36C26320Q0151-0003004.docx

Scope also states media will be separated. Is the media only going to be at main hospital? Reason I ask, is that some locations only have 1 container. Yes, the contractor shall be responsible for separating the media.

What is the estimated volume of media material? What has the historical volume of media been? An average of 178,000 pounds of media material per year

Can requirement “Contractor to be NAID certified” be removed? Per VA Directive 6371 the shredding will be done to NAID standards and procedures. No, the “NAID certified” cannot be removed.

Solicitation ask for 10- 180g tubs at hospital. These tub sizes can not be picked up by mobile shred trucks. Can contractor provide 20- 95g bins instead? This will allow for no touch shred process. Yes, 95 gallon containers are allowed.

I was advised that the current contract/vendor is performing off site shredding. Is this correct? See the statement of work within the solicitation. It states the requirements for this portion of the requested services.

If the VA employees are collecting paper and storing in a 180g tub, if this loose paper or is the paper in bags? 180g tubs are not utilized

Is this solicitation’s scope of work the same as the current contract in place?

It appears to be unchanged.

Can the VA confirm if new solicitation is for on-site shred or off-site shred services?

See the solicitation statement of work that specifies this portion of the requested services.

· P. 6, Table – can two 95-gallon containers be substituted for the 180 gallon tub? Most mobile shredding trucks cannot tip a tub that large, and it takes extra time to transfer material to 95-gallon containers, which costs more, so the price would even out.

*Yes two 95 gallon containers can substitute one 180 gallon container

· P.7

· 2nd bullet:

· Are the larger containers noted in the table on page 6 what will be stored in Room BS-10? Is the room close to where the shredding truck will park?

*No there are no larger containers, largest container currently on site is a 95-gallon container.

*Note-Room BS-10 is now obsolete, the containers are brought to the hallway that is located directly off the receiving area/dock.

· At off-site locations, if the containers are again centrally located as stated, for those locations that do not have a rolling bin how will the VA staff bring the material to the centrally located collection room? NAID does not permit us to accept paper that is not presented in a locked container.

*all of our bins are locked, the smaller bins that are located at the off-site locations are owned by the current contractor and they empty them even though they are not wheels.

· 3rd bullet:

· What is the quantity of each type of media that will be presented at each location, and how frequently will it be presented? We need to know this in order to include an accurate price for media destruction.

*Regarding media, CDs are placed in these bins, the occasional VHS tapes, and floppy disks-very small amount of our PHI

· Can the items that can not be destroyed using a mobile shredding truck (anything other than a small percentage of CDs/DVDs) be destroyed off-site in order to avoid damaging the truck’s shredding machinery and meet the destruction requirements?

*The requirement of the contractor being NAID certified can only be removed if the contractor & its subcontractors or third parties can satisfy the standards outlined in Appendix A of VA Directive 6371.

· P.8, 3rd bullet and other locations in definitions/requirements in the solicitation – VA Directive 6371 does not require shredding to a particle size of 1x5mm, only to a state of non-readable and non-reconstructible. A particle size of 1x5mm is used for classified information that is typically not generated at a medical facility, where PII is the norm. 1x5mm renders material to dust, which must be landfilled contrary to VA policy. Please confirm that the mobile shredding truck does not have to shred to the impossible-on-site particle size of 1x5mm and that following VA Directive 6371 requirements for final shredding is the guiding document for the shredding to be performed under this contract.

*We can remove the 1x5mm language as long as the contractor is able to conduct an interim destruction of data in the mobile shredding truck & then complete the final destruction in accordance with VA Directive 6371.

· P. 10, NAID does not certify recycling facilities or paper mills, it certifies mobile and plant-based shredding companies. Could this sentence please be adjusted for accuracy?

*We can use a non-NAID certified contractor as long as the can satisfy the standards outlined in Appendix A, “Minimum Standards for Information Destruction” listed in VA Directive 6371.

· For the main campus:

· How far apart are the buildings where service is needed?

*There is one place in the main building that the service is needed. It is directly off the dock in the hallway.

· For all locations, will any bins be located above/below the ground floor? If so, are freight elevators available to move bins to/from ground level? If there is a loading dock, is there a ramp to the ground?

*All the other off-site locations the containers are on the ground floor with adequate parking and accessibility to the containers.

· Is there sufficient parking for our truck at each location/building for the time it will take to retrieve containers, shred the contents and return the containers?

*Yes