629-25-104 Emergency Dept Suicide Risk Mitigation Fence SOW.pdf

Department of Veterans Affairs

Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System

2400 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119

629-25-104

EMERGENCY DEPARMENT SUICIDE RISK MITIGATION FENCE

CONSTRUCTION

Statement of Work

July 13, 2026

1. GENERAL GUIDANCE

1.1. Title of Project: Emergency Department Suicide Risk Mitigation Fence

1.2. Scope of Work: The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision and resources required to achieve the following construction services:

1.2.1. Contractor shall perform construction services including, at a minimum, installation of fencing per drawings and specifications provided (ref. TMM 2515_Architecture_BID

DOCUMENTS & 2515 VA New Orleans ED Fence - SPECIFICATIONS – BD) as well as the completion of tasks listed in Sections 1.2.1 thru 1.2.7.

1.2.1.a ASSOCIATED TASKS

The Contractor shall complete construction for the installation of a new coated non-climb fencing and stainless-steel cable mesh infill screening along both outboard sides of the emergency ramp driveway as well as the entire perimeter of the second level emergency department parking deck which will also include the oval-shaped opening in the middle. The fence construction will act as a suicide prevention structure for any likelihood of fatalities.

1.2.2. The Contractor shall complete the requirements as specified in this statement of work.

The Contractor shall provide all necessary investigations, verification of as-built conditions, and construction administration for the execution of the project. The contractor shall review all product submittals for construction plan compliance, conduct site visits, review requests for information (RFI), maintain and produce accurate post construction documents for submission to the VA.

1.2.3. The project shall include all site development services and construction services necessary to complete the tasks described herein.

1.2.4. Work shall occur for the following location:

1.2.4.1. Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, 2400 Canal Street, New

Orleans, LA 70119

1.2.4.2. Background: This project is for the Emergency Department Entrance Ramp (Bldg

E, 2nd Floor), and it will correct discrepancies in response to VA Suicide Risk Mitigation. The ramp and landing are currently non-compliant: the walls at the ramp and central opening at landing do not meet the 96" above finish level as identified in the VA standards for architectural barriers and fall protection.

1.2.5. Performance Period: The Contractor shall complete all construction services required under this SOW in 145 calendar days of issuance of the Notice-To-Proceed. Work shall begin no more than ten (10) calendar days after notice of award. Work on federal holidays and weekends is prohibited unless written approval is granted in advance by the COR or CO.

1.2.5.1. Note: Federal Holidays that fall on a Saturday will be observed the Friday prior.

Holidays that fall on a Sunday will be observed the Monday following.

1.2.6. Construction period services, such as site visits for specific tasks that cannot be completed during “regular work hours” (7:30 am – 4:00 pm), may be required as part of this contract.

1.2.7. The Contractor shall also complete preconstruction, construction, and post construction period services.

1.2.8. Type of Contract: This contract shall be a firm-fixed price.

2. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

2.1. The Contractor shall commence work only when the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a “kick-off” meeting and a Notice to Proceed has been issued.

3. DEFINITIONS:

3.1. Contracting Officer: The services to be performed under this contract are subject to the general supervision, direction, control, and approval of the Contracting Officer.

3.2. VA Project Engineer/Contracting Officer's Representative (COR): The Contracting

Officer's authorized representative at the construction site.

3.3. Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Contract: This term, as used herein, refers to the Contract(s) to perform all provisions and implementation of the project.

3.4. Contractor (A/E, Architect Engineer): This term, as used herein, refers to the Contractor

(A/E, Architect Engineer) under this contract or the FFP team.

3.5. National Electric Code (NEC)

3.6. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

3.7. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

3.8. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

3.9. American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)

3.10. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

3.11. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

3.12. Veterans Affairs (VA)

3.13. The Joint Commission (TJC)

3.14. Construction Documents (CD)

3.15. Design Development Documents (DD)

3.16. Schematic Design Documents (SD)

4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1. For every task, the Contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), associated costs by task, and associated sub-milestone dates. The Contractor's subtask structure shall be reflected in the technical proposal and detailed work plan.

4.2. All written deliverables shall be phrased in layman’s language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms.

4.3. The construction phase of the project will be executed in accordance with the final VA approved construction drawings but is subject to the availability of funds.

4.4. All construction performed under this contract shall adhere to the current editions of the following: NFPA, NEC, ASHRAE, TJC, ASME, ANSI, OSHA, ASTM, ASSE or as otherwise noted the Master VA Specifications and VA Directives.

4.5. Construction Line Items. At a minimum, the following line items shall be fully performed:

4.5.1. Install suicide risk mitigation fencing for the entire perimeter of the ED ramp, the second level deck, and oval opening in the middle of the deck.

4.5.2. The challenge of construction is to ensure the fencing meets all suicide risk and security requirements without compromising aesthetics.

4.5.3. Modify existing construction to meet the design intent.

4.5.4. Provide a construction solution which can be structurally supported by existing structures, that will not compromise the functionality of the structures.

4.5.5. Provide a construction solution which allows for the safe, continuous operation of the entire SLVHCS Medical Center during all phases of construction.

4.6. Design Background:

4.6.1. An Architecture/Engineering (A/E) firm has completed the fencing design and specifications. The entire design package will be provided to the construction contractor. The

A/E ensured the design complied with the NFPA, NEC, ASHRAE, JCAHO, VA design guidelines

(including VA handbook 0730), VA Design Alerts, VA Master Specifications, etc. The final A/E design drawings / construction contract documents bear the stamp and seal of the responsible design / engineering professional.

4.6.2. The A/E firm coordinated all designs with the COR. The COR coordinated meetings with other Medical Center personnel and the A/E for such meetings. Work included the verification of existing conditions, the generation of construction documents including design of protective barriers, infection control, and interim life safety measures as required by The Joint Commission

(TJC or JCAHO) to maintain the current level of life safety, and A/E construction period services. It also included phasing plans to allow for the concurrent running of existing and new systems to be installed until such new systems can be properly commissioned. Construction documents shall be structured to phase the work as required to minimize impact on the existing activities at the facility.

4.6.3. The Contractor shall include the services of required disciplines as appropriate for the project.

4.6.4. The A/E has produced a complete set of drawings, design narrative/analysis, calculations, and specifications in accordance with professional standard practices and VA criteria.

4.6.5. The A/E provided a checklist of all submittals, certifications, tests, and inspections required per drawing and specification section.

4.6.6. The A/E dated all material and presented the designs on VA standard size drawings that were appropriately labeled, "SCHEMATIC SUBMISSION", “DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

SUBMISSION”, or “CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION”, in large block letters above or beside the VA standard drawing title block. In each submission, the A/E incorporated the corrections, adjustments, and changes made by VA at the previous review.

4.6.7. The A/E, with input from the VA, developed the design to meet the budget constraints.

4.7. Drawings Criteria

4.7.1. All drawings meet applicable national codes and VA criteria. Drawings shall be 1/8" = 1'-

0" scale except for detail drawings which shall be not less than 1/4" = 1'-0". VA standard drawing format (VAF 08-6231) shall be used for all drawings. A/E may select to use AutoCAD version of this form, which is available on request. Drawings were provided in AutoCAD 2015 and/or Revit. Specifications shall be provided in Microsoft Word version 2010 or higher. The

A/E provided three (3) sets of completed bound hard-copy blue line drawings and bound specifications (including VA provided General Conditions) for bidding purposes.

4.8. Drawing and Specification Format:

4.8.1. Intent: The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System will be making all contract documents available to bidders on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) web site.

4.8.2. Requirements: All contract drawings shall be provided by the Southeast Louisiana

Veterans Health Care System in AutoCAD (.dwg) format (release 2015 or higher), Revit, PDF, and CALS (.cal) format for all drawing submissions and for final construction documents. The

CALS driver is an AutoDesk raster printer driver and is a built-in feature of AutoCAD 2010. The

CALS driver is used by AutoCAD to convert all vector drawings into raster images (black & white) to be used for possible electronic bidding by the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health

Care System.

4.9. Document Reviews: NOT REQUIRED

4.10. Construction Period Services:

4.10.1. Review and comment on Contractor's submittals, shop drawings, etc., with recommendations for approval/rejection to VA. NOTE: VA is approving authority.

4.10.2. The contractor shall conduct site visits, at no cost to the Government, should issues arise with implementation of the construction. If the existing design should prove to be unfeasible or incapable of being implemented, the contractor shall address the issue with the

COR by means of an RFI for resolution.

4.10.3. As Built Drawings:

4.10.3.1. The construction contractor shall maintain accurate redline drawing and the A/E will incorporate changes into final as-built documents. A note for the requirement of accurate

As-Built drawings is to be clearly shown on each sheet of the construction drawings. The complete set of "as-built" 30 in. by 42 in. drawings (one (1) set) and writeable AutoCAD CD disks will be delivered to the Chief, Facilities Management Service. The reproducible as-built drawings will be delivered in good condition, inside of a protective-drawings mailing tube, and with an appropriate cover letter.

4.11. SUPPLEMENT

4.11.1. Prior to beginning construction, the contractor shall review each reference listed below.

4.11.2. Existing VA record drawings may not indicate actual existing conditions and should be considered a guide only. At the contractor’s request, the VA will provide appropriate record drawings. Contractor is responsible for verifying existing conditions. Deviations impacting cost or schedule must be reported for CO determination before proceeding.

4.11.3. VA Master Construction Specifications (PG-08-1): Table of contents. All specifications available in Microsoft Word format via Internet.

4.11.3.1. (http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/).

4.11.3.1.1. VA Construction Standards

4.11.3.1.2. VA Standard Details

4.11.3.1.3. VA Equipment Guide List

4.11.3.1.4. VA List of Equipment Symbols

4.11.3.1.5. VA Planning Criteria for VA Facilities

4.11.3.1.6. VA Barrier Free Design Handbook

4.11.3.1.7. VA Energy Conservation Manual

4.11.3.1.8. VA Design Manuals

4.11.3.1.9. VA Office of Information and Technology Design Guide

4.12. Communication: The cost of all communications, mailings, copying and reproductions initiated by the Contractor in providing services shall be included in the cost proposal without additional reimbursement.

4.12.1. The construction contractor shall correspond via MSTeams, Procore, BIM360 and/or as a method approved by the COR in a format capable of large file storage and distribution.

4.12.2. The Contractor shall provide access to the site to all stakeholders associated with the project.

4.12.3. Other correspondence means such as fax, overnight delivery or first-class mail, or other paperless transmissions are acceptable as secondary methods of communication. Scheduled submittals (SD, DD & CD) shall be delivered by courier or overnight mail service.

5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

5.1. Government Furnished Deliverables

5.1.1. Drawings of current SLVHCS NOLA Replacement Medical Center, as appropriate.

5.1.1.1. Drawings shall be made available electronically as PDF and/or CAD if available.

5.1.2. System information on the current utilities and related piping, electrical single lines and related diagrams

5.2. The Contractor shall conduct site visits to verify existing conditions.

5.3. Contractor (A/E, Architect Engineer) Furnished Deliverables

5.3.1. Site investigation of existing systems detailing current conditions including, but not limited to:

5.3.1.1. Existing plumbing/piping

5.3.1.2. Architectural and Structural

5.3.8. Payments

5.3.8.1. To be reviewed by VA and approved by VA prior to submission for certification

5.3.8.1.1. Note: Payment will be made based on work completed and presented to VA. The

Government shall review payment requests within 7 business days of receipt.

5.3.10. Meeting Minutes

5.3.10.1. The contractor shall keep meeting minutes and written responses to review comments within one week of the meeting conclusion or receipt of comments for all formal meetings between the contractor and the VA.

5.3.10.2. File Format: Electronic (PDF)

5.4. Site Visits

5.4.1. The contractor shall conduct site visits as part of the construction period services.

5.4.1.1. All costs associated with travel for the noted site visits shall be borne by the

Contractor and not the Government.

5.4.2. The Contractor shall also conduct as many site visits with the VA as necessary to completely assess the property and develop the bid documents as requested. These site visits are not inclusive of any site visits, meetings, etc. established or that occurred after commencement of Construction Period services.

5.4.2.1. For every site visit conducted under the construction period services, a report shall be submitted to the VA including date, time, observations, log of those present, signature of the employee completing the report.

6. EVALUATED OPTIONAL FEATURES

6.1. None are covered under this project.

7. SCHEDULE

7.1. The contractor shall provide a schedule of values and a timeline schedule for the construction services.

8. CHANGES TO THE STATEMENT OF WORK

8.1. Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the Contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor.

9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

9.1. The Contractor shall adhere to all reporting requirement as outlined in this statement of work. Any items that are not covered explicitly in this Statement of Work shall be reported to the

Contracting Officer immediately unless indicated otherwise after contract commencement.

10. TRAVEL

10.1. The Contractor is responsible for providing transportation/travel for all materials, supplies, personnel, and all items needed for the duration of this contract unless stated otherwise elsewhere. Site visits and overall travel to the job sites in all instances covered under this contract shall be wholly provided by the Contractor including but not limited to transportation, parking fees, tolls, gas mileage, etc.

11. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

11.1. The Contractor shall conduct additional site visits as determined necessary by the COR.

The VA Facilities Management Service (FMS), Safety or Police Services will also provide notification of any systems outages, testing or downtime to affected VA staff.

11.2. Removing Employees for Misconduct or Security Reasons: The Government may, at its sole discretion, direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employees from VA/VHA facilities for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under any Contract awarded. The

Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

12. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

12.1. All Contractor personnel must check-in with their designated VA point of contact or other identified staff prior to beginning any work.

12.2. Physical Security & Safety Requirements:

12.2.1. The Contractor and their personnel / subs shall follow all VA policies, standard operating procedures, applicable laws and regulations while on VA property. Violations of VA regulations and policies may result in citation and disciplinary measures for persons violating the law.

12.2.1.1. The Contractor and their personnel / subs shall always wear visible identification while they are on the premises. The Contractor shall sign in with the VA Police services prior to beginning work each workday.

12.2.1.2. VA does not provide parking spaces at the work site; the Contractor must obtain off-site parking. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to park in the appropriate off-site parking areas. VA will not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the Contractor under any conditions.

12.2.1.3. Smoking is prohibited inside/outside any building other than the designated smoking areas.

12.2.1.4. Possession of weapons is prohibited.

12.2.1.5. The Contractor shall obtain all necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions necessary to protect persons and property from injury or damage during the performance of this contract.

12.2.2. Contractor personnel approved for unescorted access shall sign in daily but are not required to be accompanied by VA staff.

12.3. Access To VA Information and VA Information Systems:

12.3.1. A Contractor / Subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or project.

12.3.2. All Contractors, Subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with

VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook

0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and

Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

12.4. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

13. PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PROPERTY

13.1. The Contractor expressly undertakes, both directly and through its subcontractors, to always take every precaution for the protection of persons and property, including Medical

Center employees and property and its own.

13.2. The Contractor shall be responsible for initiating, maintaining, and supervising all safety precautions and programs in connection with the work.

13.3. The Contractor shall continuously maintain adequate protection of all work from damage and shall protect the Medical Center property from injury of loss arising in connection with this contract. The Contractor shall make good on any loss, except as may be by agents or employees of the Medical Center.

13.4. In an emergency affecting the safety or life of individuals, or of the work, or of adjoining property, the Contractor, without special instruction or authorization from the Medical Center, is hereby permitted to act, at the Contractor's discretion, to prevent such threatened loss or injury.

Also, should the Contractor, in order to prevent threatened loss or injury, be instructed or authorized to act by the Medical Center, he shall so act, without appeal. Any additional compensation or extension of time claimed by the Contractor on account of any emergency work shall be determined by mutual agreement. The contractor shall notify the COR as soon as practicable following emergency actions and provide written justification within 24 hours.

14. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS/REGULATIONS

14.1. The Contractor shall ensure that services provided to the Government under this agreement comply with all applicable laws, statutes, regulations, and guidelines that govern the operation of systems by the Government. The Contractor shall also ensure that all services provided to the Government under this agreement comply with all Government mandated procedures, standards, and requirements.

14.2. As the Government develops and implements new or modified policies and procedures either to comply with internal agency rules and procedures or to comply with applicable rules, regulations, statutes, or other binding obligations ("Additional Compliance Terms"), the

Government reserves the right to incorporate such Additional Compliance Terms into this

Agreement. The Contractor hereby acknowledges and agrees that such Additional Compliance

Terms shall become part of this agreement. The Government shall provide the Contractor with prior written notice regarding the date by which the Contractor shall comply with each set of

Additional Compliance Terms ("Compliance Date"). Failure to comply with the Additional

Compliance Terms prior to the Compliance Date shall be cause for the Government to immediately terminate this agreement. In the event that the Government terminates this agreement because of the Contractor’s failure to comply with Additional Compliance Terms by the Compliance Date, the Contractor shall be liable for such reasonable costs as may be associated with the Government’s efforts to procure a replacement Contractor and associated systems and services.

15. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

15.1. It is agreed that:

15.1.1. The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the

Contractor in the performance of this project, are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the project.

15.1.2. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any services, data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this project. No information shall be released by the Contractor. Any request for information relating to this project, presented to the Contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response.

15.1.3. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.