Contracting Officers Determination (S)(R) - 26QC126 (1).pdf

DETERMINATION & FINDINGS

Authority to Solicit from a Single Source (at or below the SAT)

1. Agency and Contracting Activity: 2d Contracting Squadron/PKP, 801 Kenney Avenue, Bldg. 4400, S

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action:

AFGSC CAT Team Equipment

3. Citation to the Appropriate Regulation:

(Contracting Officer Instruction: Select the applicable authority for this acquisition)

RFO 8.401 and GSAR 538.7104-3(a) (FSS Orders): The circumstances of the acquisition deem only one source reasonably capable of providing the products, services, or solutions.

RFO 11.204(a)(2)(ii) (Brand Name): The particular brand name, product, or feature is essential to the Government's requirements, and market research indicates other companies' similar products, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet the agency's needs or cannot be modified to meet the agency's minimum needs,.

RFO 12.102(a) (Commercial Products and Services): Only one source is available,.

RFO 13.101(b) (Noncommercial Products and Services): Only one source is reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name, or industrial mobilization),.

4. Findings:

AFGSC/A5 has requested Brand Name climbing gear equipment for the Centralized Cables and Antennas Team (CAT) to ensure compatibility with other Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) equipment .

Comprehensive market research confirms that the desired brand-name items (3M, Petzl, Absorbica, and CMC) can be obtained through the open market. As a result, there is a reasonable expectation that the government will receive competitive proposals from responsible small businesses at a fair and reasonable market price.

This justification only applies to the portion of items as described in Para. 4, Findings. The equipment consist of the following:

1. 3M Lad-Saf

2. Petzl Astro harnesses, Grillon positioning lanyard and ASAP Kit

3. Absorbica Tie Back MGO Lanyard

4. CMC Clutch

5. Anritsu Site Master and Charger

The CAT team conducts critical structural, antenna, and cable inspections across Air Force Global Strike Command. To ensure member safety, their gear must integrate directly with existing Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) components. The CAT team currently operates with Brand Name 3M, Petzl, Absorbica, and CMC equipment; all established manufacturers of the Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS). Past attempts to procure alternate or generic brands resulted in incompatible equipment, creating severe safety risks and resulting in wasted government funds. Because fall arrest systems require exact mechanical and physical interoperability, mismatching components risks catastrophic failure and violates certified safety standards. The aforementioned items are unique to the system and testing has shown that no other equipment is suitable and meets the needs of the Government.

5. Determination: Based on the findings above, the proposed sole source or brand name action is justified under the applicable regulation.

6. Signatory Authority: (Contracting Officer Instruction: In accordance with DAF Approval Authorities Matrix PM 26-C-11 Matrix Item 51 for RFO 13.101(b) actions and GSAR 538.7104-3(a) for FSS orders, the Contracting Officer is the approval authority for these determinations).

Randy W. Tedrow, TSgt, USAF Contracting Officer

Sep 11, 2026

DETERMINATION & FINDINGS

Authority to Solicit from a Single Source (at or below the SAT)

3. Citation to the Appropriate Regulation:

(Contracting Officer Instruction: Select the applicable authority for this acquisition) 2024.07.10.1.

4. Findings:

5. Determination: Based on the findings above, the proposed sole source or brand name action is justified under the applicable regulation.

6. Signatory Authority: (Contracting Officer Instruction: In accordance with DAF Approval Authorities Matrix PM 26-C-11 Matrix Item 51 for RFO 13.101(b) actions and GSAR 538.7104-3(a) for FSS orders, the Contracting Officer is the approval authority for these determinations).