Attachment 4 - Questions and Answers.docx

Request for Quotations - 36C25925Q0425 – Boiler Inspection and Testing Questions and Answers Question 1: All 7 boilers (both locations) will have an inspection, testing, & certification performed immediately after bid is awarded. The contractor will have a certified boiler inspector come in to sign off on the boilers, per your tasks listing. I see that it says in the “Schedule”, that the certified inspector will complete half in April/May and the other half in May/June.

And then 6 months later, you would like the same exact scope performed? The only reason I ask is that most states we perform this work in, they only require the boilers to be certified 1x per year. To me, it sounds like the VA is needing the certification done 2x per year.

Answer 1: Yes, VA requires us to perform semi-annual inspection frequencies; to clarify, there are 9 boilers in total, 7 at Fort Harrison VAMC (2 HP steam, 3 LP steam and 2 hydronic), and 2 at Miles City CLC (2 LP steam)

Question 2: Insurance Company Employment Requirement (SOW, Section III – Personnel Requirements): The requirement that the Commissioned Inspector be employed by an insurance company licensed to write boiler or pressure vessel insurance is not mandated by VA Directive 1810 or NB-263, RCI-1. Commissioned inspectors hold credentials through an Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA), which can be non-jurisdictional and does not need to be an insurance company. Many qualified SDVOSBs employ NBBI-commissioned inspectors through non-insurance AIAs, meeting all safety and compliance standards. This condition may exclude these firms, reducing competition and undermining the SDVOSB set-aside’s goal.

Adjusting Safety Devices (SOW, Section I – Description of Work): The requirement for a Commissioned Inspector to perform incidental adjustments to boiler safety devices violates NB-263, RCI-1, Part 7, Sections 7-4.3 and 7-4.4, which prohibit inspectors from maintenance tasks like adjusting safety devices to ensure independence. This creates an ethical conflict. Adjustments should be assigned to separate maintenance personnel on a separate contract to avoid a conflict of interest.

Could you confirm whether these requirements can be revised to align with NBBI standards, such as allowing inspectors from any accredited AIA and reassigning adjustments to maintenance staff?

Answer 2: YES – Requirements can be revised to align with NBBI standards, such as allowing inspectors from any accredited AIA and reassigning adjustments to maintenance staff. Plant staff and/or an outside vendor will perform adjustments based on findings from the Inspections

Question 3: Can you clarify the insurance requirements listed for this solicitation? Are you essentially looking for an individual who is employed by an insurance company, or a company who is registered to do work on behalf of an insurance company/claim?

Answer 3: Please adhere to the intent of VA Directive 1810 or NB-263, RCI-1. Commissioned inspectors can hold credentials through an Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA), which can be non-jurisdictional and does not need to be an insurance company.

Question 4: Is formal boiler certification required under this contract?

Answer 4: Yes - the Inspector must be certified in State of Montana. Please see the link below for applicable State laws.

https://www.stateboilerlaws.com/states/montana-mt-boiler-laws.html#:~:text=The%20state%20of%20Montana%20has%20an%20active%20boiler,forms%2C%20Montana%20boiler%20FAQs%20and%20Montana%20boiler%20resources.

Question 5: If so, is coordination with the State of Montana already in place, or would that be the contractor’s responsibility?

Answer 5: The Contractor must set up the inspections.

Question 6: Should we limit our scope to inspection and recommendations only?

Answer 6: Yes – only Inspection & Testing. Repairs or tuning would be a separate action.