Attch 3. JA Brand Name Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

April 2021 Page 3 of 6

I. Contracting Activity.

This brand name justification supports the requirement generated for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Readiness Directorate (AFCEC/CX). The Contracting Activity is the 772d Enterprise Sourcing Squadron (ESS)/PKD, II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

The Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) program requires the procurement of a United States Air Force Approved Chemical Biological (USAF-approved Chem Bio) boots for firefighters. The approved boots are being specifically procured for firefighter deployment to environments where advanced chemical and biological protective footwear capability is necessary. As a requirement of deployment, the USAF-approved Chem Bio boots must:

1) Be interoperable with the Joint Firefighter Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE);

2) Properly interface between ensemble elements (i.e., structural or proximity pants-to-footwear);

3) Be NFPA 1971 and 1992 certified; and,

4) Be Berry Amendment compliant (10 U.S.C. 2533a).

No other source of supply meets the USAF testing. The USAF Technical Order (TO) 14P3-1-181, Joint-Firefighter Integrated Response Ensemble (J-FIRE), specifies a workaround solution to the requirements above. However, the workaround solution provides suboptimal chemical and biological footwear protection (i.e., in the form of rubber structural boots). In addition to reduced protective performance, this alternative limits firefighters' dexterity, movement and overall endurance. This acquisition will continue the current acquisition of chemical-biological footwear protection and associated workaround solutions by providing a USAF tested and approved chem bio boot. The only boot series that successfully passed the USAF tests for operations in an advanced chemical and biological environment is the Globe 14" Structural-Proximity Pull-On boot (i.e., model numbers: 1201480, 120148W, 1211480, and 121148W); hereinafter ''the Globe Proximity boot.'' These boots are available in the commercial marketplace and meet the definition of commercial items as defined by FAR 2.101: Any item, other than real property, that is of a type customarily used by the general public or by non-governmental entities for purposes other than governmental purposes, and has been offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

A distributor of Globe Footwear will provide the following supplies in support of the USAF F&ES PPE program and the deployment eligible military firefighters including all components of the USAF [Active Duty, Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)].

ITEM NAME APPROXIMATE QUANTITY

Globe, Foot Gear Proximity 14-inch Pull-On Boot Series Total Max - 4,650 pair

Model: 1201480 (men's) Model: 120148W (women's) Model: 1211480 (men's wide calf) Model: 121148W (women's wide calf)

The period of performance of this effort will be from 25 September 2021 through 26 March 2027.

The estimated value of each pair of Globe Proximity boots is regular men's and women's and for its wide version is for it men's and women's. The total estimated quantity of boots to be purchased under this contract is no more than 4,650 pairs. The total estimated value of this acquisition, inclusive of all options and contingencies, is Expected appropriations to be used for the purchase of the boots will be Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds. The type of O&M funds are from USAF (3400), ANG (3840), and AFRC (3740); however, any other appropriations may be used as deemed legally appropriate.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

April 2021 Page 5 of 6 competition is obtained, the Contracting Officer can determine that the cost to the Government is at a fair and reasonable price by comparing the pricing of other distributors. If only one response is received, the Contracting Officer will utilize one of the factors in FAR 13.106-3(a)(2) to determine that the price offered is fair and reasonable.

Approval is requested for this more than one (1) year requirement based upon:

1) There being only one (1) Brand Name product (i.e., the Globe Proximity boot) in the marketplace which has successfully completed all required testing;

2) The benefits of lower commercial pricing for an accumulated requirement; and,

3) The increased life and safety benefits to standardizing the USAF use of a single footwear product.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

AFCEC has completed extensive research on the required boots and other equipment that will meet mission requirements in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) environment and the protective measures to allow our firefighters to perform firefighting duties in a contaminated CBRN environment. The overall cost to research, select, test, document, and maintain these resources is enormous, and in 2009 this was accomplished with several items of firefighter protective clothing. The National Consensus Standards regulate the AF Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) program, and it is governed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In addition to the NFPA requirements, the USAF has an additional requirement for integration with the Joint Firefighter Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE) that provides the wearer with certifiable protection in operations where exposures to wartime chemical and biological weapons exist, may exist, or are deemed a threat. JFIRE is presently designed specifically for wartime missions to enable firefighters to operate and provide core services in these environments caused by acts of war, terrorism, or WMD.

Firefighter boots that can meet the USAF requirements are highly specialized. Major manufacturers of firefighter boots are (i.e., in no particular order):

1) Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC.

Each of these manufacturers produce a portfolio of firefighting boots that are certified for NFPA 1971-Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. Only Globe and produced boots that were Berry Amendment compliant, certified for NFPA 1971, and certified for NFPA 1992 Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies.

Upon kicking off the renewal of this requirement in November 2020, products were searched on their respective company websites and they are not Berry Compliant; therefore were not considered for this new acquisition.

As part of the market research and Request for Information (RFI) postings leading to the previous acquisition FA805616D0001, the indicated they did not intent to adjust their commercial product lines for that Air Force specific acquisition nor intend to have their boots tested for JFIRE approval. The Air Force told if they changed their mind they could pay for and submit independent testing reports to compete for future acquisitions.

was contacted on 5 February 2021. does not intend to adjust their boot product(s) for this specific acquisition nor intend to have their boots tested for JFIRE approval. suggested that are Berry Compliant however the FES Program Manager determined the boots do

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

April 2021 Page 6 of 6 not meet USAF CB Test with the Durability and Capability (DCT) testing. In addition, the boots do not meet the live agent chemical swatch test (TOP 8-2-501), therefore not 100% compliant with the JFIRE Program.

MSA Safety Inc. acquired Globe Holding Company, LLC in July of 2017. MSA Safety Inc. was contacted and stated only two of their distributors are authorized to sell to the Department of Defense: L.N. Curtis & Sons and Noble Sales Co., Inc DBA Noble Supply & Logistics.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

The reason AFCEC has not provided industry a boot testing opportunity since 2015, is due to the USAF not having the funding to incur additional cost and schedule delays to determine if another boot will meet the AFCEC requirement.

Currently, the estimates to conduct testing is as follows: for field evaluation (6-9 months), for durability and compatibility testing (6-12 months), for live chemical agent testing (4-6 months), and costs incurred by the government of approximately to perform force development evaluation/MIST (6-9 months) to assure JFIRE integration.

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

The Globe Proximity boot is the only known boot that has been tested and approved for interoperability with JFIRE. The requirement's owner has indicated that there is a possibility of the requirement being assumed by the Army's Joint Program Office. The Joint Program Office will develop the Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble (UIPE) that will replace the JFIRE ensemble. For future acquisitions, the Contracting Office and requirement's owner will continue to monitor the marketplace to determine if additional sources become available. As this purchase is for specialized firefighting footwear, Globe boots are the only brand that can satisfy this requirement.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my signature above, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete