (continuous) typical

· DISPLAY/READOUT

· Numbers and universal icons make the user interface simple and easy to understand.

· ALARMS

· Ultra-bright LEDs, loud audible alarm (95 dB at 30 cm), and vibrating alarm

· Dual level user selectable alarm levels

· POWER SOURCE/RUN TIME:

· Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack: Without pump – 12 hours (typical @ 20 ºC)

· Rechargeable extended range Lithium-ion battery pack: Without pump – 20 hours (typical @ 20 ºC)

· MEASURING RANGES:

· Combustible Gases: 0-100% LEL in 1% increments

· Oxygen (O2): 0-30% of vol in 0.1% increments

· Carbon Monoxide (CO): 0-1,000 ppm in 1 ppm increments

· Carbon Monoxide (CO/H2 low): 0-1,000 ppm in 1 ppm increments

· Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S): 0-500 ppm in 0.1 ppm increments

· STEL AND TWA READINGS AND ALARMS:

· Short-term and time-weighted average exposure measurements and alarms allow users to set instantaneous alarms at higher levels, allowing work to continue safely while still providing alarms in conditions of prolonged exposure at lower gas concentrations.

· DATA LOGGING:

· On-board continuous data logging memory can store a minimum of three months of data for the four- sensor configuration at the fixed 10-second interval.

· ALARM EVENT LOG:

· On-board event-logger will record the last sixty alarm events in its memory.

· CONFIDENCE INDICATOR:

· Confidence indicator will emit a signal every 90-120 seconds to inform the user that the unit is operational.

· PROGRAMMABLE BUMP TEST MODE:

· Prompts user to bump test the instrument on a regular basis and provides an alarm that prevents normal use if bump test has not been performed at the desired interval.

· CALIBRATION OVERDUE ALARM:

· Prompts user and prevents normal use if instrument has not been calibrated within the user-prescribed time limit.

· CLOUD-CONNECTED DOCKING STATION COMPATIBLE:

· Provides automatic calibration, bump testing, instrument diagnostics and record keeping, simplifying instrument fleet management.

· Requires no software or computer hardware installation and connects directly to the Internet via an Ethernet interface.

· Used with web-based applications with user friendly interface.

· COMPATIBLE:

· Provide factory monitoring and servicing of the gas detection fleet without the need to purchase a single piece of equipment.

· Out of Warranty repair and replacement

· Cost to replace customer damaged equipment.

Minimum Equipment Requirements Vendor must maintain the minimum equipment requirements listed below at all times or provide District approved supplemental equipment to continuously meet the minimum equipment requirements.

· 5 docking stations – 3 in our Maintenance Facility, 1 in our Operations Control Room and 1 in our Electrical U3 Building.

· 8 Pump portable multi-gas detectors

· 25 Diffusion portable multi-gas detectors

· 6 – 6 unit charging stations (or configuration so all detectors can be mounted)

· 4 – 1 unit charging units

· Docking configuration must provide a docking station for each unit.

· Calibration gases in three locations

Timeline

The RFP timetable is tentative only and may be changed by MMSD at any time.

Kick-off meeting with District staff.

The purpose of this meeting, which will be led by the project manager, will be to identify primary points of contact, discuss roles and responsibilities, review the implementation schedule, and discuss the technical objectives of the work. The Kick-Off Meeting may be held at the District. This meeting must take place within five business days of contract execution. Work to commence within 2 weeks of the kickoff.

V – Submittal Requirements Your proposal packet must include the items listed in this section in order to be considered.

Cover Letter Include a brief cover letter with the following information:

· Your company name and address.

· Identify the name, title, and email of the contact person for questions and responses to your proposal.

· Briefly describe your understanding of this RFP.

Project Plan

· Include a detailed plan for meeting the needs described in this RFP.

· Acknowledgement of the objectives, scope and deliverables.

· Acknowledgement of initial startup and annually scheduled training.

Submission Content

· Briefly describe how client to Customer Service interaction and communications happens in a Cloud environment in regard to equipment repairs, warranty, product updates, and any other typical interactions for this type of program.

· Submit a general description of your understanding of the equipment and services that will be provided.

· Briefly describe your organization’s expertise and experience related to portable multi-gas instrument implementation and service.

· Include mention of any relevant certifications or technology partnerships that your company has that might add value to your services for this project.

· Complete and submit Appendix A, Appendix B, and Appendix C as outlined in each appendix.

· Provide current reference contacts within the last two years.

District Provided Resources The following resources will be available to the selected vendor:

· The district will provide the vendor with approved access to staff, workspace, internet, and any other available technology documentation related to work to be done.

· District staff will be available to attend and participate in scheduled meetings.

· District project manager and electrical staff will be available to assist with integration.

References References from 2 customers for whom you have completed a similar project(s) within the past two years. Ideally, these would involve customers of comparable size to the District.

Also provide customer support representative or key staff that will be directly involved with long-term project support.

VI - Evaluation and Scoring of Proposals, Product Demonstration, Selection, and Contracting

The award shall be made to the company receiving the highest score by the project review team, based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the Request for Proposals and upon negotiation of compensation determined to be fair and reasonable. If compensation cannot be agreed upon with the highest-scored company, negotiations may be conducted with such other companies in order of their respective ranking; the contract may be awarded to the company then ranked as best qualified.

The team will review all proposal responses. The District will not award a contract solely regarding price; the award will be made in the District's best interest as evaluated by members of the project review team. Proposal evaluation, scoring, demonstration, and company selection as follows:

Round 1 – Submitted proposal will be scored using the criteria listed in the table below.

Round 2 - If needed the District may require proposers to provide a product demonstration, including a Q & A session. The project manager will communicate specific details after Round 1 is completed.

The project review team will consider Round 1 and Round 2 to determine the highest overall score.

The successful company must sign the District Professional Services Agreement and if the contract requires onsite work, the successful Consultant must provide a certificate of insurance.

Ability. Preference will be given to proposals the describe the ability to support the project as described in this RFP. And the ability to meet or exceed the deliverables outlined in section IV. Including but not limited to, meeting program, service, and equipment requirements at all times.

Providing a Cloud based solution capable of monitoring, capturing, recording, reporting, and storing of gas detector and calibration gas data including but not limited to bump testing, calibration, error records, and gas supply.

Also important is the ability to meet the deadline of GoLive.

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Experience. Preference will be given to proposals that clearly show years of experience, including references from customers and involved staff that highlights successful implementation of a gas detector program of a similar size and complexity for a wastewater treatment or similar utility or type of environment.

Also important will be a documented past record of experience relative to program management, and effectively maintaining minimum equipment requirements.

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VII - Additional Provisions Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements In connection with the performance of work for this project and under the related contract, the Proposer agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, disability, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other status protected by law. This provision shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship.

Revision to the RFP The District may modify or amend this RFP at any time. In such an event, the submission deadline may be extended, at the option of the District, to allow Proposers the opportunity to revise their proposals accordingly.

Errors in Proposals Proposers will not be allowed to change or alter their proposals after the deadline for proposal submission. The District reserves the right, however, to correct obvious errors such as math errors in extended pricing (not unit pricing). This type of correction may only be allowed for “obvious” errors such as arithmetic, typographical, or transposition errors. Any such corrections shall be approved by the District and countersigned by the Proposer. Proposers are advised to make sure that their proposals are true and correct.

Safety The contractor agrees to perform all work for this project and under the related contract in accordance with the District’s guidelines and all local, state, and federal safety regulations.

Use, Disclosure, and Confidentiality of Information The information supplied by a Proposer as part of an RFP response will become the property of the District. Proposals will be available to interested parties in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Records Law. None of the proposal responses will be made available to the public until after negotiation and award of a contract or cancellation of the procurement.

To the extent allowed by law, the District will treat trade secrets as confidential (if designated as confidential and submitted separately in a sealed envelope). If a Proposer wishes for a proposal to remain confidential, the Proposer must, before submitting a proposal, establish to the District’s satisfaction that the proposal be given confidential status. The District reserves the right to make any final disclosure determinations in accordance with the law. (Note: Pricing information will not be considered confidential.)

Confidentiality Any data or other information regarding the District’s customers, operations, or methods obtained by the Contractor during the course of the project shall remain confidential and shall not be released to third parties without the express written consent of the District.

Use of the District’s Name Upon entering an agreement, the successful Contractor agrees not to use the name of the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District in relation to the agreement in commercial advertising, trade literature, or press releases to the public without the prior written approval of the District. The District has the right to enjoin the Contractor from any such use in violation of this provision, and the Contractor shall be responsible for damages and reimbursement of actual reasonable legal fees incurred with regard to legal evaluation and/or legal action taken by the District because of the Contractor’s violation of this provision, including fees incurred to obtain an injunction.

Insurance Requirements The Contractor shall not commence work under this Contract until all insurance required hereunder has been obtained and such insurance certification has been reviewed by the Owner. Review of the insurance certification by the Owner shall not relieve or decrease the liability of the Contractor hereunder. The insurance certification shall be named Additional Insureds the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District.

The Contractor shall obtain, pay for, and maintain during the life of this Contract such Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability, Comprehensive General Liability, Business Automobile Liability, and Umbrella Liability Insurance to protect the Contractor performing work covered by this Contract from claims for damages for bodily injury, including accidental death, as well as for claims for property damage which may arise from operations under this Contract whether such operations be by himself or any Subcontractor, or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them, on the forms, and with limits not less than set forth below:

· Comprehensive general liability - Each occurrence limit shall be at least $1,000,000.

· Commercial automobile liability - Auto liability policy shall cover all autos, whether owned, non-owned, or hired. Bodily injury and property damage limits shall be at least $1,000,000 each, or combined single limit shall be at least $1,000,000.

· Bodily injury - Limits for each occurrence shall be at least $1,000,000.

· Property damage - Limits for each occurrence shall be at least $1,000,000.

· Excess liability umbrella form - Umbrella limits shall be at least $1,000,000 aggregate/$1,000,000 each occurrence.

· Worker’s compensation and employer’s liability - Worker’s compensation limits shall be in accordance with all applicable state and federal statutes.

Appendix A – Program Cost Detail Form

Program Cost Detail Form

This form must be completed and returned with your proposal. Use the Comments column to further explain items when needed. All proposal costs must be reflected in this form. If you need to attach additional documentation to provide details about these costs, please attach that document and reference it in the Comments column. Note that the district also requires the flexibility to add or subtract equipment to reflect staff levels as needed during the period of the term.

Quantities and Costs

Diffusion-style Portable Multi-gas Detector

Gas Detection Service Program

Total Monthly and Annual Costs

Total (equipment and service) 4- year term

Appendix B – Required and Optional Costs

Additional Required Costs

Use this section to list anything additional that will be required for the installation and configuration of the to meet the RFP's requirements. Expand and alter table cells as needed to clearly communicate your costs and ideas.

Optional Costs

Use this section to list anything optional you feel could enhance or add value to the proposal. Expand and alter table cells as needed to clearly communicate your costs and ideas.

Appendix C – Proposal Submittal Checklist

Proposal Submittal Checklist

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