CASHE_RFI_2025_1.docx

L18R

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE: Compliance Assessment – Safety, Health, and the Environment (CASHE) work for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

This is not an invitation for bids, request for quotations, or request for proposals. This sources sought notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. Funding is not currently available. The BLM has made no commitment to procure any of the services discussed, and release of this sources sought notice should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be sought. The Government will not reimburse respondents to this notice for any costs incurred in responding, or any subsequent exchange of information.

Not responding to this sources sought notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued. System for Award Management (SAM) registration is not required to respond to this request.

NAICS Description: Environmental Consulting Services NAICS Code: 541620

PSC: R410

PSC Description: Support, Professional; Program Evaluation, Review and Development

The market research being conducted seeks to address the following questions:

1. Based on the draft Statement of Work is your firm capable of performing multiple requirements simultaneously across multiple states?

2. Will your firm subcontract to perform services?

3. Are there any barriers to performing this work that BLM should be award of?

4. What questions or suggestions does your firm have for BLM?

If interested in participating, please submit the following information in addition to responses the questions above:

• Company name and address, including POC information.

• Business size and socioeconomic status (i.e. Small/Large business, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Native American Indian Owned Small Business, etc…)

• DUNS Number or the System for Award Management (SAM) special identifier number

THIS IS NOT A REQUST FOR QUOTATION, INVITATION FOR BIDS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, OR SOLICITATION OF ANY KIND. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY FUTURE REQUEST FOR QUOTE FROM THIS SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. THIS IS STRICTLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH AND INFORMATION GATHERING PURPOSES ONLY.

Please read the below draft SOW.

STATEMENT OF WORK (Note, the below pages are in DRAFT mode. This is a DRAFT copy)

The primary places of performance will be at BLM facilities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. The majority of work to be performed will be in support of BLM operations in the western United States. Additionally, the tasks may require Contractor personnel to spend a significant amount of time in the field, sometimes in vary remote locations.

REQUIREMENTS

1. INTRODUCTION. This Statement of work (SOW) provides the description of services for conducting Compliance Assessment – Safety, Health, and the Environment (CASHE) work for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Department of the Interior (DOI).

CASHE work includes the following:

· Performance of facility CASHE audits which historically represents the majority of the calls likely to be awarded under this Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA);

· Performance of radio infrastructure (RI) CASHE audits,

· Implementation support to the BLM Washington Office, States, and National Centers in the development and ongoing implementation of the BLM’s Environmental Management System (EMS) including performance of third party audits of the BLM’s implementation of EMS;DRAFT

· Technical support to BLM offices associated with implementation of corrective actions recommended in CASHE, RI CASHE, or Sustainability Inspection (SI) CASHE audit reports such as performance of sanitary surveys of drinking water systems; preparing/editing radio infrastructure specifications for implementation of RI CASHE findings associated with maintenance of the radio site; and assisting in the review of equipment submittals; troubleshoot heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment and their controls, commissioning HVAC systems, and documenting the necessary improvements to minimize control issues and optimize energy efficiency. No Architect and Engineering Services, as defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations FAR 2.101, will be included in this BPA or associated BPA Calls.

· Development of Bureau manuals, and other documents or training associated with or related to CASHE, RI CASHE, SI CASHE and EMS efforts (e.g., spill prevention plans, drinking water monitoring plans, facility maintenance management as it relates to SI CASHE audits and the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance Buildings); and

· Electronic form, data base management, and web based document management improvement efforts related to improving the usefulness and efficient performance CASHE, RI CASHE, and SI CASHE audit, and EMS initiatives.

· Evaluations and assessments, for the purposes of this contract, may include:

· Phase I Environmental Site Assessments per ATSM 1527-13 (Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process) and/or;

· Phase I Environmental Site Assessments per ASTM E2247 - 08 (Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural Property);

· Phase II Site Assessments per ASTM 1903-11 ( Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment - Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Process; or

· Similar type assessments to claim protections from liability under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Oil Pollution Act (OPA).

These efforts will be specifically defined in future BPA calls as this support is needed. This BPA will be awarded for one year with four option years.

2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK. The work can be categorized into six groups: 1) traditional facility CASHE audits; 2) RI CASHE audits; 3) EMS implementation support; 4) technical support associated with CASHE, RI CASHE, and SI CASHE recommendations; 5) document preparation; and 6) improving efficiency of all CASHE audit efforts including, but not limited documentation, tracking, querying, and reporting of CASHE findings. [Note: When used in general terms in this statement of work the term CASHE audit includes RI CASHE and SI CASHE audits and therefore any general requirements in regards to performance or deliverables under this contract apply to CASHE, RI CASHE, and SI CASHE audits.]

2.1. CASHE Audit Scope. BLM typically performs one or two facility compliance audits a month (i.e., 16 to 18 a year). These audits typically require a week (Monday through Friday) of field work. See below for additional travel and labor requirements associated with the audits.

CASHE facility audits evaluate an organizational unit’s compliance with Federal, state, and local regulations including, but not limited to the following: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and their State and local counterparts. The audits also evaluate compliance with Executive Orders (e.g., sustainability and energy efficiency requirements, affirmative procurement), BLM policies and manuals (e.g., pollution prevention), and nationally recognized standards and codes, including but not limited to the following: National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) including the National Electric Code and Life Safety Code that are part of the NFPA standards, Uniform Plumbing Code, International Building Code (IBC), and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. The comprehensive scope of the CASHE process helps to ensure BLM Field Offices are complying with the regulation or standard that is most protective of human health and the environment. Hyperlinks to the BLM’s safety, health, and environmental policies and manuals are provided below.

· BLM Safety and Health Policies: https://blmspace.blm.doi.net/wo/700/safetyhealthandemergency/SitePages/Policy%20and%20Regulations.aspx

· BLM’s Environmental Compliance Handbook H-1703-6: https://edit.blm.gov/basic/media-center-blm-policy-handbooks-1000

As a result of the comprehensive scope, regulatory exemptions that allow facilities to avoid being subject to a particular regulation are generally not applicable. As an example, the vast majority of BLM facilities do not store petroleum products in excess of 1,320 gallons. Therefore, the secondary containment provisions of 40 CFR 112, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure regulations are not applicable. However, OSHA regulations and NFPA standards require secondary containment regardless of volume stored. EPA and States only regulate drinking water systems that serve at least 25 people, therefore over half the Bureau’s water systems at recreation sites and at all of its fire stations and other remote facilities are not regulated. However, OSHA regulations apply to all places of employment and those regulations require that potable water be provided for drinking and other uses. There are many other examples of environmental regulatory exemptions related to personnel training, drinking water sampling, or hazardous material/waste storage and handling that are not provided for in Federal, State, and local safety and transportation regulations. The comprehensive scope of the CASHE process helps to ensure that BLM organizational units go beyond compliance with EPA regulations.

2.1.1. CASHE Audit Locations and Dates. The work consists of performance of CASHE audits at the BLM organizational units throughout the United States; an example is identified in the table provided as Attachment 1 to this statement of work. The term organizational unit includes all sites that are remote from the location listed and that report to or are supported by that organization. Examples of remote sites that are to be included in a facility’s CASHE visit include, but are not limited to: warehouses, campgrounds, visitor centers, fire stations, air tanker bases, field stations, project offices, road maintenance, seed orchard, and wild horse and burro facilities.

2.1.2. CASHE Field Work. The field work effort averages to approximately 5 days for each CASHE audit. However, the audits could be shorter or longer, depending on the requirements and travel may be in addition to the five days. The field work effort also includes researching up to 5 unresolved findings that need additional research to determine if a full blown compliance issue has been identified and a finding needs to be written. The research of unresolved findings can be completed back in the office, but all unresolved issues must be fully described in the Draft CASHE Report. The unresolved findings must be described to the point that the field understands what the unresolved issue is, the CASHE Team’s concerns related to the unresolved issue, and how the team will go about resolving the issue. The contractor is responsible for obtaining the name, title, email address, and phone number of each person who participates in the field work and the audit exit presentation. This is necessary to facilitate asking follow-up questions when the audit report is being finalized and allow the contractor to email the final report to the appropriate personnel

A. Duration of Field Work and Preparation of Audit Itinerary. Field work begins on Monday at approximately 8 AM and ends on Friday after the exit presentation to field management and employees. This schedule typically requires travel on Sunday so that field work may begin on Monday morning typically, but not always, at 8 AM. The field audits will normally require extensive travel between locations, including multiple locations per day, with potentially significant distances between those locations, and the need for different hotel locations each night. CASHE Team members typically work long days (i.e., 12 or more hours a day) to document the day’s findings. This is done to ensure that the Draft CASHE Report and an Exit Presentation are ready to present to field management from the organizational units being audited on Friday. The CASHE audit schedule is prepared approximately six months in advance of the fiscal year during which the audits shall be performed. This schedule will be submitted to the contractor in order for the contractor to staff appropriately. After execution of each call the Contractor shall contact the appropriate points of contact at the BLM State Office and/or field offices to be audited and create the itinerary for each CASHE audit to be performed the next fiscal year. The Contractor shall identify to state and field office staff the facilities inspected during the previous CASHE audit, when it was previously performed, and inquire about new facilities that should be included in the audit itinerary. This information is contained in the CASHE audit reports from previously performed audits. Those reports will be provided upon request by the CASHE Program Lead or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at the BPA Call level.

A separate email will be prepared for each audit week with the subject line of the email identifying “CASHE Audit Itinerary for” with the names of each field office being audited and the dates for the week of field work.

B. “Heads-up” Briefing. While the contractor’s CASHE Team is in the field conducting an audit, the BLM CASHE Program Lead and/or COR may or may not be present. A “heads-up” briefing will be provided by phone if the CASHE Program Lead and/or COR is not present and if one or more of the following conditions is met during a CASHE audit:

· An environmental Priority Level IA or safety Risk Assessment Code 1 finding is identified.

· A controversial finding is identified and this finding is disputed by Field or State Office employees.

· A BLM manager is not satisfied with the CASHE Team or disagrees with a CASHE finding.

The briefing shall address the issues of concern and suggested corrective actions, if any, which could be taken immediately, if necessary, due to the severity of the deficiency. If the CASHE Program Lead and/or COR is not available a voice mail message is to be left on the cell phone.

2.1.3. CASHE Exit Presentation. Upon completion of all field work and the draft CASHE report, the contractor’s CASHE Team conducts an exit presentation. During the audit the CASHE Team reviews the top three findings and presents a PowerPoint Presentation of the findings made during the audit. The PowerPoint Presentation consists primarily of very high quality digital photographs that show where each audit finding was discovered with close-ups showing details of those findings. The digital photos will be a minimum size of 1280 x 960 or better, using a 12 megapixel digital camera or better. The CASHE Team shall have the capabilities on site to provide a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and draft report for the state and field office personnel who request a copy of it (up to three copies). The BLM will provide the contractor with a digital projector or a computer monitor on which the presentation will be shown. The exit presentation is to be posted on a SharePoint site maintained by the contractor within three business days after the presentation. An email with a link to the SharePoint site along with log in and password information for the site will be sent to the CASHE Program Lead, Contracting Officer, COR, State/Center Safety Manager, State Hazardous Material Program Lead, and the primary contacts for the organizational units that had the CASHE audit. The email is to be sent the day the exit presentation is posted. The progress payment for completion of the field work will not be approved for payment until the email is received. [Note: BLM IT security blocks access to some public domain sites. The contractor must provide a SharePoint site that will allow BLM personnel to download the documents.]

2.1.4. CASHE Staff. The contractor’s CASHE Team for each facility compliance audit shall consist of two individuals; one will be a safety professional, the other an environmental professional. One of these individuals will be the contractor’s Lead Auditor. This individual shall lead the audit in the event the CASHE Program Lead or COR does not attend. The other individual shall be an Auditor. The contractor shall also have back up personnel for each team member to fill in for the primary members in the event one of them cannot attend. For selected audits of BLM’s larger facilities, the safety professional must be a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). These certifications will be provided to the COR for each BPA Call, to show Key Personnel compliance. The audits for which a CSP/CIH is required are designated with “CSP/CIH” on the audit schedule provided as Attachment 1 to this statement of work. The Contractor shall also have a senior auditor/project manager for this contract.

A. Staff Experience. The experience requirements are twofold: 1) experience doing at least 10 weeks of comprehensive safety, health, and environmental compliance audits, and 2) performance of fully successful comprehensive safety, health, and environmental compliance audits. Experience means the individual has become cross-trained in all of the Protocol Areas listed in Attachment 2 and can identify and satisfactorily explain to BLM field personnel the typical safety and environmental findings found in those protocol areas without the other member of the Contractor’s CASHE Audit Team being present. A fully successful audit means the draft audit report was completed and an exit presentation was presented to the audited facility’s management at the end of the field work. An individual, who simply meets the numerical experience level, will not automatically be approved by the BLM as a Lead Auditor or an Auditor.

1) Lead Auditor - The Lead Auditor should have at least two years of experience as an Auditor doing combined safety and environmental audits for a land management agency (e.g., Forest Service, National Park Service, or other Federal or State agency that manages land for multi-use.)

2) Auditor - An Auditor shall have at least one year of experience conducting facility compliance audits [Note: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment experience is not facility compliance auditing experience.] or two years of safety and environmental compliance consulting experience that includes performance of at least 10 weeks of facility compliance auditing experience including preparation of audit reports. The contractor is required in paragraph 2.1.4D to have qualified back up personnel and is expected to use them.

3) Senior Auditor/Project Manager - The contractor’s senior auditor and project manager for this contract must have performed as a Lead Auditor on comprehensive safety, health, and environmental compliance audits for at least two years.

B. Staff Commitment. The contractor shall always have at least one qualified back up Lead Auditor and one back up qualified Auditor who meets the requirements of paragraph 2.1.4. This backup personnel must be part of the contractor’s proposed Key Personnel. This back up capability will be maintained throughout the term of this BPA. An individual may be designated for more than one position assuming he/she meets the qualifications for each position.

2.1.5. CASHE Reports. The average number of findings that the contractor will document during a CASHE audit is approximately 100. The number of findings has ranged from 60 to 140 over the past three years. This assumption in no way dictates how many findings will actually be identified during an assessment, but is meant to establish a basis for the level of effort required to perform a CASHE audit and document its findings. The following reports shall be prepared for each CASHE visit:

A. Draft CASHE Report. Report to be completed at the end of the field work and delivered to the field at the exit presentation. Prior to the exit presentation the contractor’s Lead Auditor is to ask the audited organizational unit(s) if it wants a printed copy of the draft report or an electronic copy. If an electronic copy of the report is left with the organizational unit to whom the exit presentation is given the contractor is responsible for emailing the report to the appropriate staff at the other organizational units. If printed copies of the draft report are preferred the number of copies of the report is to be determined by the audited organizational unit to whom the exit presentation will be given, but it will not exceed ten. The contractor will be allowed the use of BLM printers and copiers to prepare the report. If due to circumstances beyond the contractor’s control the report cannot be printed leaving an electronic copy of it with key personnel at the exit presentation is acceptable and will not be considered a failure to deliver the Draft CASHE Report. If the report can be printed, but a working copier is not available the contractor shall deliver three printed reports at the exit presentation instead of 10 copies. The draft report is to be posted on a SharePoint site maintained by the contractor within one week of the completion of the field work. An email with a link to the SharePoint site along with log in and password information for the site will be sent to the , Contracting Officer, State/Center Safety Manager, State Hazardous Material Program Lead, and the primary contacts for the organizational units that had the CASHE audit. The email is to be sent the day the draft report is posted. The exit presentation is to be posted on a SharePoint site maintained by the contractor within three business days of the presentation. An email with a link to the SharePoint site along with log in and password information for the site will be sent to the CASHE Program Lead and COR. The progress payment for completion of the field work will not be approved for payment until the email is received by the COR and the CO.

· Introduction (Section 1)

· Executive Summary (Section 2)

1) Executive Summary (Section 1) - The executive summary shall include the following information. A separate executive summary shall be prepared for each organizational unit audited and will address each of the topics listed below. All the summaries will be contained in Section 1. This information shall be provided in the order listed below.

a) A narrative summary of the compliance status including comments (both positive and negative) on the overall compliance status. This is to be limited to two pages not including the tables. A separate narrative shall be written for each organization unit and any major facility of significance. A description of the top three or four findings made during the audit will also be included in this narrative. If an organizational unit or an assessed facility has made significant progress in improving its facility compliance that will also be noted in the executive summary.

b) Brief discussion of the repeat findings and recurring issue rates, comparision to repeat and recurring rates from all previous audits (if available), and a comparison to BLM averages for the previous year. The contractor is to track repeat and recurring issue rates and use information in the previous audit reports for this brief discussion. A summary table showing the total number of repeat findings and recurring issues for the entire organizational unit and for each suborganizational unit shall immediately follow. The CASHE Program Lead or the COR will provide electronic versions of the previous CASHE reports.

c) Summary table of number of environmental and transportation findings organized by audit protocol and priority level determined during CASHE audit performance. Separate tables shall be prepared for each organizational unit audited if more than one office was audited. The findings for a major facility within an organizational unit, such as a fire fighting aircraft tanker base will also be broken out separately if they have been in the past or, at the CASHE Program Lead’s or COR’s direction.

d) Summary table of number of safety and health findings organized by audit protocol and risk assessment code determined during CASHE audit performance. Separate tables shall be prepared for each organizational unit audited if more than one office was audited. The findings for a major facility within an organizational unit, such as a fire fighting aircraft tanker base shall also be broken out separately if they have been in the past or, at the CASHE Program Lead’s direction.

e) Discussion on the number of high priority findings identified in the CASHE audit, CASHE Performance Measure, how many CASHE and RI CASHE findings an organizational unit may have and still be rated in good condition, and the availability of CASHE Corrective Action funding to implement CASHE corrective actions, the conditions/requirements on use of the funding, and how to request it. The CASHE Program Lead or COR will provide information on CASHE Corrective Action funding and the process the field needs to follow to request so that information may be easily incorporated into the Executive Summary.

f) Summary table of the high priority findings for each organizational unit. If the CASHE report for an organizational unit has separate sections for suborganizational units [i.e., a major facility (e.g., national monument) or program (e.g. fire, recreation, road maintenance)] separate tables shall be made for each suborganizational unit. The table shall include the following information: organizational unit name, suborganizational unit/assessed facility name, finding number, finding statement, whether the finding is a repeat finding, whether the finding is a recurring issue, priority level, and risk assessment code.

2) Introduction (Section 2) This section shall include the following information.

a) Project background consisting of the date and locations of the audit and a brief discussion of its purpose/objective.

b) Objectives of the CASHE audit and how they were met. Objectives will be provided by the CASHE Program Lead or COR at the BPA call level.

c) Listing of CASHE audit protocols, see Attachment 2.

d) Primary contacts and audit participants at each organizational unit. This information will be organized in a table with the following information provided for each contact: name, organizational unit affilliation, job title, and telephone number.

e) A brief description of professional credentials and years of auditing experience of the lead auditor and auditor.

f) Description of CASHE finding format identifying the information in each field of the finding. See Attachment 3 for additional details.

g) Glossary of environmental terms and acronyms used in the CASHE Report

b) A listing of Federal, State, and local regulations relevant to the audit that was conducted. If the CASHE Report includes findings based on State or local regulations that are more stringent than Federal regulations, those more stringent regulations are to be briefly discussed.

c) A summary of the various evaluation processes used during the audit including but not limited to the following: 1) physical inspection of facilities by qualified contractor personnel; 2) interviewing of BLM staff, and 3) review of documents and records.

4) Facility Compliance Findings (Section 4) This section shall include full descriptions of each facility compliance finding including:

a) Written description of finding prepared in the format provided as Attachment 3 to this statement of work. Attachment 3 consists of the format for a safety finding and the format for an environmental finding. An example of each type of finding is provided as well. The findings shall be written in Ariel font size 10. Attachment 3 also provides additional direction and clarity on how findings are to be prepared and the level of detail required. The format requires specific information is to be provided in each defined cell. The format is designed to facilitate implementation of the CASHE recommendation by the field.

b) Findings are limited to two pages in length, with the exception of complex regulatory issues. Findings for the vast majority of CASHE issues will fit within the two page format limit. However, for complex regulatory issues (e.g., drinking water monitoring, confined space issues) additional information is necessary. The additional discussion will be included in an appendix to the report. If additional discussion or recommendation is necessary a key word or phrase (e.g. Triggered Monitoring Ground Water Rule Sample) will be used and the reader told to go to the appendix topic labeled using that key word or phase for further information.

c) The key word or phase is intended to be used by the field as a “Ctrl F” search tool allowing the user of the report to easily go to the appropriate section of the CASHE report for the additional information.

d) Photos are to be provided in the finding to show the deficiency and if there is space available the recommended corrective measure if it is something that is purchased (e.g., manual reset switch). Captions are to be provided below the photos.

e) These findings shall be organized by organizational unit and by protocol. In addition, the safety findings will be grouped separately from the environmental findings for each organizational unit and each suborganizational unit.

f) The discussion section of each finding shall explain and/or justify the recommended corrective action. Other measures considered, but not recommended shall be briefly described and a justification as to why they were not recommended.

g) If a recommendation is based on discussions with a regulatory agency, the name of person contacted, their title and phone number, and name of the agency and branch/division within the agency they work must be provided in the discussion.

h) If a finding may be easily corrected by ordering a specific type of product (e.g., OSHA compliant air nozzle or manual reset switch) or service (e.g., fire protection system or trailer inspection) a source and estimated cost is to be provided.

i) Specific regulatory, national standard, (e.g., Uniform Fire Code) or policy (e.g., BLM manual) citations will be provided for each finding, include the library of standard findings (see paragraph 2.1.5.D). The citation will be stated to the lowest level of reference partitioning possible for regulatory or policy concerned, (i.e., Contractor shall state “40 CFR 761.60(b)(2)”, versus simply stating “40 CFR 761”). State or local regulatory, national standard, or policy citations will be given when they are more stringent than the cooresponding Federal regulation or there is no cooresponding Federal regulation.

j) Findings based on best management practices shall also be provided. Management practice recommendations are not based on regulatory requirements. They are strictly management practices that will enhance an organizational or suborganizational unit’s facility compliance. Items appropriate for this priority classification include: risk reduction issues, (e.g., hazardous waste minimization) and good industry practices.

RI CASHE audits are typically performed at BLM radio facilities between March and October. RI CASHE audits inspect radio facilities, including dispatch locations, for compliance with the national recognized standards, applicable regulations, and Federal policies including, but not limited to the following:

· American National Standards Institute

· Federal Communications Commission

· Motorola R56 Standards and Guidelines for Communication Sites

· National Electrical Code

· National Fire Prevention Association standards

· Electronics Industries Alliance/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA),

· OSHA regulations

· EPA regulations

· BLM policy; and

· DOI policy.

RI CASHE audits shall evaluate and obtain information about each radio facility and complete the DOI Radio Site Inspection Checklist (See Attachment 4). The PDF version of this checklist will be provided to the Contractor after award. This checklist is subject to revision. The most recent version shall be used throughout the contract; the BLM COR will provide updated versions as they are established. The checklist has the following major areas:

· General Site Information (e.g., how is the site accessed)

· Site Design and Development

· Site Building

· External Grounding

· Internal Grounding

· Power

· Interference

· Equipment Installation

· Asset Inventory

Personal protective equipment (PPE) used by BLM radio technicians shall also be inspected during each RI CASHE audit for conformance/compliance with the most current version of standards and regulations applicable to it. The inspection will address whether the appropriate PPE is being used for the operation and maintenance tasks performed at each radio site and if it is being issued, stored, and maintained properly. Training of personnel on PPE use, storage, and maintenance will also be evaluated. Findings that recommend purchase of new PPE will provide the specific requirements and standards the new PPE must meet. PPE to be inspected includes, but is not limited to the following:

· Fall protection

· Shock/electrical

· Eye protection

RI CASHE audits may require tower climbing, but typically do not. However, when required the call will specify.

2.2.1. RI CASHE Audit Locations and Dates. RI CASHE audits are typically performed in the spring prior to Fire Readiness Reviews performed by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). If RI CASHE audits are requested, a request for proposal will be sent to the selected CASHE contractor identifying the locations and dates for RI CASHE audits. The CASHE contractor is to contact State Radio Leads and field radio technicians and develop an itinerary for each week of RI CASHE audits identified in the request for quote. The appropriate contact information will be provided in the BPA call. Ten or more radio facilities (assuming there are 10 radio facilities in the state to be audited) are to be scheduled each week with at least two backup radio facilities one or more of which will be inspected if a site must be dropped because it was not accessible or a site can be added because the RI CASHE audits are proceeding more quickly than anticipated. The itinerary for each audit will identify the following:

· name and Radio Frequency Authorization Number (RFA) for each radio site

· name of the district the radio site is located

· date and estimated time of arrival at each site

· name and cell phone number of the individual(s) who is the point of contact at each site

· name, address, and telephone number of the lodging in which the CASHE Team will stay each night

The above information shall be summarized in a table or spreadsheet and submitted to the National Radio Operations Branch at the NIFC, applicable State Radio Program Leads, CASHE Program Lead, and COR at least a month before each RI CASHE audit.

2.2.2. RI CASHE Field Work. The field work effort will be limited to 5 days in the field (unless otherwise noted in the call order awarded for that particular RI CASHE audit).

A. Duration of Field Work. The itinerary of RI CASHE audits to be prepared by the contractor is to reflect the following general conditions.

· Eight to ten radio facilities with an average of nine are to be inspected each week.

· Each working day will begin no later than 8 AM and may start at 7 AM if necessary to allow nine radio sites to be audited during the week.

· Work will end no later than 6 PM Monday through Thursday and will end in time for the contractor to typically be at an airport by 2 PM on Friday afternoon.

· If the work is proceeding significantly slower than estimated because a RI CASHE audit for a particular radio facility took significantly longer than expected, the schedule may be adjusted in the field by the BLM COR and a site(s) may be dropped from the proposed schedule for that week as necessary.

· If work is proceeding more rapidly than anticipated, the contractor is expected to allow the schedule to be adjusted to allow an additional radio site to be added to the schedule of sites to be inspected that week.

· A RI CASHE audit cannot be scheduled in a State the same week as its traditional CASHE audit is scheduled.

B. “Heads-up” Briefing. While the contractor’s RI CASHE Team is in the field conducting an audit, the BLM CASHE Program Lead and COR may or may not be present. A “heads-up” briefing will be provided by phone if the CASHE Program Lead or COR is not present and if one or more of the following conditions is meet during a RI CASHE audit:

· An environmental Priority Level IA or safety Risk Assessment Code 1 finding is identified.

· A finding that is disputed by Field or State Office employees.

· A BLM manager is not satisfied with the RI CASHE Team or disagrees with a RI CASHE finding.

The briefing shall address the issues of concern and suggested corrective actions, if any, which could be taken immediately, if necessary, due to the severity of the deficiency. If the CASHE Program Lead or COR is not available a voice mail message is to be left on the cell phone.

C. Field Testing and Measuring. Measurements, in addition to field observations, shall be made to determine conformance/compliance with the standards/regulations listed in this statement of work. The contractor shall bring all necessary equipment and meters to safely make the observations and take the field measurements in accordance with recognized national standards. Measurement readings shall be recorded and entered in the inspection summary. RI CASHE findings shall be prepared for deficiencies or hazards identified by those measurements. A BLM radio technician will be available to assist the contractor in the testing of grounding systems and line sweeping. The contractor must provide the equipment and record the results. BLM radio technicians will assist in the identification of test points and the connection of equipment to test grounds and radio frequency cables to ensure they are working correctly. The measurements to be taken in the field include, but are not limited to the following:

· Radio frequency (RF) energy – This includes actual field measurement not only of the BLM owned or leased tower, but the RF levels that BLM telecommunication employees and the public may be exposed to while driving to the site, and while in or on the site compound. If a tower is not in operation, but the audit team feels it may pose a hazard its RF level exceeds the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits, the RF energy will be calculated by the contractor.

· Grounding – Multiple observations and measurements of the grounding system will be taken to determine if it is in conformance/compliance with all appropriate standards/regulations.

· Line sweeping – every BLM-owned RF cable will be analyzed for deficiencies to determine if it is properly installed.

D. Travel to Radio Facilities. If the contractor cannot access a radio site by a high clearance four wheel drive vehicle BLM will provide the necessary transportation unless a specific call requires the contractor to provide it.

2.2.3. RI CASHE Presentation. A web conference PowerPoint presentation showing the significant findings made during the week of field work shall be made by the contractor. The presentation is to be given by the radio infrastructure expert or another individual approved by the CASHE Program Lead or COR. This presentation is initially to be scheduled for the third Wednesday following the week of field work. The actual presentation date is subject to the availability of State and Field Office personnel. Prior to formally scheduling the presentation the contractor is responsible for polling the individuals identified below in paragraph 2.2.3.A to determine the best date and time for the presentation to accommodate their availability. The participation of the State and field radio personnel will dictate the presentation date. The contractor will forward via email a toll free telephone number that will allow up to 10 BLM employees to participate in the conference call/presentation. Following the presentation the contractor will post the presentation on its SharePoint site and forward a hyperlink for the SharePoint site to all participants and to others designated during the presentation who did not participate that will allow them to download a copy of the presentation and completed checklists. Upon request, BLM will also be sent a CD/DVD that has a copy of all photos taken during each week of RI CASHE audits. [Note: BLM IT security blocks access to some public domain sites. The contractor must provide a SharePoint site that will allow BLM personnel to download the documents.]

A. Scheduling the RI Presentation. The contractor shall determine during the RI CASHE field work to whom it will send emails notifying them of the date (e.g., third Wednesday after completion of field work) for the RI CASHE exit presentation. The initial notification of the PowerPoint presentation shall be included in the email sent out informing everyone that the completed DOI Radio Site Inspection Checklists are available for downloading from the contractor’s SharePoint site. This checklist submittal is required the second Wednesday after completion of the field work. An email reminding everyone of the web conference PowerPoint presentation is to be sent out the day before the presentation. The contractor is required to reschedule the presentation if requested by the BLM State for whom the presentation is being given. At a minimum the following individuals shall always be sent electronic invitations to participate in the PowerPoint conference call presentation:

· Radio technician (field based) for every radio facility inspected

· State Office Radio Program Lead

· State Safety Manager

· State Engineer

· WO Radio Facility Program Lead

· CASHE Program Lead/COR

2.2.4. RI CASHE Staff. An RI CASHE Audit will be conducted by a single person who is a “radio infrastructure expert”. The contractor shall also have back up personnel for each team member to fill in for the primary members in the event one of them cannot attend.