VTC_Notes_012417.pdf

VIPR VTC AGENDA

Heavy Equipment

01/24/2017

1) REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT

a) A valid e-mail address – VIPR communicates through e-mail, Finance sends IRS Form 1099, and I communicate mostly through e-mail. If you aren’t used to checking your e-mail, you need to get into the habit. I prefer to communicate through e-mail due to the sheer number of vendors that I have agreements with.

b) DUNS Number – you can get this for free for doing business with the federal government

c) Active SAM registration: https://www.sam.gov/

i) If you do an internet search for it and find a website asking for money, that’s not SAM. SAM registration is free if you do it yourself.

ii) You must keep your SAM active by logging in at least once a year. If your account goes inactive, I cannot process modifications and MOST IMPORTANTLY the payment center cannot process payments.

d) USDA Level 2 eAuthentication account (required if responding to a VIPR solicitation) http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/eauth.php

i) Full instructions on website. You will need to go to a Local Registration Authority (LRA) with a picture ID to complete the process because the eAuth electronic signature is legally binding. Everything is done electronically through VIPR, no hardcopy signatures are requested or required.

e) Register in the VIPR Vendor Application:

http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/vendorapp.php

2) SET ASIDES AND SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARDS

i) Found in Block 10 of the Standard Form 1449 (cover sheet) on any VIPR solicitation

ii) If the NAICS code on the solicitation is not in your SAM registration, you must update your registration to add that NAICS code – I will be checking SAM. Vendors may operate under numerous NAICS codes.

(1) Look at the size standard

(2) Certify that you are a small business under each NAICS code that you are small under https://www.sam.gov/ http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/eauth.php http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/vendorapp.php

3) VIPR WEBSITE & VIPR VENDOR APPLICATION

a) If you are having issues, call the helpdesk – 1-866-224-7677. I don’t have any experience with the vendor side.

b) Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your quote. At this point, I do not plan to extend the response date.

c) Company name must match company name exactly as listed in SAM. Information must be imported to VIPR from SAM. Press the View/Import from SAM button to import your company info.

4) HOW RESPONSES ARE EVALUATED – SECTION B.3 BASIS OF AWARD

a) Reasonable price, operational acceptability, and past performance dependability risk will be the basis for the best value determination

b) Past performance Dependability Risk D.20 and Exhibit E (Performance Evaluation) – will be ranked Unknown, Low, or High. A high dependability risk characterized by poor business relations with the government, poor business ethics or who doesn’t conduct him/herself in a business-like manner will not receive an award. I will ask for customer references if I cannot find a performance evaluation on file with me or in other regions.

Low and unknown risk can be given an award.

i) We are placing an emphasis on performance evaluations. You should be getting them when you are demobed. Please feel free to work through your chain of command at the incident in order to ask for an evaluation. If you have trouble getting evaluations, let Stephanie know.

5) SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS & DPL ADVANTAGE – PART B.6

a) All socio-economic programs are treated equally in VIPR as far as award goes. The socio-economic programs give a 5% to 10% price advantage when VIPR computes placement on the DPL. You can qualify in more than one program, but you are only permitted maximum 10% advantage.

b) 8(a) and HUBZone are specific programs run by the SBA and you need to be accepted by them – contact your local SBA office for more information. I have contact information if you need it.

c) You need to go to certify.SBA.gov to self-certify as a WOSB/EDWOSB. This is a process that requires paperwork to be uploaded so give yourself time. I will be verifying.

d) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small business is a self-certification, but I will likely ask to see your DD-214.

6) SECTIONS B & C

a) Contain an overview of the intent of the solicitation; legal clauses including those incorporated by reference; agreement period & rollover mods (C.3.1); contractor liability; i.e., insurance (C.7 & C.8); Some are incorporated by reference – you can find the full text online at www.acquisition.gov (it might be easier to do an internet search of the clause than trying to find it on that website).

7) A SOLICITATION OVERVIEW (RESOURCE & PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS) – PART D

a) For a comparison of this year’s language to previous year’s agreements, go to the VIPR website under Solicitations http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/solicitations.php;

scroll down until you see Solicitation Template Modifications and read the latest mod.

Click on View Archive of Updates to see any previous updates since the last time your agreement was modified.

b) Section D—Vendors should read this entire section carefully and be completely familiar with it.

i) Availability – D.5

(1) After award, I will be sending out instructions on how to get a ROSS account for self-statusing. You should not rely on the dispatch center to status your resource for you – you might miss calls this way.

(2) Kenan explained that there is discussion about having an on-boarding for NAP/ROSS once you are awarded a VIPR agreement. Until then, he emphasized that you need to show yourself as available on a local, GACC, and national level (if those are what you want).

(3) When you accept an assignment and then come home, ROSS automatically puts you in a ‘returning’ status and you need to status yourself as available in order to get a new call. If you have any questions about web statusing, call SWCC at 505- 842-3473.

ii) Dispatch Priority & Ranking (D.6.1, D.6.2, Exhibit J).

(1) VIPR calculates score based on pricing, small business socioeconomic status, and attributes

(2) Attributes given points (see Exhibit J).

(3) Out-of-GACC Dispatches

(a) The center might select a DPL out of GACC to meet the Date/Time Needed.

For example: if we receive 10 orders, SWCC will look at what resources are currently assigned and what is available across all centers.

(b) We do not have an area-wide DPL; we are structured as local tiered DPL

iii) INSPECTIONS (D.16 & D.17)

(1) Fire season predictions for the geographic area will determine the inspection of equipment from certain dispatch centers. We will make an effort to hit all centers/DPLs but our emphasis will be the areas which have a high probability of fire incidents in their respective dispatch centers. In coordination with Fire CO, http://www.acquisition.gov/ http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/solicitations.php

Stephanie Archuleta, the incident contract procurement inspector (ICPI) will arrange a time and location for the inspection. Prior notice will be given to the vendors in the early spring depending on geographic area fire conditions.

(2) We will contact each company and work out the schedule.

(3) Goal is readiness/preparedness so we have a high availability of resources.

iv) A lesson learned from last year: when a vendor has multiple pieces of equipment, the wrong equipment was being sent to fires and then rejected at the incident.

Make sure to look at your resource order and send out the piece of equipment with the matching VIN or as depicted on the resource order.

v) Payments D.21.8 – NOTE: On any fire without a finance section, vendors need to get a POC name & contact info for who will prepare their invoice and which agency is responsible for payment.

8) EXHIBITS

a) VENDOR FIRE TRAINING D.3, EXHIBIT F, EXHIBIT I, EXHIBIT N, EXHIBIT O

i) RT-130 required

(1) Any NWCG-certified trainer can provide RT-130

ii) Vendors should check within your respective state, local interagency wildland fire

Training Center (NM Ruidoso Sierra Blanca Wildfire Academy & AZ Wildland Fire Academy Prescott AZ), Local fire departments, and community college wildland fire science programs or search the internet to locate wildland fire training (Exhibit I)

iii) Vendors can be prosecuted for fraud for falsely stating that they and/or their operators meet the required training.

b) US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) WAGE DETERMINATION (Exhibit D) http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-sca.htm

i) Vendors must pay the wages and health and welfare benefits in the WD

ii) We are in the Western Region

iii) Conformance process

(1) Read the entire process at the end of Exhibit D. In a nutshell – if you can’t find a category on the WD, you need to have DOL approve the wages. If you intend to go through this process, you MUST let me know.

c) Exhibit H – no geographic area terms & conditions

6) We are trying to get the word out and increase our vendor pool so please feel free to spread the word about VIPR.

http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-sca.htm

7) Rich’s e-mail address: rmnieto@fs.fed.us & Fred’s e-mail address: fhernandez@fs.fed.us

8) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS—if vendors have further questions about specific contract requirements, they should submit them via e-mail to Stephanie Archuleta. Questions may need to be elevated to equipment specialists or VIPR team. We will look at the 6-9 pin plug issue and see if we can recommend any changes.

Q1. How are transports inspected?

A1. Transports carrying heavy equipment can be inspected in accordance with D.17 (see D.2.2 – TRANSPORTATION paragraph (e)) and both the transport and the heavy equipment can be rejected from the incident. Transports ordered for the incident should also be inspected, just as with any other piece of equipment.

Q2. If the transport is released, how does heavy equipment (like a dozer) get moved around the incident?

A2. It depends on the incident – usually a hired transport will relocate the equipment if necessary. Each incident will determine their specific needs. In some cases, there may be a need to move the resource due to changing conditions and or higher priority needs elsewhere. The intent is to meet the Incident Commander’s incident needs.

Q3. Are cages required on dozer sweeps and doors?

A3. Review section D.2.1.2 - Equipment Requirements. Paragraph DOZERS (a)(1) discusses requirements for ROPS and FOPS.

Q4. Can you use any truck for transports?

A4. Yes, as long as it meets agreement and DOT requirements. The agreement specifically identifies the lowboy/trailer.

Q5. If transport is not available, can someone else bring it?

A5. In order to clarify the intent of the solicitation, the following language was added to D.16 via amendment:

To be considered for a standalone transport award, vendor must submit proof of CARRIER OR CARGO INSURANCE dated within the last 24 months to the Contracting Officer. A standalone transport is only required for those vendors who have the capability of transporting cargo commercially. A standalone transport award IS NOT

NEEDED AND WILL NOT BE AWARDED IF VENDOR INTENDS TO ONLY TRANSPORT THEIR

OWN EQUIPMENT.

There was also language added to D.6.2 mailto:rmnieto@fs.fed.us mailto:fhernandez@fs.fed.us

Make sure to read D.2.2 for detailed information and requirements for transporting heavy equipment.

Q6. When can we replace resources? Only once a year?

A6. You can replace resources in accordance with the agreement whenever you need.

Just contact Stephanie.

Q7. Since this is wage determination, do you require certified payroll?

A7. No, but you are required to pay according to the wage determination.

Q8. If you have two transports out of different dispatch centers, can you use whichever truck is available?

A8. Yes. The agreement is for the transport, not the truck. The truck will need to meet all requirements, however.