Questions_&_Responses.pdf

1. Pricing: CLIN 0001 Availability & Mobilization. The PWS does not provide a definition. In the

PWS, is this in relationship to paragraph 5.1 Support Requirements? We assume to have all equipment and materials readily available to respond and any fees associated on a standby scenario?

Government Response: Real world incidents could happen at any time and providing rapid response is critical in these situations. As such, CLIN 0001 - Availability & Mobilization is defined as the labor and material required to initially respond and deploy to a real-world mishap/incident, per PWS paragraph 5.1 Support Requirements, so as not to experience any delays while funding is being procured and obligated against CLIN 0006 - Real World

Incident Option. CLIN 0001 – Availability & Mobilization will be utilized to cover all labor and material costs from the time of positive Contractor notification until contract modification exercising CLIN 0006 – Real World Incident Option. It is not in the best interest of the Government to obligate more funding than is necessary to support requirements.

CLIN 0001 - Availability & Mobilization will allow sufficient funding to be obligated and available to ensure initial response and deployment costs are covered, while CLIN 0006 -

Real World Incident Option allows us the flexibility to obligate additional funding only in the amount necessary to cover the scope of the real world incident at the time when it is required.

2. Pricing for Consumables, i.e., drums, absorbents, plastic liners, backfill, neutralizing agents, etc.

How are these figured into the pricing scenario? Per the PWS, paragraph 5.1.18 Purchases, the paragraph states “At the direction of the PM, or authorized representative with approval from the CO, the contractor shall rent/purchase the required item.” The entire paragraph is structured around equipment. These are not rentable items or purchase for turnover to the government. Based on this, are CLINs 0001 and 0006 for personnel and equipment only? If so, how are consumables handled?

Government Response: CLIN 0001 - Availability & Mobilization and CLIN 0006 - Real World

Incident Option are not limited to personnel and equipment only. These CLINs cover the cost of labor and all material necessary to provide required support as identified in the PWS.

Consumables, as described (drums, absorbents, plastic liners, backfill, neutralizing agents, etc.), would be considered material under CLIN 0001 - Availability & Mobilization and CLIN

0006 - Real World Incident Option. PWS paragraph 5.1.18 Purchases specifically is to be utilized for items that are identified during the course of an exercise or real world incident that were unknown until time of discovery and are necessary to support response and recovery activities (i.e. broken straps, rental of forklifts, etc.). These items would then be invoiced to the appropriate CLIN (CLIN 0001 Availability & Mobilization, CLIN 0002 Exercises, or CLIN 0006 – Real World Incident Option) as noted on the Standard Form 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order For Commercial Items.

3. In the Solicitation, FAR 52.222.42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires has the

Employee Class of 23440-Heavy Equipment Operator at $30.87 per hour and Fringe Benefit at

$4.48. Per the USDL, Employment Standards Administration, Wage Determination No: 2105-

5483, dated 12/26/2018, State: Utah, County: Davis, Labor pricing for 23440 is $22.01 plus a

$4.48 Fringe. 30090 Environmental Technician at $23.90 and Fringe at $4.48. In addition, due to the potential of working near propellants, does Hazardous Pay Differential apply?

Government Response: The Wage rate and fringe benefit listed in the RFP at $30.87 per hour/Fringe Benefit $4.48 will remain and is associated with CLIN 0006 Real World Option due to the Hazardous Material/Environment. A lower rate could be used for CLIN 0002

Exercises as there are no hazardous materials/environment associated with exercise simulations.

4. FAR 52.242-4 Certification of Final Indirect Cost? Does this apply to the solicitation?

Government Response: This clause will be removed from the solicitation.

5. Personnel – Real World incident versus training exercises. A Real World incident may demand more personnel based on the response location, the effected media, etc. What has been the standard number of personnel from past incidents or training exercises? This should be provided? We could suggest more than the requirement based on experience from similar response projects? Basically all we know is we are responding to 150,000-pound rocket motor contain and identified propellant which may or may not be leaking?

Government Response – Depending upon the exercise scenario or real world incident the number of contractor personnel required to provide support as identified in the PWS could indeed fluctuate. Historically, number of personnel in support of exercises involving Solid

Rocket Motor scenarios would be approximately eight (8) with the number of personnel in support of exercises involving Liquid Rocket Motor scenarios being approximately twelve

(12). The number of personnel in support of real world incidents would be similar to the numbers necessary to support an exercise scenario. To clarify, as per the Total Evaluated

Price (TEP) worksheet, the contractor will be proposing a rate that will be multiplied by the notional hours identified. By doing so, any ambiguity in number of labor hours is eliminated and proposals are evaluated on equivalent basis.

6. Equipment – The Solicitation is asking for a fully loaded rate. There is no scenario to base this rate. We know a fully rotating crane/wrecker capable of lifting 150,000 pounds is required. The response scenario will dictate the amount of personnel & recovery equipment. Two wreckers may be required, including lowboy trailers to successfully transport the damaged equipment, other impacted vehicles, etc. How do you include this into your pricing without jeopardizing the proposal?

Government Response: This contract, and the CLINs associated with your question are Time

& Material (T&M). Each and every scenario will/could be different. Thus, the government is asking for a rate (time). All material(s)/equipment above and beyond those indicated in the

RFP/PWS will be covered by the government after receiving CO approval. The rate proposed will be applied to the individuals needed/required to fulfill the plan and requirements initiated by the on-site commander.

7. We firmly believe that continuous change orders for additional personnel, equipment and consumables would be issued to cover items not priced in the initial solicitation. This is a burden to both the contractor and government. By providing a response scenario for pricing purposes, it would provide an even playing field for all bidders involved.

Government Response – Continuous change orders for additional personnel, equipment and consumables would not be necessary to cover items not priced in the initial solicitation. The only thing being priced as part of the initial solicitation is the fully loaded/burdened labor rate. When determining the pricing arrangement (predominately Time & Material (T&M)), one of the factors which must be considered is whether the requirement and circumstances of its execution provide a reasonable basis for firm pricing. As such, it would be extremely difficult to price exercise and real world incident CLINs as cost can vary so widely. The T&M pricing arrangement provides for acquiring supplies or services on the basis of direct labor hours at specified fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit (fully loaded/burdened labor rate) as well as the actual cost for materials.

8. PWS, Attachment 1, contains a listing of specific equipment used by government personnel. We request the manufacturer information for the Level A suit tester Part # 99971, training suit

41556 training PPE, pass through 0314-03-011, escape bottle 975154 Hazmat boot AR0B0 and throat mic CS-HS 0613-00-001/connector M55116/2-5.

Government Response – Information provided below:

(1) The level A suit tester will be handled by the Government due to (PMEL) calibration status.

(2) Training suit, the offerors must have fully encapsulated suit to represent real world suit but for training purposes only.

(3) Pass through is for the air connection and is pretty much standard for level A suits from

Kappler.

(4) Escape bottle, our 10 minute escape bottles are from Sperian.

(5) Hazmat boot, any boot will suffice as long as they resist chemicals.

(6) Throat mic, our communication equipment comes from Con-Space communications.

9. Per paragraphs 5.1.10 Solid Rocket Motor and paragraph 5.1.11 Liquid Rocket Motors within the

PWS, the government is requesting a fully rotating crane/wrecker capable of safely lifting up to

150,000 pounds. This type of equipment is not a requirement to recovery Class 8 vehicles or up to 150,000 pounds in one lift. In addition, there could be other less expensive ways to recover this equipment than the cost associated with owning and maintaining a wrecker with these capabilities. Based on paragraph 5.1.3 Response Time within the PWS, “The Contractor shall have all necessary equipment and personnel ready to deploy within four (4) hours from the official notification of dispatch.” Based on this requirement, utilizing the wrecker for other non-contract related projects could jeopardize the thresholds to mission success. The cost to own and maintain this equipment would solely rest on contract funding.

Government Response – Upon review of the Government’s requirement, it has been determined that a fully rotating crane is not required. The solicitation will be amended with an updated PWS reflecting the use of a rotator type crane/wrecker.

The four (4) hour requirement remains, and has always been part of the Missile Mishap

Response Team program.

Owning a “rotator type crane/wrecker” is not required. A subcontracting arrangement meeting contract requirements would also be acceptable.