Questions and Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers

Q1. Is there a particular hardware brand or model number of card readers or magnetic locks that should be installed?

A1. No specific hardware brand or model is required. Proposed hardware must meet all requirements specified in the Statement of Work (SOW).

Q2. Is there existing wiring from a previous system installation?

A2. No. This will be a new installation, and there is no existing wiring from any previous system.

Q3. Regarding the CAC requirement, must the access control management software itself natively read and process CAC credentials, or is it acceptable for the CAC-compatible reader/controller to extract the authorized unique identifier and pass that credential to the standalone access control system for authentication?

A3. It is acceptable for the CAC-compatible reader/controller to extract the authorized unique identifier from the CAC and pass that credential to the standalone access-control system for authentication. The access-control management software is not required to natively read or process CAC, provided the overall system meets all SOW requirements.

Q4. Section 3.0, Item 2 states that the system shall extract only a unique identifier (e.g., FASC-N) from the CAC. Is use of the Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N) specifically required or would use of the Card Serial Number (CSN) or another non-personally identifiable information (PII) unique identifier be acceptable if it otherwise meets the SOW requirements?

A4. FASC-N is not specifically required. A unique identifier obtained from the CAC is acceptable, provided it meets the SOW requirements and does not use the EDIPI or other prohibited PII.

Q5. Are Buildings 53 and 56 interconnected by any existing underground conduit, pathway, or other infrastructure that may be used for this installation? If so, approximately how far apart are the buildings, and will the contractor be permitted to utilize those existing pathways?

A5. No. The Government is not providing an existing inter-building conduit, network pathway, or other infrastructure for use under this requirement. Each building shall be treated as a separate standalone installation.

Q6. Section 3.0, Item 12 requires integration with the facility fire-alert system so the electronic locks deactivate upon fire alarm notification. Will the Government, or its existing fire-alarm contractor, provide the required fire-alarm relay/interface wiring to the access-control panels, or is the electronic-lock contractor responsible for providing the complete fire-alarm interface and associated wiring?

A6. The contractor is responsible for completing all required work, including the necessary fire-alarm interface and associated wiring. Upon completion, the fire inspector will conduct an acceptance test to verify that the electronic locks operate as designed in conjunction with the fire alarm system.

Q7. Since these are two separate buildings and the requirement appears to be for standalone systems, does the Government require two standalone systems, one for each building, with separate servers and enrollment PCs? Alternatively, if only one server and one enrollment PC are required for both buildings, is there an existing network path between the buildings to support connectivity?

A7. Two separate standalone systems are required, one for each building. There is no existing network path between the buildings to support a shared system.

Q8. Will the Government accept the enrollment PC also functioning as the server?

This approach may reduce overall system cost.

A8. Yes, the enrollment PC may also function as the server, provided the proposed configuration meets all SOW requirements and supports the required standalone access-control functions.

Q9. Will there be a fire integrator involved that will be able to provide us with fire alarm drops (the automatic unlocking of access-controlled doors upon a fire alarm system activation)?

A9. No separate Government-provided fire integrator will be provided. The contractor is responsible for completing all required fire alarm interface/integration work. Upon completion, the fire inspector will conduct an acceptance test to verify that the electronic locks operate properly in conjunction with the fire alarm system.

Q10. There may be an LV permitting required to install card access for the doors in both buildings. Should we assume to include this in our initial pricing?

A10. Yes, include all applicable LV permitting requirements and associated costs in the initial pricing.

Q11. Do we know if these will ever be connected and use the high assurance functions?

A11. No current requirement exists to connect these systems or implement high-assurance CAC authentication. The systems are intended to operate as standalone access-control systems using an approved unique CAC identifier consistent with the SOW.

Q12. Given the requirement of reading only the FASC-N number and not the CAK certificate it makes me question how we need to plan for this in the short and long term. Do you know what these buildings are used for?

A12. These are DoW operational facilities requiring controlled physical access. The current requirement is for standalone access-control systems using a unique CAC identifier for authentication. There is no current requirement for CAK certificate validation or other high-assurance functionality. Any future connectivity or high-assurance requirements would be addressed separately and are outside the current SOW.