A16__Brand_Name_Justification.docx

United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

https://www.blm.gov

SOLE SOURCE (INCLUDING BRAND NAME) JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR ACQUISITIONS UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES

This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by 13.106-1(b)(1) &(2).

1. Contracting agency and activity.

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska Fire Service (AFS), requests to contract Codan Communications MT-4 radio parts on a brand name basis.

2. Nature and/or description of action being approved.

New contract to obtain the following components for Codan Communications / Daniels Electronics MT-4 Portable Repeaters: Codan System Regulators, Codan P25 UHF and VHF Receivers, Codan P25 UHF and VHF Transmitters, Codan Subracks, Codan Microphones, and RF Cables to connect modules and regulators.

3. Description of supplies or services.

BLM-AFS maintains portable LMR repeaters based on the CODAN MT-4 radio system for use on wildland fire incidents. To meet increasing demand, eight additional repeaters will be assembled and added to the AFS Cache Inventory. To meet the requirements of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and BLM Alaska Fire Service for Portable Fire Repeaters, the following is required:

4. Statutory authority.

__X__41 U.S.C. 1901 – Simplified acquisition procedures (use when the simplified procedures for purchases of property and services for amounts (1) not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold ____41 U.S.C 1903 – Special emergency procurement authority (applies when in support of a contingency operation as defined in section 101(a) of title 10 or to facilitate the defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the United States).

5. Rationale supporting use of the authority stated in paragraph 5.

Codan MT-4 Radio Systems are the only P25 Repeater System on the market that is appropriate for off-grid operation in extreme temperatures and conditions, while offering extremely low standby current draw (≤115mA per receiver) that enables powering the repeater indefinitely from a single compact foldable solar panel. BLM Alaska Fire Service uses the CODAN MT-4 for all fixed-site and portable VHF and UHF Repeaters and Base Stations and possesses a large inventory of Subracks, Modules and Accessories.

6. Other information.

Utilizing a different brand of portable LMR Repeater would require a significant investment in training, parts, and test equipment, compromise interoperability with National Interagency Radio Supply Cache (NIRSC) repeaters and require an unacceptable increase in idle current consumption compared with the CODAN MT-4. In addition, due to the remote nature of many Alaska radio sites, transporting tools and spare parts to service multiple brands of radio system would create logistical challenges with limited aircraft space and weight capacities.

7. The efforts to identify additional sources including the market research conducted.

All currently manufactured radio equipment on GSA was considered. Only the CODAN MT-4 meets the requirements for standby current draw, operating temperature range, and can interchange parts with NIRSC fire repeaters.

8. Future plans to permit competition.

The Contracting Officer and Technical Advisors will continue to conduct Market Research and look for innovative ways to remove barriers to competition.

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