Attachment 02 - Canine Procurement and Imprintation.docx

Global Canine Services (GSC) IDIQ Contract Attachment 02 – Canine Procurement & Imprintation

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GLOBAL CANINE SERVICES (GSC) IDIQ

ATTACHMENT 2

CANINE PROCUREMENT AND IMPRINTATION

Version: 4/26/2022

Section 1 Canine Procurement, Wellness Screening, and Certification A. The contractor shall only procure and kennel canines from or with vendors/kennels approved by the DS/OPO/WPS CO, COR, and/or ACOR. The contractor shall submit these locations for inspection by DS/OPO/WPS CO, COR, and ACOR at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to use.

1. The total number of canines to be procured and fully trained will be identified at the TO level.

2. The total number of fully trained, government-owned canines will be identified at the TO level.

B. The contractor shall procure only canines that are fit mentally and physically, structurally sound, and able to perform the essential functions of the work identified in the contract and applicable TOs.

1. The Government reserves the right to reject/return canines to the vendor that are determined to be unfit to meet operational requirements at the TO place of performance, upon notification to the contractor, no later than thirty (30) days following arrival and assessment of canines at the TO place of performance. The contractor must provide a fit canine replacement at no additional cost to the U.S. Government.

C. The contractor shall be responsible for the transport of canines on a cost reimbursable basis from point of procurement to the canine training facility.

D. Procured canines shall be quarantined for no less than ten (10) consecutive days upon immediate arrival to the canine training facility. During which time, a licensed veterinarian physician shall screen, vaccinate, and perform required procedures in accordance with IDIQ Attachment 06 – Canine Medical Protocols E. The contractor shall ensure that the veterinarian’s wellness screening report, canine’s medical records, proof of vaccinations (i.e. rabies certificate) and/or titer certificate, prescribed medications, and health certificates accompany the canine to the TO performance location.

F. The contractor shall maintain these reports, records and certifications in accordance with FAR 52.215.2, “Audit and Records - Negotiation.”

1. The current handler.

2. Other US handlers.

3. Contractor personnel.

4. US Government employees.

5. US ‘working canine’ adoption agencies.

H. The Contractor’s veterinarian may recommend that a government owned canine be retired because of injury or disease. The veterinarian may also recommend the appropriateness of euthanasia in lieu of retirement if a condition is likely to leave the canine in pain or with a very poor quality of life. A recommendation of euthanasia shall only be made with the welfare of the canine in mind. Prior to retiring or euthanizing any government owned canine due to injury or disease, Contractor shall inform and receive written and/or formal approval from DS/OPO/WPS CO and COR. The notice shall include, at a minimum.

1. Information regarding the injury or disease,

2. All mitigating steps that were taken to ensure the safety and welfare of the canine, an affirmation from the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) that states the recommendation of retirement or euthanasia (e.g., pain or poor quality of life).

3. In the case of euthanasia, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) shall make a second affirmation that further treatment would not be beneficial to the health and welfare of the canine.

I. Any canines providing CONUS services under this contract shall be retired on the day the canine reaches nine (9) years of age. All of the above stated retirement requirements apply to all canines, regardless of CONUS or OCONUS services.

Section 2 Canine Imprinting and Training A. The Contractor shall imprint and train canines utilizing the DS DSORT and DSOT standards. The contractor shall be responsible for the kenneling of canines and providing health and welfare during the imprinting and training phases (inclusive of control training) to ultimately prepare the canine for pairing with a handler. These standards shall be outlined in contractor’s canine training SOP’s and follow the IDIQ and Task Order contractual requirements.

B. The imprinting, training, medical care, and successful completion of canine evaluation shall be completed in a manner consistent with DS approved standard operating procedures. At the end of the standard imprintation and training process as defined in the operating standards, all canines must pass the DSORT and DSOT evaluation successfully, as administered by the DS/OPO/WPS personnel, to be considered certified. Imprintation shall be no less than 42 training and imprinting days (not inclusive of days off). An imprintation day has many components and shall be defined in the SOP’s and shall be strictly adhered to. Contractor personnel shall also ensure that no less than a minimum of five (5) repetitions to one calendar day are completed as one component of the imprintation day. A repetition shall be defined within the SOP per the event or exercise.

C. The contractor shall be permitted to invoice for newly procured canines no earlier than ten (10) weeks prior to a canine being paired with a DS/IP/OPO approved canine handler. The Contractor shall provide a plan, to be approved by DS/OPO/WPS/GCSC CO, for successful adoption of any canines that do not successfully pass evaluation. The Contractor’s adoption plan for canines shall be in accordance with all contractor standard operating procedures.

D. The Contractor shall not use tennis balls or any canine rewards of similar size or consistency.

Section 3 Diplomatic Security Explosive Detection Canine Certification Testing A. The Contractor shall utilize DS’s established requirements to create a quality control program by which all Contractor-provided canines shall be certified for acceptance into the Diplomatic Security Canine Program. The quality control plan shall include DS evaluation and acceptance of each canine prior to canine/handler pairing and/or the start of training with a handler.

B. DS evaluations shall be utilized internally by DS to ensure the U.S. Government is receiving successfully trained and certified canines. At no point, shall the evaluation results, or the details thereof, be disseminated to personnel outside of the DS Canine Program without prior written approval from the CO.

C. DS evaluations shall occur after canines complete the explosive imprint process. The Contractor shall notify the COR when each canine completes the imprint process and is prepared for evaluation. The DS evaluation shall occur in a separate area from where the canines are imprinted.

D. DS evaluations shall consist of the following four (4) canine training scenarios:

1. Diplomatic Security Odor Recognition Test (DSORT)

2. Room Search – At least three (3) rooms with furniture and other items shall be used for this search with one or two explosive aids

3. Parcel (Luggage or Boxes) Evaluation – Twenty (20) to thirty (30) parcels shall be placed on the ground with one (1) or two (2) explosive training aids

4. Vehicle Evaluation – Five (5) to ten (10) search vehicles shall be set up in a ‘stick’ configuration with one (1) or two (2) explosive training aids E. The four (4) canine training scenarios shall be assembled with coordination between, at a minimum, one (1) Contractor representative and one (1) DS representative. Individual trainers working the canines during the evaluations shall have no knowledge of the explosive training aids placement. As needed, multiple training scenarios shall be assembled to maintain the evaluation’s integrity. During evaluations, when a canine provides a trained final response, the evaluator shall confirm or deny the location as containing an explosive training aid. At no time shall a trainer reward a canine for a false response.

F. Each canine shall be given up to two (2) opportunities to search each item in each training scenario. To be considered successful, a canine must give a trained final response on all explosive training aids. Each canine shall be allowed one (1) false response per operational training scenario and two (2) false responses per DSORT. DS shall re-evaluate any canine found unsuccessful during the initial evaluation. Unsuccessful canines shall be re-evaluated in the areas in which they were unsuccessful. If the re-evaluation occurs more than seventy-two (72) hours after the initial evaluation, the canine shall complete an evaluation in all areas.

1. The re-evaluation period, for the failed scenario(s), shall occur not less than forty-eight (48) hours and no more than seventy-two (72) hours after the initial evaluation.

2. The contractor shall utilize the days in between the first and second attempt of the initial evaluation to ensure the canine candidates are afforded the opportunity for remedial imprint sessions as deemed fit by the contractor.

3. All canines that fail the second evaluation attempt shall not be re-evaluated by DS for a minimum period of thirty (30) days, unless written approval is requested and received from the CO and COR.

4. Any canine that fails three attempts of the complete DS evaluation shall not be accepted into the DS Canine Program.

G. Upon successful evaluation completion, the COR shall accept each canine into the Diplomatic Security Canine Program for pairing with a handler with the expectation of a full warranty as identified in section Attachment 2, Canine Procurement and Imprintation. .

H. The DS’ evaluation does not replace ‘team certification’, which shall be completed at the end of a DS Handler Course. The intent of the DS evaluation is to ensure the Contractor meets training milestones and to provide DS with certified canines who are trained properly and successfully.

I. The Contractor shall set-up and administer the DSORT as follows:

1. The test consists of 10 explosive odor samples, 15 distractors, and five empty sample containers. Uncontaminated explosives samples and distractors shall be used for the test.

2. The quantity of explosives used for each test sample may measure up to 15 grams, with the following exceptions

a. Peroxide explosives – due to the initiation sensitivity of these explosives and the required special handling to ensure safety, quantities shall be limited to amounts deemed safe by the test administrator.

b. Nitroglycerine-based dynamites – due to the ability of nitroglycerine and ethylene glycol dinitrate components to cross-contaminate other explosives and produce a large amount of vapor, quantities shall not exceed one gram.

c. Nitromethane – the liquid component of some binary explosives and other improvised mixtures shall not exceed ½ milliliter (0.5 grams).

3. To avoid cross contamination, proper handling and storage procedures must be followed strictly. Each test sample, explosive or distraction, must be placed in a clean, unused (new) container, with a perforated lid (e.g., metal paint can, ointment tin, etc.). All perforated sample containers must be identical, and all perforations shall be small enough to eliminate the possibility of visual cues (i.e., seeing the sample). Each perforated container must be placed in a larger external container that is identical to all other external containers. External containers must not be sealed or have lids and cannot have any external marking.

4. Thirty (30) sample containers shall be prepared as described, 10 containing explosive samples, 15 containing distractors, and the remaining 5 containers shall be empty. The sample containers shall be spaced at a minimum of four feet apart. The 10 explosive samples shall be placed randomly among the 20 other containers. The test administrator shall select the overall arrangement of the sample containers. Examples of arrangements include circular configuration of 15 or fewer containers or individual lines of 15 or fewer containers.

5. To allow for sufficient odor availability, the sample containers must be in place for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to testing.

6. Prior to beginning the test, the test procedure shall be explained to the canine handler.

7. Each EDC team shall have a maximum of 45 minutes to complete the test or exercise. The determination shall be made depending on the circumstances and practicality as to which explosive is to be used and the size and type of area on each of the individual search problems.

8. The EDC team shall be allowed to search each sample container twice.

9. If the canine team successfully runs the first group of fifteen (15) cans without missing an explosive sample and does not have any false indications, the canine team shall be instructed to move to the second group of fifteen (15) cans. If the canine team misses an explosive sample or has a false positive on an empty can or distractor, the testing administrator shall not say anything to the team, which serves as notification that the team has missed an odor or had a false positive. The team then makes a second attempt on the first group, once they successfully locate all explosive samples, with no more than two false indications, they shall be allowed to move on to the second set of cans.

10. If the canine team successfully runs the second circle of cans, they shall be informed that they have successfully completed the DSORT. If the administrator says nothing, the canine team should run the second group a second time.

11. During the test, the handler shall identify when the canine has made an alerting response and report it to the test administrator. The test administrator shall record the placement of the container where each alerting response is identified. During the test, the canine shall only be rewarded for correct alerts made on explosive samples identified by the handler and confirmed by the test administrator.

12. The test administrator shall evaluate the test results. The team shall be notified of the test results once the team has completed the test.

13. To pass the DSORT successfully, the canine team must make positive responses on all ten (10) explosive samples used in the test. The canine team is allowed up to two (2) false positives on non-explosive samples.

14. The canine team will fail the DSORT if any explosive samples are missed or if more than two false positives are made on non-explosive samples. If the canine team fails the DSORT, the team must be reevaluated.

J. The Contractor shall administer the DSOT as follows:

1. The operational evaluation shall consist of three practical exercises (parcel search, vehicle search, and room search). The number of searches shall be equitable for all EDC teams within their respective test and course. The team shall be notified the day of testing which operational test they shall take. All searches shall use a minimum of one-half pound and a maximum of five pounds of explosives and shall have a minimum set-up time of 30 minutes. When placing explosive aids, the use of gloves and a barrier material shall be utilized to prevent contamination of training aids and the training area. Hides shall be placed from 0 to 6 feet in height and 0 to 3 feet in depth. All training hides must be hidden from view and placed where the canine cannot get access to the hide.

2. Vehicle Search

a. Passenger cars, light trucks, vans recreational vehicles and tractor-trailers may be used.

b. 5 – 20 Vehicles shall be used based on availability with one or two explosive samples.

c. PROCEDURE: The handler and canine are allowed to search each vehicle 2 times. There shall be no communication between the test administrator and the handler during the search. Any aggression on any item searched shall result in failure.

3. Box Search

a. Cardboard boxes of any size including FedEx type shipping boxes shall be used.

b. 20 – 30 boxes shall be used and the test shall contain one or two explosive samples.

c. PROCEDURE: The handler and canine are allowed to search each item 2 times. There shall be no communication between the test administrator and the handler during the search. The handler may not manipulate the box in any way. Any aggression on any item searched shall result in failure.

4. Luggage Search

a. Luggage, handbags, duffle bags and backpacks may be used.

b. 15 – 30 articles shall be used based on availability and type with one or two explosive aides.

c. PROCEDURE: The handler and canine are allowed to search each item 2 times. There shall be no communication between the test administrator and the handler during the search. Neither the handler nor the canine are permitted to manipulate the luggage in any way. Any aggression on any item searched shall result in failure.

5. Room Search

a. At least 3 rooms with furniture and other items shall be used for this search with one or two explosive aids.

b. The handler and canine are allowed to search each room 2 times. There shall be no communication between the test administrator and the handler during the search. Any aggression on any item searched shall result in failure. The handler may not open cabinet doors, desk drawers, closet doors, etc. during the search.

Section 4 Explosive Detection Canine Team Training and Pairing A. The contractor shall conduct pairing of certified Explosive Detection Canines (EDC) with DS/IP/OPO approved handlers, in accordance with standards set forth by this contract. The contractor shall provide and conduct pairing for the EDCs and handler teams. DS/OPO/WPS COR or COR designee shall approve all contractor provided pairing standards and curriculum.

B. The contractor shall adhere to the following schedule:

1. Fourteen (14) calendar days of pairing to include DS Certification for any combination of handler/EDC that had not been previously paired or operated together. Each team shall be afforded three attempts to complete pairing successfully during the initial 14-day training cycle. Upon successful completion of the initial 14-day training and pairing cycle the team shall be certified for 245 calendar days. Teams failing the initial 14-day cycle may be permitted up to an additional 14-days upon mutual agreement between the canine handler’s employer and DS/IP/OPO, and DS shall maintain ultimate approval. The contractor shall be prepared to setup and administer certification tests daily for any team during the second 14-day training cycle.

2. Seven (7) calendar days of recertification pairing for incumbent teams, or those handlers and canines that have previously been certified by DS. Each team shall be afforded three attempts to complete recertification successfully during the 7-day training cycle. Upon successful completion of the seven (7) day recertification training cycle, to include final recertification, the team shall be certified for 245 calendar days. Teams failing the seven (7) day incumbent recertification may be permitted up to an additional seven (7) days upon mutual agreement between the USG and the DS/IP/OPO approved source of the handler. The contractor shall be prepared to setup and administer the recertification test daily for any team during the second 7-day training cycle.

C. The contractor shall notify DS/OPO/WPS COR of any DS/IP/OPO approved handlers experiencing failure to progress in training, disciplinary issues, or any other concern that the DS/IP/OPO approved handler may not meet the training standards during the training process.

D. The contractor shall provide transportation for canines to and from identified CONUS airports and transportation hubs. The vehicles and methods used to transport canines shall meet or exceed all applicable local, state, and federal standards for the transport of canines and be approved by DS/OPO/WPS COR or COR designee prior to execution. After transporting canines, the Contractor shall be responsible to ensure vehicles are empty and verify all canines have been removed per the DS GCSC standard operating procedures.

E. The contractor shall medically screen all newly procured canines, medically maintain current canines, and provide medical rehabilitation, as needed. All medical services provided shall meet or exceed the canine standards and as defined in the IDIQ, Attachment 06 – Canine Medical Protocols.

F. Kennels provided by the contractor shall be safe, sanitary, secure, and meet all requirements of the contract and any task orders issued hereunder and shall be made available for inspection and approval by DS/OPO/WPS COR no less than 60 days prior to the date of anticipated use.

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