A16_JOFOC_under_SAT_iaw_FAR_13_106-1_signed_HS_mls_1.pdf

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), Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service/ Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, requests the Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, Procurement, to contract on a sole source (including brand name) basis.

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

Due to the circumstances described here, request the following be acquired using other than full and open competition in support of the BLM requirement for critical fire management decision support information. Heartland Software Solutions Inc has developed FireCast as a fully automated software service that provides real-time analysis of wildfire behavior. Simulations presenting fire perimeters and a variety of statistics regarding fire behavior are completed within minutes. These quick results help support timely decision-making in response planning.

Description of supplies or services.

FireCast is a fully automated software service that provides near real-time analysis of wildfire behavior. Simulations presenting fire perimeters and a variety of statistics are completed within minutes. These quick results help support timely decision-making for fire managers. Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) calculations are used, a wide variety of weather models can be selected, and output products are available on the web, on mobile devices, and through API services. Not only are outputs processed within minutes, but every model run is archived for future analysis and training. And, updated model outputs are available up to 4 times per day.

The ability to easily incorporate the FireCast model outputs into the existing ArcGIS Online web applications at AFS would significantly reduce the technological barriers encountered by users needing access to this information. Because AFS has built multiple web mapping applications using the ArcGIS Online platform, an Esri-compatible REST Service is the preferred solution. This would allow fire managers and fire behavior analysts at AFS and our interagency partners to https://www.blm.gov/ analyze potential fire perimeters in near-real time, with overlays of other fire information pulled from other sources.

Estimated dollar value.

The estimated price of this requirement for the three-month fire season is $30,000. This estimate is based on costs of programming to ensure timely processing of Alaskan fires, rapid response for maintenance and upkeep of the system during the fire season, use of cloud computing including data storage fees, and program management costs. Assuming the success of this program’s use during the 2023 season, it is likely this project will be requested for additional funding in future fire seasons.

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).

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

To the best of our knowledge and understanding, Heartland Software Solutions Inc’s FireCast program is the only software that can perform this unique function. Though other fire perimeter and behavior prediction tools exist, they do not have the same rapid response time, flexibility in weather model selection, use of the CFFDRS as inputs, and ability to be ingested into the AFS mapping database. This developer also has an in-depth understanding of the technical calculations and reasoning behind the CFFDRS, as well as a thorough comprehension of why this data is critical to wildland fire management and how to best display such data for easy consumption. In addition, the vendor ran this software at no charge for many Alaska fires last summer, so we have seen first-hand that this can be a successful tool for fire management in the state.

Other information.

Having any other vendor undertake this contract would require a substantial additional monetary investment just to get to FireCast’s current capabilities.

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

As described in number 6 above, I have never heard of another organization that developed such a tool despite my years of experience in this position. I have completed the A14 Market Research Form and have not learned of any other sources through the links and research recommended there.

Future plans to permit competition.

Though there is no clear way to change barriers for this project, we will continue to reach out to other possible vendors to assess interest and capability for competition for continued development, maintenance, and enhancement of this unique fire perimeter and behavior forecasting tool using highly specialized programming skills and data knowledge.

The ordering activity Contracting Officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the Contracting Officer’s knowledge and belief and evidence that the supporting data that form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by technical/program personnel.

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification, are complete and accurate.

(Signature)________________________________________ (Date) _______________________

(Type or Print Name): ___________________________________________________________ Contracting Officer’s Representative

4. I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief:

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date) _______________________

(Type or Print Name): ___________________________________________________________ Contracting Officer