36C24622Q0140.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 6 100 Emancipation Drive Hampton VA 23667

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Keyasha Williams Keyasha.Williams@va.gov 757-728-7158

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

1970 Roanoke Blvd.

Salem VA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY

This notice does NOT constitute a request for proposal, request for quote, or invitation for bid. No formal solicitation document exists at this time. We are seeking information for market research purposes only. The Government will not pay for any information solicited

The VHA Network Contracting Office 6 (NCO 6) is conducting a market survey to find qualified vendors who can provide Fire Extinguisher Services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Salem VA Medical Center (VAMC), 1970 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, VA 24154:

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE

Performance Work Statement: (Please See Attachment)

All interested parties should respond, in writing via email to Keyasha.Williams@va.gov. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. In response, please include the following:

· Company/individual name

· Address

· Point of contact with phone number

· Company Socio-Economic SIZE (example…large, small, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB etc.)

· Information describing your interest

· Indicate FSS/GSA contract number

· FSS Category you qualify for

· Tax ID number

· DUNS number

· NAICS code (if different than below)

· Capabilities statement

If your firm is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned or Veteran Owned Small Business, you must be CERTIFIED in VetBiz (see internet site: http://vip.vetbiz.gov) to be recognize as such.

The NAICS 561210 is applicable to this acquisition; with a size standard of $41.5million.

Interested firms are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.1201(a) Prospective contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications at the System for Award Management (SAM) as a part of required registration in conjunction with FAR 4.1102(a) that states, Prospective contractors shall be registered in the (SAM) database prior to award of a contract or agreement. Therefore, due to time constraints, vendors will be required to be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov to be considered for an award.

Your response is required by 3 PM, Tuesday November 30, 2021.

Performance Work Statement

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK:

a) The contractor shall provide all necessary labor, materials, and supervision required to perform inspection, maintenance, repair, testing, and recharging of approximately 546 fire extinguishers in accordance with all federal, state, local requirements, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and applicable manufacture standards as required in the PWS. Work shall be performed in accordance with (IAW) the current 2018 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 10 standards, Chapters 5,6,7 and 8, “Portable Fire Extinguishers” for the inspection and maintenance of all types of portable and wheeled fire extinguishers at the Salem VAMC, 1970 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, Virginia.

1.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

a) The Period of Performance (POP) shall be for a base and four (4) optional years:

2.0 SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS

2.1 SCHEDULING

a) Prior to initial inspections, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) before commencing any inspection/ maintenance. At this time, the COR will review, with the contractor, the schedule of inspections for all extinguishers at the facilities. The facility manager and the contractor will schedule an appointment for the contractor to come to the facility to service the portable and wheeled fire extinguishers.

b) The contractor shall arrange his work so as not to interfere with the normal operation of Government business. All work schedules are to be submitted to and approved by COR. When nonessential services have been scheduled on the holiday, the services will be performed on the following work day. If any services must be disconnected, even temporarily, due to scheduled contract work, the contractor shall notify the COR at least two (2) working days in advance. If the discontinued service is due to an emergency breakdown, the contractor shall notify the COR as soon as possible.

2.2 NORMAL WORK HOURS/HOLIDAYS

a) Normal Work hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., including federal holidays with the exception of Christmas Day.

b) Federal Holidays:

Or any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America to be a Federal Holiday.

When one of the holidays falls on Sunday, the following Monday shall be observed as a Federal Holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be observed as a Federal Holiday.

3.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 INSPECTIONS

a) The contractor shall inspect and perform monthly, annual, five (5) year, six (6) year maintenance and 12-year hydro testing, refilling and recharging of all ( Approximately 546) portable and wheeled-type fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 10 2018 Edition. All the onsite extinguishers are currently bar coded and all extinguishers must be scanned and, inspected, and logged into a database to ensure that no extinguishers are missed each month. The contractor is responsible for informing the COR if an extinguisher is not able to be inspected and the reason for it not being done. The database in which all the extinguishers are kept must also be made accessible to the COR. The contractor shall commence with the initial inspection and continue until all extinguishers have been inspected. Fire extinguishers shall be inspected monthly. The inspections should occur on or about the same time each month. The contractor is responsible for completing the annual inspection and retagging of each extinguisher. The contractor shall sign and date the tag each month of inspection to include the month that the new tag is installed. This will include the month, day, and year. Example: 01/01/2017. The contractor will also initial the tag each month upon completion of the inspection. See Attachment I for a list of fire extinguishers with building locations, type, and estimated quantity.

b) The contractor shall perform the five (5) year, six (6) year maintenance and 12-year hydrostatic tests of each extinguisher in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements for each type of extinguisher.

3.2 CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, AND RECHARGING

a) Fire Extinguisher need to be operational at all times. Corrective maintenance returns a fire extinguisher to full operating capacity as described below:

b) The contractor shall clearly indicate and justify any adjustment, repairs or replacements made to correct any problems or deficiencies. Sufficient specifications shall be provided to the COR if the Medical Center is to provide any parts. Contractor shall advise whether parts have been cleaned and lubricated where necessary.

3.3 UNSERVICEABLE EXTINGUISHERS

a) Any extinguisher deemed unserviceable IAW NFPA 10, Section V-TE-2, shall be disposed of by the contractor. The contractor is not responsible for permanent replacement extinguishers that are unserviceable due to age, corrosion, etc. The contractor shall replace identified unserviceable extinguishers with the VA Medical Center’s spare extinguishers (locations and type listed in Attachment I below).

3.4 RECORDS AND REPORTS

a) The contractor shall provide and maintain records (a computer generated report) listed by facility, showing each extinguisher type, size, location, serial number, and annual inspection date. The contractor shall supply a monthly report of all fire extinguishers inspected, this listing will also include the due date of the next five (5) year and six (6) year maintenance and 12-year hydrostatic tests of each extinguisher. A current weight of all listed CO2 extinguishers shall also be included in the monthly inspection report. These records shall be made available within five (5) working days of receipt of the request. Upon completion of work at each facility, and prior to invoicing, a copy of the report will be sent via e-mail to the COR.

3.5 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

a) The contractor shall be responsible for supplying all portable power required to power up any and all test equipment necessary. The use of normal or emergency building power will not be allowed.

b) The contractor shall be responsible for securing all manufacturers’ information, curves, data, procedures and any other information necessary to conduct specific tests on equipment and system.

4.0 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

4.1 KEY PERSONNEL

a) The contractor shall provide trained and certified personnel who have undergone the instructions necessary to reliably perform inspections, maintenance, servicing and recharging of all portable and wheeled fire extinguishers listed in Attachment I. The contractor shall provide a certificate for all personnel that will be servicing the equipment. The certified personnel shall have access to the appropriate manufacturer’s service manual(s), the proper types of tools, recharge materials, lubricants, and manufacturer’s recommended replacement parts or parts specifically listed for use in the fire extinguisher and IAW 2018 version of NFPA 10.

4.2 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL CONDUCT

a) The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of Contractor, if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patient or other staff members to designated Government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. The Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative shall deal with issues raised concerning contract personnel’s conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the Contracting Officer.

b) The Contracting Officer shall resolve complaints concerning Contractor relations with the Government employees or patients. The Contracting Officer is final authority on validating complaints. In the event that the Contractor is involved and named in a validated patient complaint, the Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of the services of such personnel. This does not preclude refusal in the event of incidents involving physical or verbal abuse.

4.3 VETERAN AFFAIRS (VA) POLICY

a) The VA Medical Center personnel shall brief Contractor on VAMC policies and procedures on the first scheduled duty day. The services to be performed by the contractor will be performed in accordance with VA policies, procedures and regulations of the medical staff by-laws of the VA facility.

b) The VA shall provide the contractor the name, title, and telephone number of the COR at the time of contract award.

c) The contractor shall, in writing, keep the Contracting Officer informed of any unusual circumstances in conjunction with the contract.

5.0 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 QASP

a) The Government intends to utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) to monitor the quality of the contractor’s performance. The oversight provided for in the order and in the QASP will help to ensure that service levels reach and maintain the required levels throughout the contract term. Further, the QASP provides the COR with a proactive way to avoid unacceptable or deficient performance, and provides verifiable input for the required Past Performance Information Assessments. The QASP will be finalized immediately following award and a copy provided to the Contractor after award. The QASP is a living document and may be updated by the Government as necessary.

5.2 BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

a) A full background check is not required for this position, however all contract employees must bring photo identification and advance notice from the requiring service to obtain a VA Badge in order to work on a VA Facility. Contractor is required to obtain a badge from Building 74, Room 210 and wear the I.D. badge during the entire time he/she is on the Salem VAMC grounds. The I.D. badge must be worn in a conspicuous place above the waist. There shall be a $10.00 charge to the contractor, payable via a Bill of Collection, if the I.D. badge is not returned at the time of the employee’s departure. The employee will be given a receipt when the badge is turned in. All employees of the Contractor and subcontractors shall comply with VA security management program, be identified by project and employer, and restricted from unauthorized access. Upon award, the CO shall provide the contractor with detailed instructions on fulfilling security requirements.

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 INVOICING

a) The contractor shall submit payment requests in electronic form via VA’s Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System. (See Web site at http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp.)

Invoices shall be submitted monthly, in arrears. The following information must be included on all submitted invoices. Invoices submitted without the following information may be rejected for payment.

Date of Invoice Contract Number Purchase Order Number for Correction Period of Performance Contractor Name Invoice Number CLIN i.e. Contract Line Item and Amount being billed per line item Date of Service

All contractors shall be registered as a contractor with the OB10 e-Invoicing System before any invoices can be submitted.

6.2 CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (CPARS)

a) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts. The Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented use of the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation. One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15

b) The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS. CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

c) Please furnish the Contracting Officer with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm’s past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official. The report information must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

d) When your Contractor Representative(s) (Past Performance Points of Contact) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically-generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, system requirements, and training information for CPARS are available at www.cpars.gov. The CPARS User Manual, registration for online training for Contractor Representatives may be found at this site.

e) You have 14 calendar days following the Assessing Official signature date to submit comments before the evaluation is made available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). You have a total of 60 calendar days following the Assessing Official signature date to submit comments. Any comments that you submit will be posted to PPIRS. If you do not sign and return the evaluation within 60 calendar days the evaluation will be returned to the Assessing Official, you will no longer be able to provide comments and the evaluation will be annotated as follows: 'The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this evaluation.' Partially completed comments that were not signed and returned to the Government within 60 calendar days will be removed from the evaluation.

f) The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

1) Protect the evaluation as “source selection information.” After review, transit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the Contracting Officer for instructions.

2) Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

3) Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determination, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

g) If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the Contracting Officer no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 60-day review period.

h) A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been completed.

6.3 ADMINSTRATION

a) Notwithstanding the Contractor's responsibility for total management during the performance of this contract, the administration of the contract will require maximum coordination between the Government and the Contractor.

b) The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements of this contract. The Contractor shall communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments or issue changes that shall affect price, quantity, or quality of performance of this contract.

c) The COR shall be responsible for the overall technical administration of this contract as outlined in the COR Delegation of Authority.

d) In the event the Contractor effects any such change at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer without authority, no adjustment shall be made in the contract price to cover an increase in costs incurred as a result thereof.

POINTS OF CONTACT

Contracting Specialist: Keyasha Williams Network Contracting Office (NCO) 6 100 Emancipation Drive, Building 27 Hampton, Virginia 23667 Keyasha.Williams@va.gov

Assigned COR: TBD

ATTACHMENT I: LIST OF EXTINUISHERS TO BE INSPECTED

Sources Sought Notice