9222 -RFI for Comm Shelters.pdf

Sources Sought for Comm Shelters 127604259222

November 5, 2024

Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

1. Introduction

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service is in the pre-solicitation phase for a communications shelter with an integrated tower or mast.

2. Background

The National Forest Service owns, leases, and shares thousands of communication systems shelters across the United States. These structures serve diverse purposes, including research projects, law enforcement, fire communications, and public safety. The shelters are managed under the “Life Cycle Replacement Program,” with the Land Mobile Radio Group allocating approximately $1.5 million to $5 million annually from the Program of Work (POW) budget to maintain a reliable communications infrastructure.

The Forest Service (FS) Chief Information Office (CIO) Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Group has an ongoing annual requirement to acquire and install or replace radio communication shelters that are new, damaged, or obsolete across the National Forest System. Each year, the LMR Group identifies shelters that are beyond serviceable lifecycle and require replacement or new site installations. An annual Program of Work specifies these locations based on funding and order placements.

Professional services are needed to manufacture, transport, and install these communication shelters at designated sites, as well as to remove old shelters when necessary, in support of the USFS radio communications network.

The Sources Sought is intended to gather feedback from contractors regarding the complex shelter requirements and installation processes for the National Forest System. These efforts support Forest Operations, Safety, Fire, and Law Enforcement at remote radio communication sites and include designing, manufacturing, transporting, planning, coordinating, and installing radio communication shelters. Site logistics will vary and may require access via unimproved roads, paved roads, helicopter fly-ins, long-line operations, hiking, or Forest Service-provided pack animals.

Telehandlers, cranes, and other specialized equipment may also be necessary. Forest Service radio technicians will handle the installation of radio equipment and solar power systems within the shelters, which is not part of the contractor’s responsibilities.

3. Purpose and Objective(s)

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this notice is to obtain industry feedback on procuring professional services needed to design, manufacture, transport, and install radio communication shelters for the USDA Forest Service. Shelter manufacturers, third-party vendors, contractors, and subcontractors must strictly adhere to the specifications detailed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS), Statements of Work (SOW), and Bill of Materials (BOM) which includes site-specific considerations. The primary objective is to deliver a high-quality radio communications shelter that protects the Forest Service's radio assets. Installation and removal processes must minimize environmental impact, including debris removal, backhaul of any retired or unserviceable shelters, and the demolition and/or backhaul of unserviceable towers as applicable.

PROJECT TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor must be capable of designing to specification, manufacturing or procuring, transporting, offloading, and installing a communications shelter. The contractor must comply with specifications listed in the PWS or SOW, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Decision Memo, and/or the Noxious Weed Abatement Program for the site. This process includes pre-staging the shelter at a designated location for work by Forest Service Technicians before final site installation.

For communications shelters and supplies destined for remote or challenging locations, highly skilled personnel will be required, and a manufacturer’s certification may be necessary for shelter installation. Shelter sizes and configurations will vary based on forest requirements, and a BOM with supplementary SOW (as applicable) will be provided for each request, detailing unique site conditions, including snow load, wind speed, ground conditions, and other special requirements.

Shelters with solar power mounts will include instructions for proper southern orientation.

Additionally, all shelters will have compass orientation directions for doors and equipment.

Upon placement, the contractor will set and level each shelter per the manufacturer’s specifications, ensuring proper grounding, anchoring, and stability. Installation must meet all specifications to maintain the manufacturer’s full and extended warranties.

If an existing shelter is present, it must be removed unless otherwise directed. Old shelters designated for removal will be transported to a Forest Service location or a facility for disposal, in compliance with USFS recycling procedures. Batteries must be delivered to a facility for documented disposal or recycling under the Forest Service Sustainable Operations Program, adhering to all Federal and State regulations. Disposal and recycling documentation must be provided to the USFS during the installation acceptance closeout process. The contractor is responsible for the removal and disposal of any HAZMAT materials. All HAZMAT and disposal fees will be the responsibility of the contractor.

SHELTER STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The manufacture of all shelters must comply with applicable nationally recognized building and electrical codes. Unique Forest Service requirements—such as grounding, rodent proofing, and other special needs—will be detailed in the BOM. Shelters with attached towers will also be specified by the Forest Service in the BOM, and any integrated tower designs must conform to current TIA-222 standards.

All shelter installations must adhere to the manufacturer's specifications to preserve warranties and extended warranties. Any damages identified in subsequent inspections that are determined to have occurred during transportation or installation—and fall within the warranty period—will be the contractor's responsibility.

SHELTER DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

The contractor must be capable of designing, manufacturing or procuring, transporting, offloading, and ensuring compliance with all necessary National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) approvals or noxious weed abatement program requirements for the site. These requirements apply until the USDA Forest Service completes the final installation inspection.

The shelter must meet the following salient characteristics:

A. Installation Duration: The shelter must be able to be installed within one (1) day.

B. Ground Disturbance: The shelter must be deployable on bare, unimproved land without the need for excavation or foundation construction.

C. Anchoring: The shelter must be anchored to the ground without requiring guy wires or stakes.

D. Lightning Protection: The shelter must protect radio equipment from transient voltage caused by lightning, utilizing Faraday Cage technology.

E. Ground System: Due to the minimal ground disturbance requirement, a traditional ground system cannot be part of the solution.

F. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): The shelter must minimize EMI exposure for the radio equipment inside.

G. Articulating Tower: The shelter must include an integrated mast or tower system that eliminates the need for climbing. The mast must articulate, allowing radio technicians to mount and maintain all antennas and associated cabling while in the horizontal position.

H. Turnkey Site Installation Service: The contractor should provide a comprehensive solution—including manufacturing or procurement, shipping, and installation of the shelter—to reduce the need for multiple contractors, thereby minimizing installation delays, potential warranty issues, and costs.

I. Site-Specific Engineering: The shelter must be engineered to account for specific site conditions, including wind, ice, and antenna load requirements.

It is the Forest Service’s objective that any contract following the Sources Sought will provide a communications shelter with an integrated tower or mast, installation service, demolition and/or backhaul, and disposal of unserviceable towers and shelters.

4. List of Attachments

Note: All documentation is in draft form and subject to change.

Example BOM Performance Work Statement

5. Requested Information

The Forest Service is requesting the following information regarding the Sources Sought:

A. The proposed shelter design that meets the required salient characteristics.

B. A Project Management Plan outlining how the respondent will comply with the attached

Performance Work Statement.

C. A detailed breakdown of the costs associated with the project.

Responses are limited to no more than 5-pages, excluding a cover page, using Times New Roman 12-point font and one-inch margins on a standard 8.5” x 11” layout.

Interested firms responding to the Sources Sought must respond with the following:

5.1 Cover Page

The following information is required on the cover page:

1. Business name and address;

2. Name of company representative, alternate, and their associated business titles and contact information (inclusive of telephone numbers and email addresses);

3. Business Size for the DAITSS/NRIS BPA. Indicate if your firm is large or small, and include any applicable socio-economic status; and

4. UEI number.

5.2 Capabilities

The Offeror must demonstrate that it has the capabilities to meet the needs as stated in Section 3 and Section 4 above.

5.3 Feedback on the Draft Documentation

Within the five-page limit, provide any comments, questions, and/or recommendations on the draft documentation for the Government’s consideration.

6. RFI Response Submission Instructions

RFI responses must be submitted to Derick Yara at derick.yara@usda.gov no later than 2pm ET on December 27, 2024. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word or .pdf format.

52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997)

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: Market Research and planning to support solicitation preparation.

(End of provision) mailto:derick.yara@usda.gov