S05 Attachment 1 RFI 1 Elopement System.pdf

RFI 1: Solicitation 36C24427R0001 Wilmington VA Medical Center – CLC & Fourth Floor Patient Elopement Upgrade

Question 1. Trade Agreements Act / Country of Manufacture Please clarify how offerors should address FAR 52.225-6 and FAR 52.225-18 requirements for RTLS hardware manufactured in non-designated countries, including whether the acquisition is below applicable Trade Agreements Act thresholds and how certifications will be evaluated. FAR 52.225-5, Trade Agreements, and FAR 52.225-6, Trade Agreements Certificate, apply to this solicitation. Offerors shall complete the required certification and identify any offered end products that are not U.S.-made or designated-country end products, including the applicable line-item number and country of origin. Offers will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Part 25 and the provisions and clauses incorporated into the solicitation. No exception or waiver is authorized by this response.

The solicitation includes FAR 52.225-5, FAR 52.225-6, and FAR 52.225-18.

Question 2. Existing System Baseline and Device Inventory Please provide the make, model, quantities, and inventory of the existing patient elopement system, including equipment to be removed, retained, or integrated; licensed bed counts; room counts; controlled egress doors;

elevators; controllers; network infrastructure; and associated cabling. Stanley Healthcare WanderGuard SafePlace 9450 with a centralized hub, serial terminal servers, 16-port network switches, central power supplies, Touchpad Exit Controllers (TEC/SD keypads), Deactivation Relays (RB-8), motion detectors, proximity card readers, and 8-zone Staff Alert Wall Panels.

Question 3. RTLS Accuracy Requirements Please clarify the required location accuracy, applicable coverage areas, testing methodology, performance metrics, acceptance criteria, and whether the Government intends to require room-level or zone-level location accuracy. Location, coverage area, testing, performance metrics and acceptance are covered in the performance work statement (PWS). The Government will require zone-level location accuracy.

Question 4. Elevator Integration Please identify required elevator functionality during elopement events, elevator controller make/model information, acceptable integration methods, termination responsibilities, programming responsibilities, and the required elevator control strategy. Elevator controls should function as below.

Response Description

Car Lockout Elevator will not answer the hall call.

Floor Lockout Elevator will not travel to designated exit floors.

Door Hold Open Doors remain open and car will not depart.

Recall Function Elevator returns to a secure floor.

Alarm Activation Audible and visual alarms notify staff.

per Nurse station receive alerts.

Additionally, elevator integration must be designed to not interfere with fire service recall operations or life safety code requirements.

Question 5. Proposal Submission Requirements Please confirm the submission method, destination email address or portal, file-size limitations, formatting requirements, page limitations, proposal organization requirements, and receipt procedures. Offerors shall submit their proposals electronically in accordance with the instructions contained in the solicitation, as amended.

Proposals shall include separate technical and price volumes in searchable PDF format.

The technical narrative shall not exceed 10 pages. Advertising literature shall not be included in the technical narrative. The price submission shall include the completed price schedule and a detailed Schedule of Values.

The Government will issue an amendment confirming the proposal-submission email address, proposal deadline, receipt procedures, and any applicable file-size limitations. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that complete proposals are received by the date and time stated in the amendment.

Question 6. Government-Furnished Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Please identify Government-furnished equipment, hosting requirements, network infrastructure requirements, virtual machine requirements, cybersecurity approvals, ATO requirements, TRM compliance requirements, onboarding requirements, and whether use of VA network infrastructure is permitted. There are no Government-furnished equipment associated with this requirement. This system is to be standalone, it will not be on the VA network.

Question 7. Size Standard Please clarify the applicable NAICS size standard where inconsistent references appear within the solicitation. The applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 238210 – Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors.

Question 8. Product Service Code and Contract Classification Please confirm the intended acquisition classification and applicability of labor standards, socioeconomic requirements, and subcontracting requirements. The Product Service Code is 5999, Miscellaneous Electrical and Electronic Components. The acquisition is a total set-aside for certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. The Service Contract Labor Standards and the applicable wage determination apply. The limitations on subcontracting applicable to services also apply in accordance with the solicitation.

Question 9. Technology Requirements Please clarify whether the requirement is technology-neutral or whether specific technologies such as BLE, Wi-Fi, RFID, LF exciters, or particular RTLS platforms are required or preferred. There are no preferred technology. All proposals and submitted technologies must meet the performance work statement.

Question 10. Continuous Monitoring and System Supervision Please clarify requirements for continuous patient tracking, heartbeat monitoring, tamper detection, low-battery monitoring, supervisory notification intervals, infrastructure-device supervision, annunciation requirements, and monitoring throughout protected areas. The intention of this system is to monitor at-risk patients and restrict unauthorized exits while alerting staff to intervene. Heartbeat monitoring, supervisory and infrastructure notifications are not a requirement of this solicitation. This systems shall have annunciation at the point of alert and at the central workstation. Details for monitoring throughout the protected area are covered in the PWS.

Question 11. Manufacturer Authorization Please confirm whether manufacturer authorization letters are required and what documentation will be considered acceptable. Not required. However, PWS does cover all warranty requirements.

Question 12. Past Performance Requirements

Please clarify prime contractor past performance requirements, reference requirements, recency definitions, and evaluation of subcontractor past performance. Offerors shall submit at least three, but no more than five, recent and relevant projects that best demonstrate the qualifications of the prime contractor and proposed subcontractor team.

Each project description shall identify the scope, size, and cost of the project; the participation of key personnel and subcontractors; and the customer’s point of contact, including name, title, and telephone number.

Past performance will be evaluated for relevance to the current requirement. The Government may consider prime-contractor, predecessor-company, key-personnel, and major-subcontractor performance, as applicable.

Offerors without relevant performance history will receive a neutral past-performance rating.

Question 13. Limitations on Subcontracting Please clarify requirements related to self-performance, primary and vital requirements, subcontractor disclosure, and limitations on subcontracting compliance. This acquisition is a total SDVOSB set-aside. The limitations on subcontracting applicable to services apply.

The awardee will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to firms that are not similarly situated certified SDVOSBs or VOSBs, subject to the exclusions and requirements contained in the solicitation.

Offerors must complete, sign, and submit the VAAR 852.219-75 certification with their proposals. Offerors may identify proposed subcontractors and describe the portions of the requirement each subcontractor will perform to demonstrate their intended compliance.

Question 14. Physical Security, Fire Alarm, Nurse Call, and Other Integrations Please identify all required integration points, including access control systems, magnetic locks, fire alarm systems, elevator systems, nurse call systems, CCTV systems, enterprise alerting systems, automatic door operators, annunciation devices, and any additional facility systems. This information is detailed in the PWS.

Question 15. Warranty Requirements Please clarify warranty duration, warranty commencement date, response-time requirements, resolution requirements, service-level expectations, and ongoing support obligations. This information is detailed in the PWS.

Question 16. Infection Control Requirements Please clarify required ICRA measures, containment requirements, barrier requirements, approval procedures, demolition restrictions, and infection-control responsibilities. The contractor shall comply with the Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) included with the solicitation and all applicable infection-control requirements established by the Wilmington VA Medical Center.

Before beginning installation or demolition activities, the contractor shall coordinate the required infection-control measures with the COR and designated Medical Center personnel. The contractor shall furnish, install, and maintain all required containment, barriers, controls, and related equipment identified by the ICRA unless the solicitation expressly identifies an item as Government-furnished.

Work shall not begin in an affected area until the applicable infection-control measures have been reviewed and approved by the Government. The contractor shall minimize dust and debris, maintain required controls throughout performance, protect occupants and adjacent clinical areas, and remove construction debris in accordance with the approved infection-control requirements. Any ceiling access, drilling, demolition, cabling, or other activities that may generate dust or disturb building finishes shall be performed in accordance with the applicable ICRA precautions.

Question 17. Patient Tags and Battery Requirements

Please identify patient tag quantities, spare quantities, acceptable tag types, battery-life requirements, replacement requirements, charging requirements, acceptable technologies, and life-cycle battery considerations. Current tag requirements will vary by patient population and elopement risk. As a conservative estimate, please plan to provide 120 tags initially. Please follow the PWS for technology requirements. Industry standards are required for battery life requirements.

Question 18. Contract Scope and Facility Coverage Please confirm all buildings, floors, entrances, exits, clinical areas, future expansion requirements, and the number of controlled doors included within the scope of this procurement. Updated floor plans for the CLC and 4th Floor areas are attached.

Question 19. System Capacity and Performance Metrics Please identify anticipated patient counts, active tags, user counts, alarm volumes, uptime requirements, location-update frequency, alarm latency requirements, and notification performance requirements. Current tag requirements will vary by patient population and elopement risk. As a conservative estimate, please plan to provide 120 tags initially. Please follow the PWS for technology requirements. Industry standards are required for battery life requirements.

Question 20. Third-Party Interface Support Please clarify availability of APIs, interface documentation, vendor coordination support, licensing responsibilities, and integration-related fees. Please refer to the PWS.

Question 21. Existing System Migration and Cutover Please clarify requirements for maintaining the existing system during installation, migration responsibilities, transition periods, and cutover procedures. The existing system is operational but failing. Zero gap in elopement protection is required.

Question 22. Schedule and Performance Period Please provide the anticipated award date, period of performance, implementation schedule, go-live requirements, major milestones, and option periods. The system must be fully operational once go-live is approved. The period of performance is 145 calendar days from award. The anticipated award date has not been established.

The contractor shall submit the required project plans and deliverables in accordance with the solicitation and complete installation, integration, testing, training, and Government acceptance within the period of performance.

Go-live may occur only after completion of required testing and Government approval.

No option periods are currently identified in the solicitation.

The solicitation states 145 days from award. It also requires a master project plan within 30 days, requirements specifications within 45 days, and a system architecture diagram within 60 days

Question 23. Site Access and Installation Constraints Please identify installation windows, working-hour restrictions, escort requirements, badging requirements, security requirements, access limitations, and readiness responsibilities. Per PWS, contractor will coordinate installation schedules with VA stakeholders in order to minimize disruption to clinical operations. Employees will check in with Police dispatch prior to work commencing and escort will be provided by the contract onsite POC.

Question 24. Testing and Acceptance Process Please clarify stakeholder participation, acceptance procedures, remediation requirements, retesting requirements, approval procedures, and supervision-verification testing requirements. Outlined in PWS.

Question 25. Scope Changes and Additional Equipment Please clarify the process for addressing newly identified equipment requirements or scope changes discovered during installation, testing, or field investigation. All scope changes/modifications will follow the guidelines outlined in the solicitation.

Question 26. Licensing Requirements Please clarify whether perpetual licensing is required, whether subscription licensing is acceptable, and whether maintenance, upgrades, and renewals must be included within pricing. The intention of this system is to be standalone and operational without the need of any additional licensing or annual subscriptions or renewals.

Question 27. Professional Services Scope Please define the anticipated scope of professional services, labor categories, estimated hours, and any ceiling limitations applicable to such services. Please follow guidelines provided in the solicitation. Estimated hours our ceiling limitations will not be provided.

Question 28. Pricing Structure Please confirm whether offerors may provide detailed pricing breakdowns while submitting a single firm-fixed-price total. Detailed pricing breakdown is preferred.

Question 29. Insurance Requirements Please identify required insurance coverage limits and any special insurance requirements applicable to performance of the contract. FAR 52.228-5, Insurance—Work on a Government Installation, and the supplemental insurance requirements included in the solicitation apply. The successful contractor must maintain required workers’ compensation, employer’s liability, general liability, and automobile liability coverage and provide evidence of coverage as required.

Question 30. Floor Plans and Existing Drawings Please provide editable floor plans, as-built drawings, cable-route information, infrastructure documentation, equipment locations, and supporting documentation. Updated floor plan of the CLC and 4th floor is provided.

Question 31. Existing Drawings and Device Locations Please clarify the scope associated with numbered device locations shown on the drawings and identify locations designated as alarm-only, future, facility-managed, TBD, or otherwise excluded from scope.

Updated floor plan of the CLC and 4th floor is provided.

Question 32. Operational Workflows Please describe required workflows for admissions, tag assignment, patient transport, discharge, lost tags, low-battery conditions, monitoring activation, monitoring deactivation, and interaction with clinical workflows.

Please refer to the PWS.

Question 33. Training Requirements Please identify user counts, required training sessions, delivery methods, locations, training formats, shift coverage requirements, and documentation requirements. Training will be required for up to 40 employees, training will need to occur on 1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts. Documentation is outlined in the PWS.

Question 34. Site Visit Documentation and Virtual Access Will photographs, site-visit notes, measurements, or other information gathered during the site visit be made available to prospective offerors unable to attend? Additionally, will a virtual walkthrough be provided? The Government will not provide a virtual walkthrough. Updated drawings and Government responses to RFIs will be incorporated into the solicitation by amendment and will constitute the authoritative information available to all prospective offerors.

Offerors are responsible for preparing proposals based on the solicitation, amendments, drawings, site-visit information available to attendees, and their independent assessment of the requirement.

The site visit occurred October 21, 2026.

Question 35. Existing System and Drawing Discrepancy The layouts reference the RF Technologies 9450 Wander Management System, while the Performance Work Statement identifies Stanley WanderGuard as the existing system. Please clarify whether the drawings represent existing conditions, a proposed design, or an illustrative configuration. The attached drawings represents a proposed design for illustrative purposes. The existing system is Stanley WanderGuard.

Question 36. Reuse of Existing WanderGuard Infrastructure Please confirm the scope of existing infrastructure that may be reused, including power feeds, conduit, raceways, back-boxes, door wiring, and related components. All components associated with the existing system shall be completely removed and disposed of in accordance with the PWS.

Question 37. Magnetic Locks, Fire Doors, and Fire-Alarm Release Scope Please confirm lock-retention requirements, fire-door requirements, fire-alarm interface requirements, and responsibilities for modifications to these systems. Outlined in the PWS and revised drawing.

Question 38. Site Visit Sign-In Sheet Will the Government provide or publish the site-visit sign-in sheet as part of the solicitation record? The Government does intend to publish the site-visit sign-in sheet as part of the solicitation.

Question 39. Keypads on Magnetically Locked Doors Please confirm whether keypads are required on one side or both sides of each magnetically locked opening.

Device locations and function are outlined in the PWS and revised drawings.

Question 40. Required Operating Behavior at Covered Exits Please clarify the required operational logic at covered exits, including patient approach detection, passage detection, locking behavior, escort override procedures, alarm initiation criteria, and door-position monitoring requirements.

When a Tagged Patient Approaches the Door

1. The door elopement system detects the patient's elopement tag within a predetermined detection zone.

2. The system verifies that the detected tag is assigned as an elopement-protected patient.

3. The controller initiates one or more actions:

A. Locks the door (if connected to access control).

B. Activates local audible and visual alarms.

C. Sends an alarm notification to nursing stations, security, or monitoring software.

D. Logs the event with date, time, door location, and patient ID.

If the Patient Remains Near the Door

1. The alarm condition remains active.

2. Notifications continue according to programmed escalation rules.

3. Staff respond to assess and redirect the patient.

If the Door Is Opened During an Alarm Event

1. The system generates a higher-priority alarm.

2. Additional notifications may be sent to security and clinical staff.

3. Event details are recorded for review.

Authorized Passage If staff need to escort the patient through the door:

1. Staff use an authorized badge, keypad code, access card, or override switch.

2. The system temporarily bypasses the elopement restriction.

3. Door unlocks for a programmed period.

4. Event is logged as an authorized passage.

Question 41. Cut Band Monitoring Will the proposed system require cut band monitoring? If so, are there any details for the requirements of this feature? Tag tampering is covered in the PWS.

Question 42. Payment Will the Government allow partial payments or milestone invoicing (e.g., hardware delivery, installation complete, acceptance), or will payment be made only upon final acceptance of CLIN 0001? Partial and milestone invoicing will be permitted in accordance with contract requirements and Government acceptance of completed work.

Question 43. Bonds Are performance or payment bonds required? Yes, FAR 52.228-15, Performance and Payment Bonds are required.

Question 44. Regarding Section 1.1 and Section 5.0.1 Section 1.1 Objective 1 calls for an architecture that supports RTLS/BLE capabilities, and Section 5.0.1 sets room-level accuracy targets of 99% or better. Is continuous real-time location tracking of the patient tag required at award, or will a system that provides exit-point and zone-level elopement detection and alarming, with location reported at the alarm point, be considered compliant? System that provides exit-point and zone-level elopement detection and alarming with location is considered compliant.

Question 45. Existing Proximity Readers Can you confirm the purpose of the proximity readers shown alongside the client workstations and staff alert panels on the CLC patient areas and on the CLC Patient and 4th-Floor floor areas? Are these currently used for staff authentication, alarm acknowledgment, or another function within the existing WanderGuard system? These systems are used for alarm acknowledgment.