FS-RFI_Retardants2023Final.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RISK MITIGATION PLANNING ‐ LONG TERM FIRE RETARDANTS

Special Notice Number: SN‐2023‐01

Agency: United States Department of Agriculture

Office: USDA Forest Service

Location: National Interagency Fire Center – Boise, ID

RFI Issue Date: December 16, 2022

RFI Response Date: January 03, 2023

Submittal of information: The information requested by this Request for Information shall be provided electronically by close of business (2 p.m. Mountain Time on January 03, 2023) to the following addresses:

larry.robillard@usda.gov and michael.mcfarlane@usda.gov

It is strongly desired to have as much information as possible by this January 03, 2023 date however, if additional time is needed, please contact Michael McFarlane or Larry Robillard. Please see below for a description of the format for your submission.

Synopsis: This Request for Information is for Market Research and Planning purposes only.

Chemical Manufacturing

Product Service Code: 6850 Miscellaneous Chemical Specialties

NAICS Code: 325998 ‐ All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Products & Preparation Manufacturing

Business Size Standard: 500 employees

Other Airport Operations

Product Service Code: M1BD

NAICS Code: 488190 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation

Business Size Standard: $35,000,000

Testing

Product Service Code: H215

NAICS Code: 541380 Testing Laboratories and Services

Business Size Standard: $16,500,000

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this contemplated effort. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this RFI or the Government’s use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor’s input resulting from this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned.

Whatever information is provided in response to this RFI may be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for future needs. The information provided may be utilized by the US Forest Service in developing its acquisition strategy and in its Statement of Objective, Statement of Work, and/or Performance Specifications. The information resulting from this RFI may be included or combined with other submissions in one or more options considered in the analysis of alternatives. Any proprietary information that is submitted may be used in establishing requirements in the future, but specific information will be safeguarded as proprietary.

Contracting Office Address:

US Forest Service Procurement and Property Services Incident Procurement Operations Logistics Branch

Primary Point of Contact:

Larry Robillard, Contracting Officer larry.robillard@usda.gov 208‐407‐6003

Technical Point of Contacts Michael McFarlane, Fire Chemicals Program Manager (Acting) michael.mcfarlane@usda.gov 208‐860‐7334

Hunter Jones, Chemist, National Technology and Development Program (NTDP)

Hunter.jones@usda.gov

208‐290‐4943

Description The purpose of this announcement is to conduct market research associated with identification of risks and risk mitigation plans associated with use of various Long‐Term Fire Retardants (LTFR) and the inadvertent comingling of different types of retardants during operations. The USDA Forest Service’s (FS) is seeking information of potential risks associated with the handling and use of various LTFR products, the effects of comingling these products, and mitigation measures associated with those risks.

Background The FS requires all LTFR products shall be qualified and approved on the Qualified Products List (QPL) in accordance with USDA, USFS Specification 5100‐304d (or latest version) ‐ Long Term Retardant, Wildland Firefighting with amendments. For many years the FS only had ammonium phosphate based LTFR products that were fully qualified and could be used for the aerial wildland firefighting effort. Recently several magnesium chloride based LTFR products successfully met the QPL specifications and have recently received full qualification status. During the OFE of the new products several potential concerns were identified with the comingling of the retardant types and this RFI is seeking input from suppliers, operators, and subject matter experts pursuant to the aerial wildland firefighting effort to ensure all possible concerns and risks associated with potential introduction of new products are effectively and safely introduced to the field.

Current Testing of New Products All new LTFR products are tested and approved in accordance with the testing procedures located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/fire/wfcs/wildland‐fire‐chemicals‐test‐procedures.php to ensure that the product meets the latest specification (currently FS Specification 5100‐304d available at:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/fire/wfcs/documents/5100‐ 304d_LTR_Final_010720_with%20Amendment%201.pdf)

REQUESTED INFORMATION:

Vendors/contractors/subject matter experts who respond to this Request for Information (RFI) are requested to provide all of the following information in writing and in accordance with the directions below:

1. COMPANY INFORMATION:

1. Company name

2. Company mailing address

3. Company point of contact (name & title)

4. Point of contact’s telephone numbers and email addresses

2. POTENTIAL RISKS

The Government is requesting the following information on potential concerns and associated risks with the use of LTFR products by type (ammonium phosphate based products and magnesium chloride based products), and/or as a result of the comingling of the two products types via cross contamination.

Currently, the potential risk identified are related to the items below:

Coagulation ‐ precipitate, struvite, cleaning difficulties, functionality of parts

Uniform and intergranular corrosion potential when comingling certain products

Airport –Washdown/rising, environmental, ammonium chloride or magnesium chloride based retardant restrictions

Safety – Ground, air, human safety regarding contact with LTFR products

Disposal ‐ Water treatment/sand oil separators, environmental

1. information specific to potential threats and associated risks with the use of LTFR (as specified above) that may affect:

a. airtanker base operations (disposal, environmental),

b. airtanker base infrastructure capability (power, water, footprint, etc.),

c. any other situation(s) supporting wildland fire suppression operations,

d. transportation of product to Airtanker Bases,

e. storage, mixing, loading, handling or run‐off/wash down handling systems at airtanker bases.

2. Your opinion on the “likelihood rating” that the threat identified in your response to Item 1 above will occur based on the Risk Likelihood Chart included in the attached Risk Register.

3. Your “risk assessment” of the threat identified in your response to Item 1 above based on the risk assessment rating in the Severity of Consequences Chart included attached Risk Register.

4. Recommendations for mitigation to the risks identified in Item 1 above.

5. Your opinion of the “likelihood rating” that the mitigation identified in your response to Item 4 above would be successful based on the Risk Likelihood Chart with existing controls (mitigation procedures) in place.

6. Your “risk assessment” of the risks after employment of the mitigation(s) of risks identified in Item 3 above per the Severity of Consequences Chart in the attached Risk Register.

7. Any testing, testing procedures, or procedural recommendations to reduce (or inform upon) any of the risks identified in your response Item 1 above or recommended to identify new risks that may not be known at this time. This should include testing to:

a. Specific aircraft metals for corrosion and potentially failure analysis type studies (i.e tensile strength),

b. Test procedures with recommended exposure scenarios and timelines that more effectively reproduce operational conditions,

c. Specific field testing that cannot be evaluated in a laboratory setting (aircraft operations, aircraft rinsing/cleaning) and/or,

d. any other testing in addition to the testing identified for approval of the product as identified above.

8. Name address and contact information for any testing facilities capable of performing tests recommended in response to the RFI.

FORMAT OF SUBMISSIONS

The submission of information is desired on the attached Risk Register Spreadsheet however, parties interested in submitting information may submit the information in any other format desired. Submittals must be in Microsoft

Word or Excel, or in Adobe pdf format.