36C24118Q9283-0002001.pdf

608-18-106 Page 1 of 6

Manchester VAMC Guest Wifi RFI responses 608-18-0106

1. Can newer floorplans be provided showing better detail for all waiting room areas and areas that may require coverage and illustrate new additions on the map?

Response: See drawing “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the coverage locations in each building.

2. Can plans be marked up showing exactly those areas requiring coverage?

Response: See drawing “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the coverage locations

3. Can the closets and the area they cover be identified?

Response: See drawing “608-18-106 Floor Plans Marked Up” for the coverage locations

4. Where are all closets on each floor and in each building? Can we possibly have an all-inclusive map that highlights all this?

Response: See drawing “608-18-106 Floor Plans Marked Up” for the locations in each building.

5. Pertaining to fiber in the PWS, what is “layer #1”

Response: Multi-mode fiber.

6. Because Manchester VAMC is installing new data closets in FY-19, Will guest Wi-Fi move when closets move? New cabling required at that point?

Response: This new installation is considered permanent. When the new closets are built they will need to be rewired.

7. Are Training rooms considered “Common Areas” and are the following arears getting coverage;

Day Surgery, Employee Break Room and Gym, solarium and just outside solarium patio area, Audiology exam rooms, Call Center, The Community Living Center (CLC), Response: Audiology and the call center will not be getting WIFI, other locations listed in the question will need coverage.

8. Will there be any wall-mounted AP’s and if so, what will be the location?

Response: See the SOW, to be determined by the installation coverage/mapping as needed. Likely required for the exterior garden areas adjacent to Building 15 as shown on “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans”

9. What is the overall Total square footage of coverage?

Response: See drawings “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the locations requiring coverage, and see “608-18-106 Floor Plans Marked Up” to determine the square footage of those areas.

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10. Will containment (HEPA) carts be required in any areas?

Response: It is not the intention to mandate use of HEPA carts specifically for use on het premises.

Containments may be required for compliance with Infection Control. Means and methods of meeting those requirements are up to the contractor.

11. Regarding Hepa-cart installation, what categories of Hepa-vacuum are required?

Response: HEPA is defined as 99.97% of particles small as 0.3 microns.

12. Can you clarify the actual time coverages keeping in mind the hours to be 1530-11:00Pm? How will this impact the sleep Labs and the arears where people will be sleeping?

Response: All work shall occur during normal administrative hours (7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, M-F, Holidays excluded).

Off hours work (as an example – work of a very noisy or dusty nature) may be scheduled in advance with the VA COR – 10 days’ notice, please.

13. Is there through-space for Specialty Clinics?

Response: It is unclear what is meant by through Space.

14. Can the CLC be notified what is the best timeframe to work in the space?

Response: CLC work will be done during normal working hours only (7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, M-F, Holidays excluded).

15. Are there Guest connections on UPS?

Response: No

16. Are there separate UPS’s in all closets?

Response: Closets are on Emergency power which is sufficient.

17. Are vendors performing work at the medical center to be badged?

Response: Contractors must sign –in and get Badges

18. Where does data enter the BLDG In basement, radiology telephone room E38?

Response: Yes

19. For the Nursing home area requiring coverage throughout – can the boundaries of this area be more clearly defined?

Response: See drawings “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the locations requiring coverage.

20. PWS section 2.1 # 4 refers to providing bandwidth for up to 5 locations and to reference the provided maps. Currently there are only 3 locations (buildings 1,15, & 18) identified. Can the VA provide the other two locations and floor plans? Are these locations to be included in our submission?

Response: Only Buildings 1, 15 and 18 are within the scope of this contract.

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21. Can any work being performed in non-public areas occur during normal business hours? (for example, terminating cable or internal testing of controllers and firewalls)

Response: All work shall occur during normal administrative hours (7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, M-F, Holidays excluded).

22. Is there any existing hardware being used?

Response: No. The successful bidder is to provide all necessary equipment for the work of this project.

If yes, can list of hardware be provided, per building, with AP/hardware Locations? (Bill of Materials, AP Layouts, Network Diagrams, counts of switches, firewalls, controllers, APs)

Response: N/A

Can the vendor plan to use (after testing) existing fiber optic cable from IDFs back to the basement Computer room?

Response: Yes. The successful bidder may need to increase fiber capacity in some areas.

23. If existing fiber optic cable can be used what is the strand count available and the connector type?

Response: There are 12 strands per closet terminated with ST.

24. Are the Switch locations on emergency power or should the quotes include battery backup/UPS with the length of required backup?

Response: Not required

25. Are there any Union Labor Requirements or preferred vendors for installation and cabling?

Response: No.

26. Will there be any tamper proof unites to be installed?

27. Can the allowable work hours be clarified for each area within the hospital including the nursing home area?

Response: All work shall occur during normal administrative hours (7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, M-F, Holidays excluded).

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28. Can it be confirmed there will not be any asbestos or other environmental hazards present anywhere within the areas to be worked?

Response: A copy of the non-destructive asbestos survey will be provided to the successful bidder showing known asbestos containing material son site. In general, some flooring, pipe insulation behind walls and above some ceiling areas are known to be positive. If suspect materials are encountered, the contractor is to notify the COR.

VA will test if necessary and provide the results to the contractor. Abatement will be by the VA.

29. For the hardline drops to be located in the computer room (D-127) is standard wire molding sufficient to protect/stealth the cabling down to the standard height for a network drop?

30. Question 8 of the solicitation specifies Cisco hardware – is it a requirement to use Cisco

Equipment throughout? Just for switch hardware? Can equivalent equipment be proposed?

Response: Cisco or equivalent is acceptable.

31. The solicitation document states in number 17 that the guest network will be limited to the 2.4

GHz band – should the proposed system be designed to also meet the coverage requirements for the 5GHz band in case the guest network is ever expanded into the 5GHz frequency band or should the design be optimized to support 2.4GHz only?

Response: No 5 GHz should also be considered.

32. Will the proposed equipment need to support both bands, or just 2.4GHz?

Response: both

33. Are there specific requirements for Signal Strength or SNR for the network?

Response: -60DBM

34. What is the required per user throughput?

Response: 802.11AC

35. For cabling are there existing cabling pathways, cable tray etc to be used and is there space available?

Response: Contractor to provide own cable trays and pathways.

36. Is rack space available in the main demarc facility (MDF), intermediate demarc facility (IDF), and telephone rooms (TRs)?

Response: Extend demarc from telephone room.

37. Is there a preference for Cat6 or Cat6e cabling?

38. Are we required to install new cabling pathways? Is supporting cabling via J-Hooks sufficient?

Response: Yes, contractor will need to install their own J hooks or similar system for their cable system.

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39. IDF space appeared very limited on the site walk – will the hospital work with the contractor during the install to free up space and power within those closets? Our present assumption would just be that we will be able to locate equipment in those locations even though site conditions made that seem difficult without some cabling remediation.

Response: Yes, VA will work with the contractor in an advisory capacity.

40. Will the template for the introductory splash page and user acknowledgement requirements be provided by MVAMC?

Response: Will work with vendor after award to develop the page. VA does not have a page already designed.

41. Where is the main computer room located (room number) in each building?

Response: See drawings “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the locations of closets in each building. The computer room is on the basement level of Building 1.

42. Where is the main demarc facility (MDF) located (room number) in each building?

Response: See drawings “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the locations of closets in each building..

43. What is the Telecom DEMARC location (physical address, building #, and room number)?

Response: Building 1 E37

44. Is electrical power available in the main demarc facility (MDF), intermediate demarc facility (IDF), and telephone rooms (TRs)?

45. What are the room numbers of the intermediate demarc facilities (IDF) and telephone rooms (TRs) in each building and on each floor?

Response: See drawings “608-18-106 Coverage Floor Plans” for the locations of IT closets in each building.

46. If no fiber or copper inter-building connectivity exists, is wireless connectivity between buildings acceptable?

47. Is there MVAMC-provided fiber or copper interconnectivity between the buildings?

Response: Contractor to provide own connectivity between buildings.

48. What is the basis for award for this bid – lowest price, technically acceptable, or other method?

Response: The basis for award , “See combined Synopsis Pages 8-9”.

49. In the solicitation document number 16 - For the 99% uptime requirement – can you define “service availability” as either a complete outage or as some % of coverage outage? A single AP outage will result in a partial outage, but not a complete outage.

Response: 99% uptime of the overall system.

50. To meet a true 99% uptime we would be required to house spares on site and/or build the network with complete redundancy as lead times for equipment would likely put the outage beyond 1%.

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Response: Means and methods to maintain this level of up time is up to the successful bidder.

51. How will Infectious Control be notified for the sterilization of spaces and who will be the POC?

Response: Infection control requirements will be coordinated through the COR based on the work locations in each building. Each area of may need a different level of control.

Once a schedule is established, each area will be evaluated and the infection control requirements will be provided to the contractor. Due to space constraints within the campus, the actual use of areas are subject to change and the infection control requirements for the area revised accordingly.

52. Are there any areas to be covered that are not shown on the provided floorplans?

53. Is space available in all risers between floors in all buildings?

Response: Should be, but must be investigated to confirm.

54. # 22 in the statement of work states “The contractor shall provide content filtering for inclusion to the VGIA. The MVAMC will be responsible for managing the suitability, conformity, and payment of any such web filtering product.” Will the VA pay for this service separate from the pricing of the contract, or should pricing for the “Content Filtering” be included in the response to the quote?

Response: Please include the cost of these services in the proposal.