A16_-_JOFOC_Emergency_Operations_Plan_NPS_Redacted_1.pdf

ATTACHMENT 2

JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

for SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS OVER THE MICROPURCHASE THRESHOLD (See FAR

Part 2) UP TO SAT

(See FAR 13.106-1)

Date: August 25, 2024

PR Number: 0040673982

1. Nature and/or description of the item/service being procured and its intended use (include the anticipated cost):

National Park Service Policy states that it will develop an emergency preparedness program in accordance with title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42

USC 5195-5197g); National Security Decision Directive 259 (February 4, 1987); Department of the

Interior policy; and other considerations at the Washington headquarters, regional, and park levels.

The purpose of the emergency preparedness program is to provide for visitor and employee safety and the protection of resources and property to the maximum extent possible. This emergency preparedness program will include a systematic method for alerting visitors about potential disasters and evacuation procedures. It will also (1) provide guidance for incident management at the park level and management and relief for emergency incidents and events beyond park capabilities; (2) ensure the agency complies with the Presidential Homeland Security Directives, the

National Emergency Response Plan, and the National Incident Management System standards; and

(3) support interagency and national response to major incidents.

Further, the emergency preparedness program will state that NPS emergency operations must be conducted using the Incident Command System (ICS) of the National Interagency Incident

Management System (NIIMS), and the Unified Command System (within the Incident Command

System) will be used when other agencies are involved. NPS Park Superintendents must understand the Parks role when assisting other agencies with emergencies outside of parks, as authorized by 16

USC 1b(1), and requirement of Director’s Order #20 that requires written agreements to the extent practicable with other agencies must first be in effect. NPS employees who are outside the area of their jurisdiction and who are directed by their supervisors to provide emergency assistance to other agencies will be acting within the scope of their employment.

As a result, each park superintendent must develop and maintain emergency operations plan to ensure an effective response to all types of emergencies that can be reasonably anticipated. This requirement is for three (3), two (2) day, facilitated workshops to assist three (3) parks within the Pacific West and

Intermountain Regions of the NPS in strategic discussions to develop a park-specific Emergency

Operation Plan for their park in the event of a high impact and potentially catastrophic wildland fire.

The intent of these workshops is to facilitate the discussion of incident preparedness from interdisciplinary park team members in populating the necessary information and data for their park’s

Emergency Operations Plan. Park plans and unit emergency preparedness will be assessed through facilitated, interdisciplinary workshops, resulting in the data needed to populate park-specific action plans designed to protect park natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, visitor experience and park staff and community members. This effort is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the park’s Leadership Team, Law Enforcement, Fire Management, Natural and Cultural Resource

Management and park partners and cooperators that have the potential to be impacted by fire.

The estimated cost is approximately

2. Sole Source Justification rationale (Check one and explain below):

__X____ Only one responsible source.

______ Urgent and compelling circumstances exist. Include critical delivery or performance dates, and when you became aware of the requirement. Provide a specific statement of the impact on Government operations, financial or otherwise, if the required delivery or performance dates are not met.

______ Other _____________________________________________________

Explain:

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (i) Contracting Officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

Mission-Centered Solutions (MCS) is a contractor that specializes in and is considered the leading expert worldwide in emergency preparedness and wildland fire training, consulting, and facilitation services specific tailor to emergency management. They are found to be the only contractor that provides these services for the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which is a partnership that consists of multiple federal agencies including the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, U.S. Fire

Administration (USFA), the National Weather Service and the Department of Defense. They are the main service provider for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes the US. Coast

Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as, state, local, and international emergency response agencies around the globe.

MCS is an approved training partner for the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and provides certified training, consulting and facilitation services that are approved by the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the partners located at NIFC. MCS is the only provider of specific training such as CA-010-PREV

Incident Leadership and CA-057-RESP Intent into Action in the State and Federal Sponsored

Training Catalog that meets the L-381 – Incident Leadership & L-481 – Advanced Leadership for

Command and General Staff certification standards that are required by NWCG.

This requirement is for the facilitation in the development of emergency preparedness plans at three

(3) NPS locations within the Pacific West and Intermountain Region that experienced significant wildland fire activities or has the potential for significant wildland fire activity in the future. The

MCS facilitated workshops is for the development of the three (3) emergency preparedness plans will be built off, ICS, NIMS and the L-580 – Leadership in Action course that is certified by the NWCG and provided worldwide only by MCS.

MCS is an expert consultant and training company that also works extensively with the Incident

Management Team (IMT)s and has created an integrated framework defining the building blocks of the IMT development which will also be used in the emergency preparedness plan. Through this expertise, MCS has been found to be the only company that provides the most advanced training available for incident management personnel that focuses on the building and reinforcing the decision processes that underpin the ICS structure, forms, and Advanced Incident Management Plan (IMP)

Development Framework that is congruent with the Incident Management Team development track recommend by FEMA, the USFA, and NWCG that is required for the NPS emergency preparedness plan. The MCS provided workshops will focus on strategic planning and crisis management, that are consistent with the NPS core missions and enhancing operational culture for safety and effectiveness.

3. Market Research. Please explain the results or why one was not performed. State whether any other offers were received or anyone expressed interest:

Extensive Market Research was performed by the Contracting Officer (CO) in preparation of this requirement. While there are many approved NWCG emergency and wildland fire training partners with a lot of emergency and wildland fire experience out there like the Colorado Wildland Fire and

Incident Management Academy, which this CO is an NWCG Instructor for, they only provide

NWCG related training. They do not provide consultation or facilitation outside of the classroom setting.

There are also multiple vendors available on GSA Schedules, including Human Capital and Training

Solutions 8A (HCATS 8A) under POOL1 – Professional & Management Development Training but none of the contractors were found to provide the specific emergency management and wildland fire experience that is required. This was also found true on the open market who provide professional consulting/facilitation type services, as only MCS has been identified as the leading expert and being capable of providing the specific emergency management and wildland fire related facilitation services that are required for this requirement.

Mission-Centered Solutions (MCS) is an approved NWCG training partner and is the only contractor that has been found to be the only vendor that has the staff and experience in the facilitation and consultation that specifically focuses on emergency/incident and wildland fire in regard to emergency preparedness planning for wildland fire. One other company the was found International SOS was found to provide consulting services; however, the focus is on health and security related items versus emergency and wildland fire response and not found to be comparable.

MCS has been determined to be the only contractor that has been found capable of facilitating these workshops that are consistent with other NWCG courses and training requirements in the development of specific emergency preparedness plans that are required by three (3) NPS locations within the Pacific West and Intermountain Regions of the NPS.

4. If this is a determination for sole source, the contracting officer certifies:

a. Only one source is available, or urgent and compelling circumstances exist.

b. The anticipated price will be determined fair and reasonable using the price analysis techniques described in FAR Part 13.106-3(a).

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date)__________________________

Type or Print Name: __________________________________________

Title:

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date) ___________________________

Type or Print Name: __________________________________________

Contracting Officer

Over $50,000:(if applicable)

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date) ______________________

Warranted Individual 1 Level Above Contracting Officer