Questions Answers.pdf

DJD-11-R-0034

Questions and Answers

1. What is the definition of a “destruction event” for this solicitation?

A destruction event is the transportation of bulk marijuana, to be escorted by DEA Agent/or Task Officer Personnel, requiring up to (2) two days of work prior to the event, in order to load bulk marijuana into the transportation vehicles to the final destination or incinerator.

2. From experience, we know that destruction events for South Texas vary by DEA office and often times are determined by the amount of marijuana to be destroyed. The costs for these events range from $3,000 to $24,000 depending on the location of the destruction facility, the amount of marijuana to be destroyed and the number of contractors utilized. Because there is no uniformity concerning destruction events, it will be difficult to determine a fair unit price for the destruction events.

For example, McAllen and Corpus often travel to the site in FL. To prepare for the transportation, anywhere between 4-10 contract personnel spend 12 hours per day for 1 -2 days each loading 1-3 18-wheeler tractor trailer rigs. The number of contract personnel used for loading differs according to the size of the shipment to be destroyed so it is difficult to determine the number of hours involved in the preparation.

Destruction events from TX to FL require travel which involves hotel costs, per diem, fuel. Travel days are at least 12 hours per day per contractor. Once the trucks arrive at the destruction facility, the contractors work alongside the agents for sometimes up to a 24-hour period because the marijuana cannot be left unattended as it is being destroyed.

The man-hours and travel expenses again vary according to the amount of marijuana sent for destruction.

Under this solicitation, how many contractors will be required for destruction events involving travel to FL?

This is not applicable with respect to the El Paso and Phoenix Field Divisions. For the Houston Field Division, usually 2 TSOs are required for destruction events to Florida, however, depending on the number of vehicles used it could be as many as 6 TSOs.

3. Will the travel expenses such as per diem and lodging, as well as the overtime be billable expenses separate from the event rate?

Yes, a separate CLIN has been added for travel expenses. The government does not intend to provide an overtime CLIN. The contractor shall propose labor rates per the Schedule of Supplies/Services.

Please see the Travel Clause incorporated into the Solicitation per Amendment 0003 to the Solicitation.

4. At the Laredo destruction facility, destruction occurs daily, 8-10 hours per day, for periods of 1 week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks, depending on the amount of marijuana to be destroyed. The number of contract personnel at the destruction facility ranges from 2-3 each day. Is each day an event?

No, each day is not an event.

Events may or may not take an entire working day or longer depending on the load size and distance to be traveled for each Destruction or Transportation Event.

5. For pricing purposes, how many contractors will be required for the required services for a Laredo destruction event?

Of the Houston Division, of which Laredo is a part of, teams will range from three to six TSOs based on the size of the event, per Paragraph 4.1(d) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work.

6. The loading and transportation of the marijuana from the South Texas DEA offices to Laredo for destruction occurs separately from the actual destruction of the marijuana, which could occur 2 weeks later. The loading and transportation is accomplished by contractor personnel in the initiating office which again involves travel as it is 400+ miles round trip between the South Texas offices that utilize the Laredo destruction facility.

Would the loading and transportation be a transportation event or a destruction event?

Loading and unloading is a transportation event since the marijuana is being transported to a designated DEA facility. See Paragraph 20, Section IV for a list of places of performance.

7. The solicitation indicates 3 teams of 6 TSOs in 4.1.d and one team of 6 TSOs in Factor 2.

How many teams of 6 TSOs are required for the Phoenix Field Division?

Three teams of 6 TSOs are required for the Phoenix Division, per Paragraph 4.2 (d) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work.

8. The solicitation indicates fourteen (14) vehicles are required in 7.a and fifteen (15) vehicles are required in Factor 3. How many vehicles will be required for this contract?

A total of 18 Vehicles are needed.

Four (4) escort vehicles and two (2) 21 foot trucks for the Houston Division.

Two (2) escort vehicles and one (1) 21 foot truck for the El Paso Division.

Six (6) escort vehicles and three (3) 21 foot trucks for the Phoenix Division.

9. The solicitation indicates that four unmarked vehicles and two 21 foot trucks are required for the Houston Division and that two unmarked vehicles and one 21 foot truck are required for the El Paso Division, which is equivalent to the current contract.

How many unmarked vehicles will be required to accompany each 24 foot truck for the Phoenix Division?

The Phoenix Division vehicle requirement has been changed to three 21 foot trucks and six escort vehicles all of which shall be unmarked vehicles.

10. How will the 14 foot straight box truck be utilized by the TSO teams in Phoenix?

The 14foot straight box truck will not be utilized as the Phoenix Division. The vehicle requirement for the Phoenix Division has been changed to three 21 foot trucks and six escort vehicles all of which are unmarked.

11. On an average, how many miles are driven each month by each TSO team in the Phoenix

Field Division under the current Phoenix Field Division Bulk Marijuana Transportation Contract?

Each TSO team for the Phoenix Field Division drives 7,784 miles per month on average.

Depending on the transportation event assignment, the daily mileage ranges from a low of eight miles roundtrip for transportation related to destruction events at the facility nearby to the Tucson District Office, to a high of 280 miles roundtrip for transportation events connected with pickups at U.S. Border Patrol stations located in Cochise County.

12. Are the 6 TSOs for Houston / El Paso Field Divisions and the 18 TSOs for the Phoenix Division required to be full time or they just on-call within 24 hours? In other words, are we able to employ them on other jobs when not needed for the DEA mission?

The Contractor must make available the required personnel when ordered by the government.

13. We are assuming the TSOs can drive the vehicles during missions. Do they need a commercial driver’s license (CDL)?

The Contractor must obtain and ensure that all persons performing work under the contract obtain all licenses required. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to know and obtain all proper licenses per Section 4.1 (e) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work.

14. The solicitation indicates that the place of performance will be in Texas, New Mexico or

Arizona. Why must we be licensed for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida?

Some destruction events will be to a location in Florida, per paragraph 20, in Section IV Additional Terms and Conditions. For destructions events occurring from the Houston Field Division to the Florida destruction facility, this requires driving through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, which requires the Contractor to be licensed to performed the required services per the statement of work for these states accordingly.

15. What are the historical number of transportation events and destruction events for the past three years (2008-2010)?

In the Phoenix Field Division, the conservative number of transportation/destruction events was 600 per year, totaling roughly 1,800 events for the past three years.

In the Houston Field Division, the number of transportation events from January, 2011 to present is approximately 400 and approximately 80 per year destruction events.

In the El Paso Division, from January, 2011 to the present, there have been approximately 45 transportation events and 4 destruction events.

16. Is the contractor in this contract “on-call?”

No, contractors are not on call.

Contractors may or may not maintain a regular 40 hour work week schedule. In the Phoenix Field Division, the contractor is not technically on-call, meaning that the Contractor personnel does not perform services per standard business hours, but rather Contractor personnel perform work on a regular daily schedule. In the Houston Field Division, the contractor is on a regular daily work schedule. In the El Paso Division the contractor will be called as needed during normal business hours.

17. On page 6 of the RFP, you identify the personnel required for this contract as

“Transportation Security Officers.” This job classification is not included in the SCA Directory of Occupations. Have you obtained a wage determination from the Department of Labor identifying the required wages and benefits for this classification of personnel?

If not, please identify what existing classification in the Directory of Occupations should be used for this contract.”

Security Guard II

18. Please describe a typical schedule for one week in Houston and in Phoenix.

The following table depicts a typical schedule for the Phoenix Field Division:

Team A Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Stations in Nogales and

Sonoita

Team A Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol Station in Ajo

Team A Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Stations in Nogales and

Sonoita

Team A Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol Station in Ajo

Team A Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Stations in Nogales and

Sonoita Team B

Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol Casa Grande

& Tucson Stations

Team B Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Stations in Naco, Douglas, and Willcox

Team B Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Casa Grande & Tucson Stations

Team B Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol

Stations in Naco, Douglas, and

Willcox

Team B Pickup at U.S.

Border Patrol Casa Grande

& Tucson Stations

Team C Load at Tucson District Office and transport/off-load at AMCEP Tucson Iron and

Metal destruction facility

Team C Load at Tucson District Office and transport/off-load at AMCEP Tucson Iron and

Metal destruction facility

For the Houston Field Division:

In McAllen, TX there is a transportation event in the morning and one in the afternoon, Monday-Friday. In Laredo, TX there is one transportation event daily Monday-Friday.

19. Please identify the quantity of permanent duty positions required that will provide contractor personnel a minimum of 40 hours per week.

In the Phoenix Field Division, two of the three six-member teams of Transportation Security Officers, i.e. 12 personnel, perform permanent full-time equivalent duties.

In the Houston Field Division, 12 TSOs perform services full time (6 TSOs in McAllen with one being designated as the LTSO and 6 TSOs in Laredo with one being designated as the LTSO).

20. Please clarify the type of security clearance required; e.g., suitability, DoD.

Per Section 4.2 (B) (3) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work, the Contractor as an entity and all of its personnel performing work under this contract are required to pass SENSITIVE clearance prior to the start of work under this contract. The security clause is included in Paragraph 15 of Section IV.

21. [Company name redacted] intends to only provide pump-action, single barrel, non-ported shotguns. Please confirm this type of shoulder weapon will satisfy project requirements.

This type of shoulder weapon satisfies project requirements.

22. Describe the billing method; e.g., billed per mile, billed per event, per trip, or bill per labor hour.

Contractor’s billing method should commensurate with the Schedule of Supplies/Services and Price/Cost in Section I, per Amendment 0003 of this solicitation.

23. Are the two 24 foot trucks unmarked?

24 foot trucks are not required.

24. Please delineate quantity, size, duty location and style (marked or unmarked) of all vehicles.

Four (4) escort vehicles and two (2) 21 foot trucks for the Houston Division.

Two (2) escort vehicles and one (1) 21 foot truck for the El Paso Division.

Six (6) escort vehicles and three (3) 21 foot trucks for the Phoenix Division.

25. Please provide the number of miles driven in support of the government requirement for each vehicle in 2009 and 2010.

Phoenix:

VEHICLE MONTHLY MILES DRIVEN

(ESTIMATED)

24 foot straight box truck 1,500

24 foot straight box truck 1,500

14 foot straight box truck 1,500

1st Panel van 2,500

2nd Panel van 2,500

1st Escort vehicle 3,000

2nd Escort vehicle 3,000

3rd Escort vehicle 3,000

4th Escort vehicle 3,000

5th Escort vehicle 3,000

6th Escort vehicle 3,000

For the Houston Division, the estimated monthly mileage per vehicle is 3,000.

El Paso- Unknown

26. Please describe the process the contractor will use to recover cost of fuel.

The Contractor is responsible for all fuel and maintenance costs associated with its fleet of vehicles, which should be calculated in the per-event cost.

27. In the event the contractor is required to procure equipment or adjust aspects of the project; e.g., training, vehicles, that creates an increase to cost will the government allow for a pass-thru expense for these items?

The contractor shall bill the Government in accordance with the Schedule of Supplies/Services, including costs associated with procuring equipment /or other items as necessary for performance of the required services.

28. Please describe the background for requiring contractor to be licensed in AL, LA, NM, MS and TX. The project clearly indicates a need to operate in TX, AZ, NM and FL but there is no indication on a requirement to operate in AL, LA and MS.

Destruction events include to or from a facility n in Panama City, Florida, per paragraph 20, in Section IV Additional Terms and Conditions.

Reaching this facility requires driving through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, which requires the Contractor to be licensed for these states accordingly, provided the Contractor meets all other requirements of the Solicitation.

29. Please clarify if the incumbent guard force satisfies all the requirements provided in the

RFQ.

The guard force satisfies all the requirements provided in the Request for Proposal/Statement of Work, so long as the Offeror meets all other requirements.

30. Who is the incumbent Contractor?

The contractor providing services for the Phoenix Field Division is Surveillance Security Incorporated. The contractor providing services for the Houston and El Paso Divisions is Premier Protection Group, Incorporated.

31. Please provide the 2009 and 2010 contract value.

For 2010, the contract value for the Phoenix Field Division was $1,014,520.71.

For 2010, the contract value for the Houston and El Paso Field Divisions was $940,580.00.

32. Please indicate if the government anticipates the contract value will increase/decrease from that experienced in 2009 and 2010 for the contract term specified in the solicitation.

Unknown at this time.

33. Please provide precise standards the contractor must meet regarding the configuration of transport vehicles; e.g., CCTV, exterior flood lights, emergency duress system, emergency equipment (water, blankets, food).

Paragraph 7 in Section IV Additional Terms and Conditions provides all the vehicle requirements for this Solicitation.

34. Please provide a photograph/image of the uniform worn by incumbent contractor personnel while in performance of transport and destruction duties. If a photograph/image is not available, please provide a description of uniform contractor personnel will wear during transport and destruction; e.g., military battle dress uniform (BDU); cargo pants.

Typically, Contractor personnel wear cargo-style pants and polo-style shirts bearing the company’s logo. There is no required dress uniform.

35. Please identify the total number of new hire training hours required of contractor personnel excluding state mandated training; e.g., weapons training, guard license training.

There is not a required number of DEA training hours required for Contractor personnel.

36. Please identify the total number of annual, refresher training hours required of contractor personnel beyond state mandated requirements. If the government knows of the preferred training subject, please provide that information.

Per paragraph 4.2 (B)(5) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work, the Contractor shall ensure that all staff performing under the contract will maintain required licenses, certifications, training, national security clearances, and other contract qualifications at all times during the performance of work under the contract.

37. Please provide the longest period of time contractor personnel will be required to operate a vehicle in support of the requirements identified in the solicitation.

Houston Division - transportation events would be approximately 2-8 hours and destruction events would be approximately 3-17 hours. The longer length of time required to operate a vehicle in support of destruction events is due to the fact that the Houston Division employs use of a destruction facility in Panama City, Florida.

Phoenix Division – personnel are required to operate a vehicle approximately 2.5 hours and the longest daily requirement is no more than 8 hours.

El Paso Division – the longest period of time personnel are required to operate a vehicle is approximately 12 hours.

38. Please provide the longest route driven (miles and hours) in support of the requirements identified in the solicitation.

The longest route driven in miles and hours (one way) is:

Phoenix Field Division- 170 miles and approximately 2.5 hours Houston Field Division- 500 miles and approximately 8.5 hours El Paso Field Division- 300 miles and approximately 4 hours

39. Number of Teams. Section 4.1.d states that “the contractor shall assign one team of 6

TSOs to the Houston and El Paso Field Divisions …and three teams of 6 TSOs – totaling 18 TSOs – for the Phoenix Field Division.” This is a total of five 6-person teams, or 30 people. However, the Proposal Instructions (pg 70, Factor 2) state that the Offeror will furnish three individual teams – one team each for Houston, El Paso and Phoenix. This is a total of 18 people. Please clarify which instruction is correct.

The Contractor shall provide 2 teams of six TSOs for the Houston division (one for Laredo, TX, and one for McAllen, TX) and 2 teams of 6 TSOs for the El Paso division (one for El Paso, TX and one for Alpine, TX).

The Contractor shall provide two (2) separate individuals to serve as LTSOs for the Houston Division (one for Laredo, TX, and one for McAllen, TX), two individuals from each of the two teams of 6TSOs to serve as LTSOs for the El Paso Division (one for El Paso, TX and one for Alpine, TX.

The Contractor shall provide three (3) separate teams of 6 TSOs for a total of 18 TSOs for the Phoenix Division, in addition to one individual to serve as LTSO for the Phoenix Division.

40. Number of Vehicles. The proposal instructions (page 70, Factor 3) state the offeror must demonstrate how it will furnish a total of 15 vehicles. The information in Section 7 (Vehicle Requirements) states that 14 vehicles are required. Would you please clarify?

Eighteen (18) vehicles are required.

41. Number of LTSOs. Section 4.3 .d states that the Contractor shall provide two LTSOs – one for the Houston and El Paso Field Divisions and one for the Phoenix Field Division.

However, the proposal instructions (pg 70, Factor 2) state that the offeror will furnish “one individual to serve as the LTSO for all three divisions”. Please clarify how many LTSOs are required.

The Contractor shall provide two (2) separate individuals to serve as LTSOs for the Houston Division (one for Laredo, TX, and one for McAllen, TX), two individuals from each of the two teams of 6TSOs to serve as LTSOs for the El Paso Division (one for El Paso, TX and one for Alpine, TX. The Contractor shall also provide one LTSO solely for the Phoenix Division as well.

42. Concurrent Events (Transportation or Destruction) in a Field Division. Per Section 4.1.d (pg 7) of the SOW, Houston and El Paso will have a single 6-person team of TSOs. Does this mean that no more than one transportation or destruction event will be scheduled on any given day? If so, it is not clear why there is a requirement for six vehicles in Houston. Could you please provide additional information on the planned usage of the six vehicles in Houston?

No, there could be more than one event for the Houston Division on any given day.

There is a possibility that all 12 individuals along with all 6 required vehicles will be required to perform security transportation services. Each of the vehicles for the Houston Division will be used to perform transportation and destruction events.

43. The SOW calls for four unmarked vehicles for the Houston Division and two for the El

Paso Division. However, there is no requirement for unmarked vehicles for the Phoenix Division. Could you please provide additional information on 1) the intended use of the unmarked cars and 2) why the Phoenix Division does not require the use of unmarked cars.

The use of unmarked vehicles is in support of the successful completion of secured transportation or destruction events per the Solicitation. The Phoenix division will require the use of six (6) unmarked vehicles and three unmarked trucks per Paragraph 7(a) of Section II.

44. How will the Government determine an offeror’s financial capability to furnish and maintain the extensive list of vehicles and equipment required under the contract? The pricing table only allows a fixed price per event and has no mechanism to recover start-up costs or fixed costs. Given this, it is very possible that this contract could put a small business out of business due to the significant upfront investment required and lack of a guarantee that those costs will be recovered. Will the Government make any allowance for this risk?

The offeror should include indirect costs in its proposed rates.

The Contracting Officer will make a determination of responsibility pursuant to FAR 9.104-1. In the event an Offeror is deemed not responsible, that Offeror will be notified and removed from further consideration.

45. The wording in this section appears to indicate that an LTSO must accompany every transportation or destruction event. For example, the RFP says that the contractor must appoint a LTSO for each Task order who will be responsible for planning, loading, transportation, unloading, and documentation. If there is only one LTSO to cover both Houston and El Paso Field Divisions, this does not seem possible. Would you please clarify the intention in this section regarding whether a LTSO should accompany each event?

The LTSOs for the Houston and Phoenix Divisions are not required to attend each event. The LTSOs for the El Paso Division will be required to attend each event since the LTSOs for this Division will also serve as TSOs for the El Paso Division.

46. This section states that “a team of three to six contractors shall be utilized for each transportation event, based on the size of the load”. Because pricing is only based on a single transportation event with no regard to the size of the required team, it would be very helpful to get some historical data so bidders can more accurately estimate costs.

Can you provide further data on the typical team size required for each Field Division in the past?

The Houston and Phoenix Divisions have five total teams composed of six members each to allow for two TSOs per vehicle, consisting of the transportation or load vehicle and two escort vehicles each operated by one driver and one passenger responsible for providing security in anticipation of an assault or hijack by potential adversaries.

The El Paso Field Division uses a team of 3-6 TSOs per event depending on the size of the load.

47. How is it anticipated that the contractor will recover fixed costs for high value items such as vehicles under the contract? Is the minimum guarantee of $500,000 (page 5) applicable to the first year or the entire life of the contract?

The minimum guarantee is applicable to the first year of the contract only.

48. Treatment of Fuel Costs. Section 7 (d) states that the Contractor is responsible for fuel costs. Section 20 (page 54) provides the “from” and “to” locations for transportation and destruction events. Given the substantial variations in distances that will be traveled for each event, Contractors will have to conservatively estimate the average miles and fuel usage when developing their pricing. The Government would likely save money by instead treating fuel costs as a reimbursable ODC. Would the Government consider treating fuel as a reimbursable ODC?

The contractor shall bill the government, including all costs such as fuel, procuring equipment/or other items as necessary for performance of the required services.

49. Insurance requirements (Section 12 - page 18). This section provides a brief mention of the general types of insurance that are required, but gives no specific policy amounts.

Given that the Contractor will be armed, travel over a large geographical area, and be transporting very high value cargo, adequate insurance coverage is very important. Does the Government intend to provide any further guidance on insurance requirements? How will the Government confirm all require insurance policies are in place prior to the contract start date?

Per section 4.2 (B) (1) in Section II, Descriptions/Specifications/Statement of Work , the Contractor shall furnish a legible copy of all legally required licenses and permits (excluding permits and licenses issued to individual Contract employees) to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) by the Contract start date and provide any revised licenses or permits during the Contract term.

It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that it has the required insurance coverage to perform the required services.

50. Required Licenses and Permits. Evaluation Factor 1: Corporate Capabilities (pg 73) states the offeror must demonstrate “that it possesses all licenses and permits required for the performance under the contract, or how it intends to acquire and retain the business and corporate licenses required to operate as a commercial security service within the entire geographic area covered under the SOW by the start date of the contract.” In many states, it takes up to 12 weeks to obtain a license to perform security services. Therefore, if an offeror does not already possess a license in each state or submitted for licensing prior to the RFP being released they are highly unlikely to have all licenses by the start of the contract.

Offerors must have all required licenses by 9/30/2011.

51. Can you please clarify whether the Government will more favorably evaluate a proposal if the bidder actually has all necessary licenses prior to the planned contract start date, versus firms that state they will attempt to obtain the required licenses prior to start of performance?

Per Paragraph 4.2(B) in Section II, Contractors are required to obtain, possess, and maintain all business and corporate licenses required to operate as a commercial security service within the entire geographic area covered under this Contract prior to performing any work under this Contract scheduled to start on September 30, 2011.

The government will evaluate the Offeror’s demonstration that it possesses all licenses and permits required for the performance under the contract, or how it intends to acquire and retain the business and corporate licenses required to operate as a commercial security service within the entire geographic area covered under the SOW by the start date of the contract.

52. Evaluation Factor 2: Personnel Plan on Page 73 states that the Offeror will be evaluated on its ability to furnish “one individual to serve as Quality Control Monitor for all three divisions”. However, the Statement of Work (pg. 16, Quality Control Plan) does not seem to indicate that a full-time Quality Control Monitor is required. Would you please clarify if this is intended as a full-time position? Is the cost of the QC monitor expected to be recovered in the fixed price for a transportation and destruction event?

There is no requirement for a full time Quality Control Monitor, so long as the Offeror proposes a Quality Control Monitor who performs the requisite duties in the Solicitation.

53. Number of Teams in El Paso and Houston Field Divisions. The RFP states that El Paso will have one team and three vehicles (two sedans and one truck). Given the large geography (all of west Texas and New Mexico), we are concerned that one team and one truck may be unable to meet the demand. Does DEA believe that this level of resources will be sufficient?

The Houston and El Paso Field Divisions are each required two teams of 6 TSO’s.

54. Similarly, the Houston Field Division covers a very large geography with a single team

(but has a greater number of vehicles). Does DEA believe that this level of people and vehicles will be sufficient?

The Contractor shall also provide the following vehicles for the Houston and El Paso Divisions:

• Four escort vehicles and two 21 foot trucks for the Houston Division.

Two escort vehicles and one 21 foot truck for the El Paso Division.

55. Section 8.b states that the Contractor must administer a test to determine a candidate’s

“pistol handling weapons proficiency”. Section 8.c states that “authorized handguns must be worn at all times while on duty.” However, it is not clear when the shoulder weapons described in Section 8.c are to be carried. Could you please clarify how many of the shoulder weapons are required, which types, when they should be deployed and who is authorized to carry them?

Paragraph 8(a) in Section II provides all of the weapons requirements and what weapons are authorized to be carried for performance of events.

56. Uniform Requirement (Section 6.a – pg 13). Does DEA have any particular preference on the type of uniform that should be provided? Is a utility-type uniform acceptable?

No, the DEA does not have a preference of uniform. Yes, a utility-type uniform is acceptable.

57. Wage Determination (pg 36). This section provides the applicable wage determinations and states that the contract is subject to the Service Contract Act. However, it does not specify what labor category is applicable. Would you please provide the appropriate labor category for the TSO and LTSO positions.

Security Guard II

58. Additional Border Patrol locations to be added to the contract (Section 20, pg 55). This section states that “Additional BP locations in any other area in the United States may be added at a future time.” Will the price for a transportation event at an added location be negotiated at the time? It would not be fair to ask the Contractor to add new locations at the same fixed price if the new location is much further away than the locations shown in the RFP. For example, a California or south Florida location should not be at the same price as the Texas, Arizona and New Mexico locations listed in the RFP.

Changes to the contract are subject to negotiation and only authorized by a DEA Contracting Officer.

59. Price for Destruction Event in Panama City. Panama City is nearly 1000 miles from

Laredo. The labor cost and fuel cost to perform a destruction event in Florida are much higher than for a site in Texas. However, the RFP only allows a single fixed price to be bid for all destruction events, regardless of location. Would DEA consider changing the pricing instructions to allow a separate price to be bid for “long distance” requirements such as a destruction event in Florida?

Yes, there will be a separate CLIN for destruction events to Florida per Amendment 0003 to the Solicitation.

60. Duration of Destruction Events (Section 20.B, pg 55). This section states that “each destruction event may require up to two (2) days of work prior to the event, in order to load bulk marijuana into the transportation vehicles.” However, SOW Section 14 (pg

19) says that a Destruction Event refers only to the transportation of bulk marijuana, not pre-trip loading for two days. How does DEA plan to have the Contractor invoice for situations where substantial labor is required before the actual transportation begins?

Contractors shall bill per hour for Destruction Events. A separate CLIN has been added for “Destruction Events priced by hour for for the Houston Field Division” for the days of work for Destruction Events.

61. Local commuting area (Section 20.b, pg 55). This section says that transportation services will be dispatched from five locations – the DEA offices in McAllen, Laredo, Tucson, El Paso and Alpine. The RFP also states that the Contractor must be located within the local commuting area in order to be readily available. It is not clear how a single TSO Team in the Houston Field Division can be “local” to McAllen, Laredo and Corpus Christi since each of these sites is about 150 miles from the two others. Would you please clarify where the Houston Division team should be located and where they will be dispatched from?

The two Division teams should be located and will be dispatched from McAllen, TX or Laredo, TX, respectively.

62. Historical Data to Assist Bidders in Accurate Estimates. Because the pricing is being done on a fixed price per event basis (pg 4), it is imperative that bidders have a reasonable feel for the three main factors that will determine its overall cost – number of total trips, average length of trips, and staffing level required per trip. However, the RFP provides very little information on any of these key factors. Can DEA please provide whatever historical data is available to assist in cost estimating and pricing?

In the Phoenix Field Division, the conservative number of transportation/destruction events was 600 per year, totaling roughly 1,800 events for the past three years.

In the Houston Field Division, the number of transportation events from January, 2011 to present is approximately 400 and approximately 80 per year destruction events.

Houston Division - transportation events would be approximately 2-8 hours and destruction events would be approximately 3-17 hours. The longer length of time required to operate a vehicle in support of destruction events is due to the fact that the Houston Division employs use of a destruction facility in Panama City, Florida.

Phoenix Division – personnel are required to operate a vehicle approximately 2.5 hours and the longest daily requirement is no more than 8 hours.

El Paso Division – the longest period of time personnel are required to operate a vehicle is approximately 12 hours.

In the El Paso Division, from January, 2011 to the present, there have been approximately 45 transportation events and 4 destruction events.

For 2010, the contract value for the Phoenix Field Division was $1,014,520.71.

For 2010, the contract value for the Houston and El Paso Field Divisions was $940,580.00.

63. SF -1449. The solicitation did not contain the SF-1449. Will this form be provided in an amendment?

The SF-1449 will be issued at the time of award, per FAR 12.2.

64. Overtime costs. Does the Government anticipate the need for overtime hours? If so, will the solicitation be amended to provide for an Overtime CLIN?

The government does not intend to provide an overtime CLIN. The contractor shall bill for labor per-event.

65. Price Evaluation Methodology. There are no quantities included in the Price Schedule on page 4. It appears that Offerors will only provide a unit price for each of the event types.

Is this correct? If so, how will DEA calculate the Contract Total price included on the bottom of the Price Schedule page? Will DEA do price reasonableness or price realism assessments?

The Schedule of Supplies/Services includes Maximum Quantities. The DEA will conduct Price Reasonableness.

66. Can I please get a pricing sheet for this bid or an explanation of how you would like it priced? It looks to be like something we could do.

The contractor shall bill the government per event, including costs such as fuel, procuring equipment/or other items as necessary for performance of services.

Please see the Schedule of Supplies/Services and propose rates based upon the Schedule in Section I.

67. Price Evaluation Methodology. There are no quantities included in the Price Schedule on page 4. It appears that Offerors will only provide a unit price for each of the event types. Is this correct? If so, how will DEA calculate the Contract Total price included on the bottom of the Price Schedule page? Will DEA do price reasonableness or price realism assessments?

The Schedule of Supplies/Services includes Maximum Quantities. The DEA will conduct Price Reasonableness.

68. Can I please get a pricing sheet for this bid or an explanation of how you would like it priced? It looks to be like something we could do.

Please see Section I . Schedule of Supplies/Services.

69. In section #6 b it specifically states that level 3 vests "Shall be worn under the uniform shirt". I believe this is a safety and health risk. We currently use our level 3 vests in outer carriers. This adheres to the needs to wear them but allows for much greater air flow than under a uniform shirt. This request can actually be a life or death situation in Arizona where daily temperatures average 108 in the summer. This could actually put individuals in a heat stroke or heat exhaustion situation. These temperatures are even more dangerous when we work at destruction events and inside of the connex containers and air flow is greatly reduced. Temperatures in Texas are nearly as hot as Arizona, with humidity. I believe for safety you should make this contractors choice instead of mandating it under the shirt.

Contractors shall wear the required vest under or over the uniform shirt.

70. Section 4.3 d asks for 2 LTSO's yet factor #2 in the technical proposal instructions it asks for one single overseeing LTSO.

The Contractor shall provide five (5) total LTSOs.

The Contractor shall provide two (2) separate individuals to serve as LTSOs for the Houston Division (one for Laredo, TX, and one for McAllen, TX), two individuals from each of the two teams of 6TSOs to serve as LTSOs for the El Paso Division (one for El Paso, TX and one for Alpine, TX. The Contractor shall provide one LTSO for the Phoenix Division as well.

71. As Amendment 2 indicates, the Solicitation has been revised to be a Total Small Business

Set-Aside. My understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and interpretation thereof is that with regard to a company submitting a proposal with one or more firms as proposed Subcontractors, the stated dollar threshold ($18.5M), under which NAICS 484230 applies, cannot be exceed by the Team, in total, as average annual revenues for the preceding three years. In other words, a proposed prime contractor with average annual receipts of $12M cannot enter into a teaming relationship with another firm for this effort whose average annual receipts are $10M, thus exceeding the $18.5M threshold.

A set-aside for small business anticipates a small business as the prime contractor.

A prime contractor (in this case a small business) may subcontract out parts of the effort not to exceed 50% of the value of the contract for all subcontracts.

Otherwise it is a ‘pass through’ arrangement which is prohibited.

In order to be classified as a small business, a firm – including all affiliates – may not exceed the size standard for the NAICs code assigned to the procurement by the contracting officer. The way the firms come together to perform on this requirement will determine if they are affiliated for size purposes. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) discusses affiliation. Specifically, 13 CFR 121.103 discusses how SBA determines if firms are affiliated.