A04_BLM_Fire_Photography_Videography_BPA_SOW_2025_Final.pdf

Statement of Work

BLM Fire External Affairs (EA) – National Office

pg. 1

Photography/Video Services May 2025 through April 2028

Project:

The intent of this Blanket Purchase Agreement is to support the continuing efforts in telling the BLM Fire program story by capturing content from various aspects of the program through photos and video. For example, fuels reductions projects (Rx burns, thinning, seeding, etc.), fire preparedness and fuels reviews, and during the height of fire season. Contractors will capture the BLM Fire program with the use of photos and video footage of the following but not limited to:

• Wildland fire activity within BLM Fire program states - suppression and support functions with fire resources using the current BLM Fire photo/video shot list (will be provided).

i. Engines

ii. Water tenders

iii. Heavy equipment, i.e., dozers, skid steers, mulchers, excavators, etc.

iv. Helicopters

v. SEATs

vi. Handcrews

vii. Incident management team (IMT) staff

viii. Agency administrators

ix. Support staff

x. Dispatch

xi. Fire prevention, investigation, education and mitigation efforts

xii. Fire warehouse (cache system)

xiii. Supplies & logistical support, i.e., radio and RAWs equipment use, saw and hand tool use, incident management camps (ICPs), etc.

• Preparedness reviews, station activities, and physical fitness using the current BLM Fire Photo/Video shot list (will be provided).

i. Engine checks and readiness

ii. Briefings

iii. Physical fitness activities

iv. Various firefighting drills and skills, i.e., sand box and mock fire exercises, hose lays, tool sharpening, etc.

v. Daily station operations

vi. Preparedness Reviews

• Fuels Management program activities and reviews using the current BLM Fire Photo/Video shot list (will be provided).

i. Mechanical treatments, i.e., chipping, seeding, hand piling, thinning, mastication, or mowing

pg. 2

ii. Prescribed fire/fire use treatments, i.e., wildfire, broadcast, pile or jackpot burning

iii. Chemical and biological treatments, i.e., herbicide treatments and targeted grazing

iv. Fuels Reviews

• A 2-terabit external hard drive or 64 GB flash drive (dependent on the project) will be provided to the contractor for easy delivery of content. If possible, content should be updated every two weeks to share with BLM Fire EA staff depending on fire activity. If additional hard or flash drives are needed, a formal request from the contractor is required.

• The contractor will adhere to safety standards and the work/rest guidelines outlined in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book), Chapter 7, Safety and Risk Management.

• Various projects will specify if there is a need for fireline/RX burn visits where the contractor will follow the guidelines for personnel visiting fires outlined in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book), Chapter 7, Safety and Risk Management.

• Minimum requirements for visits to the fireline/prescribed fire burns must meet the requirements below:

i. Visits to the fireline must have the approval of the IC/burn boss.

ii. Visitors must maintain communications with the division supervisor or appropriate fireline supervisor of the area to be visited.

iii. Visitors must wear the required fireline PPE.

iv. Required field attire includes undergarments made of 100 percent or the highest possible content of natural fibers or flame-resistant materials.

v. Required equipment/supplies include a hand tool and water canteen.

• Visitors to the fireline/prescribed fire burns may be “non-escorted” or “escorted” depending on the requirements.

• Non-escorted visitors to the fireline must have:

i. An incident qualification with a minimum physical fitness level of

“light.”

ii. Adequate communications and radio training.

iii. Completed the following training: Introduction to Fire Behavior (S- 190), Firefighter Training (S-130), and Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (RT-130), including fire shelter training.

iv. Deviation from these requirements must be approved by the IC or burn boss.

https://www.nifc.gov/sites/default/files/redbook-files/RedBook_Final.pdf

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v. Documentation will be required for all non-escorted contractors.

• Escorted visitors will need to meet the following:

i. All visitors lacking the above training and physical requirements must be escorted while on the fireline.

ii. Visitors must receive training in the proper use of fireline PPE.

iii. Escorts will determine hand tool and water requirements.

iv. Visitors must be able to walk in mountainous terrain and be in good physical condition with no known limiting conditions.

v. Escorts must be minimally qualified as single resource boss.

vi. Deviation from these requirements must be approved by the IC or burn boss.

• All personnel visiting the fire line are required to use personal protective equipment (PPE) outlined in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book), Chapter 7, Safety and Risk Management.

• The contractor will provide a photo/video portfolio when submitting their request for a

BPA.

• The contractor will need to provide the geographic location(s) that they would like to be requested work within:

• Alaska

• Northwest

• Northern CA

• Southern CA

• Great Basin

• Northern Rockies

• Rocky Mountain

• Southwest

Contractor requirements:

The individual authorized under Blanket Purchase Authority shall provide photo, video, filing, labeling and image logging information for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in accordance with the following specifications:

1. The contractor shall supply all labor, equipment, supplies and incidentals necessary to provide wildland fire photography or videography services to the BLM, including photo and/or video cameras and support accessories and any other equipment necessary to capture technically difficult images. "Wildland fire" means events, themes and issues related to wildfire, prescribed fire, wildland fire use, and activities

pg. 4 conducted in support of wildland fire. The contractor shall have the means to guarantee his or her ability to shoot images under a variety of light, weather, and topographic conditions.

2. The photos and video footage taken by the contractor shall be of sufficient quality to be acceptable for broadcast by national broadcast news organizations. Video and photos shot under this agreement will be of professional quality and shot in a digital format.

• The photography format will be delivered as the following:

o Upload images with the original pixel size and do not change the resolution.

o Images must be uploaded in JPG or JPEG format with high quality compression.

o File size can be up to 50 megabytes for photos and must be at least 300 dpi with an image size of 2400 x 3000 pixels or more.

o All submitted photo content must include original EXIF metadata to ensure accurate documentation, including timestamp, GPS location, camera settings, and descriptive information per the BLM Metadata Standard (see attached).

o Photos must contain complete metadata fields, including Creator, Headline, Description, Keywords, Title, Credit Line, Source, and Copyright Status. Images must not have border(s), logo(s), identifying marks, or any other visible references and/or marks.

o Basic editing, including color enhancement, the use of filters, and cropping of the photo is acceptable, provided any such editing does not affect the authenticity and/or genuineness of the photo.

o The photo must be in its original state and cannot be altered in any way, including but not limited to removing, adding, reversing, or distorting subjects within the frame.

• The video format will be delivered as the following:

o All video footage must be delivered in .mp4 format, in a non-log (color-graded) format ready for immediate distribution.

o All submitted video content must include original EXIF metadata to ensure accurate documentation, including timestamp, camera settings, and descriptive information per the BLM Metadata Standard.

3. The contractor shall label and file all photos and/or video delivered for payment to the BLM. Video and or photography storage devices shall be individually numbered by incident name, month and year taken, and the location taken to facilitate both retrieval and storage of photos and footage. All photos and video footage delivered under BPA calls will be logged and the logging information (shot sheets) will be submitted along with the footage.

• Folder example: BLM Wyoming_2025 High Desert District Engine Readiness_20250912

• Folder example: BLM Utah_2025 Green Mountain Fire_Moab Utah 20250928 (each day of the incident will have a separate folder)

4. The contractor shall shoot photos that meet the attached shot list requirements. The contractor is not required to obtain every shot listed but should follow the list when shooting on assignment to ensure that he/she is shooting images/video that meets the BLM’s specifications for this contract.

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5. The contractor shall provide all photos and video on thumb drives or external hard drives. The contractor should provide additional copies of photo and video files if requested by the BLM.

6. Contractors shall possess a valid state driver's license. Contractors are permitted to rent a vehicle for travel to an assignment, and may be reimbursed for fuel and rental expenses, provided receipts for the rental and all fuel purchases are provided with the invoice.

7. The government will temporarily supply the contractor with personal protective equipment (PPE) and other fire gear required for access to the fireline – except NWCG-compliant firefighting leather boots, which the contractor shall provide. The contractor shall return all PPE checked out from an incident management team or the BLM promptly upon demobilizing from an incident.

8. The contractor shall be responsible to arrange his or her own logistics for travel, meals, lodging, and incidental expenses related to executing the task order. Overnight lodging or camping on an incident may be required to enable the contractor to execute the BPA call. The contractor may reside in an incident base camp or spike camp at no charge (and is encouraged to do so) for the duration of his or her assignment.

9. The contractor shall provide transportation, via air and/or land, to assigned incident locations. Travel reimbursement will be in accordance with FAR 31.205-46. Itemized transportation, lodging, meal, and incidental expenses supported with receipts shall be reimbursed by the government at (1) the rate established for government employees traveling in the same area, or (2) upon review and consideration by the Contracting Officer (CO). The contractor may choose to reside and eat at the incident base camp. If the contractor uses his or her privately-owned vehicle, he or she shall bear the liability for use of that vehicle while on a government assignment. Reimbursement for services rendered shall not exceed those rates expressed in the pricing schedule.

10. The government will own all video and still photography files produced under the BPA Call relevant to this agreement. As the owner, the government can use, disclose, reproduce, and prepare derivative works of the video or still photography; distribute copies of the video or photographs to the public and display them publicly, in any manner and for any purpose whatsoever.

11. The government has unlimited rights to the still photographs and video; to use, disclose, reproduce, and prepare derivative works of the photographs and video; and to distribute copies of the still photographs and video to the public and display them publicly, in any not-for-profit manner or purpose whatsoever.

12. The contractor has the right to establish claim to copyright subsisting in still photographs and video first produced in the performance of this agreement. The contractor has the right to sell the still photographs or video for use in publications or for other for-profit purpose; however, in accordance with FAR 52.227-17, the photos/videos first produced in performance of a BPA call against this BPA must not be used for other purposes without prior written approval from the CO/BLM Fire EA. The contractor shall affix the applicable copyright notices of 17 U.S. Code 401 or 402 and an acknowledgement of government sponsorship to any still photographs and video so used.

pg. 6

13. The government will retain physical possession of the digital files of video footage taken under this agreement, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) subpart 27.4, Sections 27.404 and

27.405. All files provided to the BLM will be kept at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

14. The contractor shall furnish video footage and services in accordance with the specifications described herein, when requested by the CO or authorized representative of the CO during the life of this agreement.

15. Contractors authorized to shoot photos or video footage for the BLM under the auspices of this agreement shall represent themselves as employees or contractors of the BLM or NIFC only when they are on an assignment as defined by a valid BPA call, and then only during the time period specified by the BPA call.

16. The government does not guarantee a certain number of hours for the contractor during the life of the agreement:

• The contractor will adhere to the Work/Rest guidelines outlined in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, Chapter 7, Safety and Risk Management starting on page 101, 2024 edition.

• The contractor should work no more than 10 hours per day while on assignment. If the contractor requires additional work hours while on assignment, he/she must contact NIFC EA to explain why the additional hours are required and request permission to work beyond a 10-hour workday.

• Postproduction time will be determined based on the project size and each individual BPA call.

Pricing:

The government is obligated only to the extent of actual authorized purchases made under the BPA.

Prices to the government shall be as low as or lower than those charged the supplier's most favored customer for comparable quantities under similar terms and conditions, in addition to any discount payments.

The US Government is tax exempt (140001849), so no state sales tax shall be added to invoices.

A summary invoice shall be submitted at least monthly or upon expiration of this BPA, whichever occurs first, for all services and deliveries made during a billing period. The summary invoice shall identify the BPA call covered therein, stating the total dollar value and supported by an itemized detail sheet.

Metadata for photos and videos

Please fill in the following categories.

• Creator: Photographers name

• Creator: Email – Photographer’s email

• You are welcome to fill in any of the other

Creator information that you would like!

• Headline: Name of incident or other descriptive information

• Description: Include a description of the photo, location it was taken, and the incident or project it was taken on. Include a line that says, "Photo by (photographer’s name), BLM”. If it was taken by a contractor include:

“photographer/videographer for BLM.”

o Photo by Sally Jones, BLM o Photo by Sally Jones, contract photographer for BLM

• Keywords: include the state, unit, and any words that will help people find the photo.

Please do not use acronyms in the keywords field (Bureau of Land Management not BLM) and spell out states (Idaho not ID).

• Sublocation, City, State/Province, Country, ISO Country Code are optional.

• Title: Add a descriptive title that is unique to the photo. Multiple photos from the same incident must have unique titles.

• Credit Line: Same format as in the Creator field

• Source: Same format as in the Creator field

• Copyright Status: Public Domain

All the metadata for photos will be imported into Flickr. The Title is the field that Flickr will use to identify the photo.

Please note that videos will not import metadata into Flickr, but if all the above information is included with the file, it’s easy to copy and paste the necessary information to Flickr.