Attachment_1_PWS_Marine_Mammal_Hotline_Service_docx.pdf

Performance Work Statement National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) West Coast Region

Marine Mammal Hotline Services Req 143040-26-0001

1.0 Background

The Protected Resources Division within NOAA Fisheries is seeking to contract with an answering service to serve the U.S. West Coast Region (California, Oregon, and Washington) to provide answering services for the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network (WCMMSN) and the SOS-Whale Hotline. The WCMMSN & SOS-Whale Hotline is authorized by NMFS to investigate stranding and entanglement events involving whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions.

2.0 Scope

The requirement is to operate a marine mammal hotline that serves as a reliable and educational resource for the public to report stranded and/or entangled marine mammals in CA, OR, and WA.

3.0 Required Tasks

● The contractor shall attend a kick-off meeting within two weeks after award. This meeting is held virtually. The Government will not pay travel expenses for this meeting.

● The contractor shall provide 24-hour, daily hotline services, including during holidays.

● The contractor shall provide unlimited fax, emailing, and phone call/text dispatching.

● The contractor shall use and work from a custom answering protocol, to be provided by the program office.

● The contractor shall update protocol and educational messaging as required and on a monthly basis if necessary.

● For the WCMMSN:

○ The contractor answering service shall be able to discern between Marine Mammal Protection Act violations and marine mammal strandings.

○ The contractor answering services shall report Marine Mammal Protection Act violations and transfer violations to the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline.

○ The contractor shall follow a set protocol, which will be provided, when answering hotline calls.

○ The contractor shall provide educational messaging to all hotline calls.

○ The contractor shall ensure that callers provide their name, phone number, location, and species of the marine mammal that is stranded/entangled.

○ The contractor shall relay all information to the local marine mammal stranding coordinator as identified on Geographic Information System maps which will be provided to the operators.

● For the SOS-Whale Hotline:

○ The contractor answering services shall relay all information from the whale entanglement hotline, including details of the entanglement and a point of contact for the reporting party, in real time or via voicemail to the NMFS stranding coordinators or their alternate.

○ The NMFS stranding coordinator or their alternate will in turn ensure that the contractor answering service is made aware that the message has been received.

○ The contractor answering service shall provide quarterly reports detailing the number of calls and the type of calls coming into the hotline.

The contractor shall provide the quarterly reports to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) and points of contact within the Protected Resources Division.

4.0 Other Applicable Information

● Requirement phone numbers:

○ 1 (877) SOS-WHALE (1-877-767-9425) - The SOS-Whale Hotline.

○ 1 (866) 767-6117 - WCMMSN.

○ 1 (800) 853-1964 - NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline.

● Average Call-Out Minutes per Hotline:

West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network

January 1,000 minutes July 1,750 minutes

February 1,000 minutes August 1,750 minutes

March 1,000 minutes September 2,000 minutes

April 1,500 minutes October 1,000 minutes

May 1,500 minutes November 1,000 minutes

June 1,750 minutes December 1,000 minutes

West Coast Region - SOS Whale Hotline

January 11 minutes July 91 minutes

February 22 minutes August 83 minutes

March 21 minutes September 101 minutes

April 63 minutes October 30 minutes

May 186 minutes November 37 minutes

June 83 minutes December 3 minutes

5.0 Deliverables

The following is a schedule of all deliverables, including administrative deliverables, required during the period of performance of this contract:

Item Description Due Date Deliver To Reference

Kick-Off Meeting

Initial Meeting after contract has been awarded

Within 2 weeks of Award

TPOC PWS Section 3.0

Quarterly Reports

Quarterly report detailing (see comment above)

Quarterly TPOC PWS Section 3.0

Protocol and Educational Messaging

Updates made to the provided protocol and educational messaging

As Updated TPOC PWS Section 3.0

6.0 Confidentiality and Data Privacy

This contract may require that services contractors have access to Privacy Information. Service contractors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all subjects and materials and may be required to sign and adhere to a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA).

7.0 Government Furnished Resources

The Government will provide all necessary information, data, and documents to the Contractor for work required under this contract.

8.0 Contractor Furnished Resources

The contractor shall provide all necessary equipment and materials for performance of this requirement.

9.0 Place of Performance

Performance will be conducted off-site at the contractor’s place of business, not at a government facility.

10.0 Overtime, Travel, and Training

Overtime is not anticipated or authorized at this time. If overtime is required, a contract modification must be approved and executed by the Contracting Officer prior to performance.

Travel in support of the listed tasks is not authorized, and the use of a government vehicle is not required.

11.0 Period of Performance

Period Start Date End Date

Base Period Est April 1, 2026 March 31, 2027

Option Period #1 Est April 1, 2027 March 31, 2028

Option Period #2 Est April 1, 2028 March 31, 2029

Option Period #3 Est April 1, 2029 March 31, 2030

Option Period #4 Est April 1, 2030 March 31, 2031

12.0 Key Personnel for NMFS, West Coast Region

Kristin Wilkinson – Project Officer (206-526-4747)

Austin Diaz – Contractor Officer Representative (COR), Austin.diaz@noaa.gov

Justin Viezbicke – California Marine Mammal Coordinator (562-980-3230)