MAS - BMS Cat, LLC - GS07F0087T

GENERAL SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL

ACQUISITION SERVICE

AUTHORIZED FEDERAL SUPPLY

SCHEDULE FSS PRICE LIST

CONTRACTOR: BMS CAT, INC.

5718 AIRPORT FWY,

HALTOM CITY, TX 76107

SPECIAL ITEM NUMBERS (SINs): 611430ST, OLM

GSA CONTRACT NUMBER: GS-07F-0087T

FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULE: MAS – MULTIPLE AWARD

SCHEDULE

BUSINESS SIZE: LARGE

TELEPHONE: 877.730.1948

FAX: 817.334.3531

WEB SITE: WWW.BMSCAT.COM

E-MAIL: DOBRIEN@BMSCAT.COM

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: DAVID O'BRIEN

UEI: KHAYLE14A9J8

CONTRACT PERIOD: 11/1/2016 – 10/31/2026

CURRENT THROUGH MODIFICATION NUMBER: PS-0055

EFFECTIVE DATE: 9/4/2025

Online access to contract ordering information, terms and conditions, pricing, and the option to create an electronic delivery order are available through GSA

Advantage!®. The website for

GSA Advantage!® is: https://www.GSAAdvantage.gov.

For more information on ordering go to the following website:

https://www.gsa.gov/schedules.

https://www.gsaadvantage.gov/

GS-07F-0087T

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT specialize in the restoration and reconstruction of properties and contents throughout the world to allow customers to quickly return to daily operations. We provide all of the restoration, mitigation, remediation, reconstruction and document recovery services that are needed for any size loss. With over 60 years of experience, we are accustomed to working with all types of institutions at all levels of security.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

MITIGATION - Immediate response to the loss scene to stop further deterioration of the building and contents. Available 24/7 through our toll free number

RESTORATION SERVICES - Fire, smoke and water recovery for all types of retail, commercial, industrial, and educational facilities

RECONSTRUCTION - Providing construction services to ensure a seamless restoration experience.

MOISTURE CONTROL SERVICES - Desiccant dehumidification means quick recovery at minimized costs through regionally located response centers

MICROBIAL REMEDIATION - Remediation projects are handled based on set protocol with precision and state-of-the-art technology

HVAC DECONTAMINATION & CLEANING - Clean-up of HVAC as part of the loss

DEBRIS REMOVAL & DEMOLITION - Controlled demolition and containment of damaged areas in conjunction with other restoration activities on building and contents

ELECTRONIC RESTORATION & TELECOMMUNICATIONS RECOVERY - Innovative ways to restore hardware, control panels, and telephone systems damaged

INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT RESTORATION - Our cleaning protocols prepare the equipment for recertification prior to commencement of production operations

MEDIA RECOVERY - Microfilm, microfiche, X-ray, and magnetic media recovery after a loss

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Coordination of all aspects of clean-up and recovery of a loss site

DOCUMENT, BOOKS, & VITAL RECORDS RECOVERY BMS CAT has the largest freeze-dry chamber capacity in the world with regionally located chambers

CUSTOMER OVERVIEW

1a. Table of awarded special item number (SIN) and SIN description:

SIN SIN DESCRIPTION

611430ST/F Security Training

611430ST/RC Disaster Recovery

611430ST/FSTLOC Fast Response

OLM

Order-Level Materials

(OLM)

OLM/RC Disaster Recovery

OLM/FSTLOC Fast Response

1b. Identification of the lowest priced model number and lowest unit price for that model for each special item number awarded in the contract.

Net GSA pricing is listed on the attached pricing tables.

1c. Hourly rates: Please reference page 8 for hourly rates.

2. Maximum order: SIN 611430ST: $1,000,000

3. Minimum order: $0

4. Geographic coverage (delivery area): Global

5. Points of production: Amarillo, TX; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Houston, TX; Lubbock, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Midland/Odessa, TX;

Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Tulsa, OK; Washington DC

6. Discount from list prices or statement net price:

Prices are shown net. The discount has been deducted and the IFF has been added.

7. Quantity discounts: N/A

8. Prompt payment terms: Net 40. Information for Ordering Offices:

Prompt payment terms cannot be negotiated out of the contractual agreement in exchange for other concessions.

9. Foreign items: None

10a. Time of delivery: 30 days ARO

10b. Expedited delivery: 3 days ARO

10c. Overnight and 2 day delivery: N/A

10c. Overnight and 2 day delivery: N/A

10d. Urgent Requirements N/A

11. F.O.B. point: Shipping Point

12a. Ordering address: Same as contractor, Attn: Chase Blackmon

12b. Ordering procedures: See Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405- 3.

13. Payment address: Same as contractor

14. Warranty provision: N/A

15. Export packaging charges if applicable: N/A

16. Terms and conditions of rental, maintenance and repair:

N/A

17. Terms and conditions of installation: None

18a. Terms and conditions of repair parts indicating date of parts price lists and any discounts from list price:

None

18b. Terms and conditions for any other services: None

19. List of service and distribution points: Amarillo, TX; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Houston, TX; Lubbock, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Midland/Odessa, TX;

Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Tulsa, OK; Washington DC

20. List of participating dealers: Blackmon Mooring

21. Preventive maintenance: N/A

22a. Special attributes such as environmental attributes:

N/A

22b. Section 508 compliance for ICT: N/A. ICT accessibility standards can be found at https://www.section508.gov/.

23. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. KHAYLE14A9J8 24: Notification regarding registration in Central

Contractor Registration (CCR) Database:

Registration valid

ABOUT US

Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT specialize in the restoration of commercial properties on a global basis.

From hurricanes, fires and earthquakes to floods and mechanical breakdowns, we stabile the loss site, determine the scope of damage and restore the property to pre-loss condition. Our focus on products and services, flexibility, urgency, experience, training and staffing make Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT a prime partner to meet your disaster recovery needs.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IN A COMMUNITY-WIDE DISASTER?

When a community is faced with an event on a grand scale, local resources are quickly overwhelmed and exhausted. Additionally, airports may be shut down for a period of time, roads can be washed out and local hotels can be damaged. We overcome these problems by addition additional resources into the area before certain events such as hurricanes. During other types of events, we begin shipping additional resources, anticipating our customer’s needs. Our experience in area wide disasters has taught us a number of ways to be prepare and react to unique circumstances.

HOW EASY IS IT FOR THE GSA OR OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO DO BUSINESS WITH BLACKMON

MOORING AND BMS CAT?

It is actually quite easy, especially during an emergency. We are on the GSA MAS schedule for emergency services. Many people feel that because of this, other competitive bids are not necessary.

Additionally, we patriciate in the cooperative purchasing act and the recovery purchasing act. Many agencies will establish a BPA with us in advance of an emergency.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS THAT GET WET, MOLDY OR FIRE DAMAGED DURING

THESE EVENTS?

We recover all of our client’s paper documents, books and electronic media. We have not found a situation where we could not accomplish recovery. We have the world’s largest and most advanced vacuum freeze drying chambers. WE follow very strict chain of custody and have secure facilities. We have worked with many federal agencies and the DOD on Top Secret clearance items.

RECOVERY PROCESS

Through pre-defined instructions and parameters, our technicians can be on the job immediately to mitigate damage. The joint development of a scope allows us and the facility representative to agree on the work that is needed to restore he property.

When a loss occurs, one of our own project managers is sent to the site to evaluate the loss, determine immediate needs, assist with mitigation and submit a scope of work and price to the customer. Once the scope is accepted, operation crews, equipment and chemicals are dispatched.

A project manager and project superintendent oversee the restoration project. Depending on the skills needed for the project, specially trained supervisory staff are on hand. These supervisors manage a labor force trained for the type of work.

Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT offer full-service disaster restoration. Advantages of choosing a restoration that can handle all your recovery needs include:

• Expertise in various types of losses

• Extensive industry experience

• Convenient, single point of contact through Contract Administrator

• Consistency in operations and billing through company-owned locations

• Turn-key service from mitigation to reconstruction.

WHY CHOOSE US?

For over 65 years, Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT have been the experts in cleaning, recovery and restoration. From document recovery to large area wide disasters, we’re trusted with some of the biggest jobs in the world, yours.

• In-house 24-Hour Call Center and 24/7 Response

• Local, Regional, National and Global Capabilities

• Priority Status available for Community-wide Disasters

• GSA Pricing

• One Company Handling Full Service Mitigation, Restoration, Construction and Document

Recovery to Simplify the Billing Process.

GSA PRICING

A. Labor Rates

CLASSIFICATION

UOM RATE

Administrative Support Hour $42.50

Assistant Project Manager Hour $80.00

Carpenter** Hour $85.00

Document Recovery Technician Hour $72.00

Document Specialist** Hour $70.00

Electronics Restoration Supervisor/Technician Hour $60.00

General Cleaning Laborer Hour $38.00

General Laborer-NY & CA** Hour $47.50

General Restoration or Dehumidification Supervisor/Technician Hour $70.00

Health and Safety Officer Hour $95.00

Industrial Corrosion Control Supervisor/Technician Hour $55.00

Painter- Drywaller** Hour $72.00

Project Accountant Hour $70.00

Project Consultant Hour $140.00

Project Coordinator Hour $135.00

Project Director Hour $105.00

Project Manager Hour $100.00

Remediation Supervisor/Technician Hour $75.00

Resource Coordinator Hour $70.00

Service Contract Labor Standard (SCLS Matrix)

SCLS Eligible Contract Labor Category SCLS Equivalent Code Title WD Number

Carpenter 23130 - Carpenter, Maintenance WD 15-5231 R. 11

Document Specialist 01070 - Document Preparation Clerk WD 15-5231 R. 11

Painter- Drywaller 23760 - Painter, Maintenance WD 15-5231 R. 11

General Laborer-NY & CA 23470 - Laborer WD 15-4187 R. 11

The Service Contract Labor Standards, formerly the Service Contract Act (SCA), apply to this contract and it includes SCLS applicable labor categories. Labor categories and fixed price services marked with a (**) in this pricelist are based on the U.S. Department of Labor Wage Determination Number(s) identified in the SCLS/SCA matrix. The prices awarded are in line with the geographic scope of the contract (i.e., nationwide).

B. Service Rates

Document Remediation (Freeze Drying)

<100 Cu Ft cubic/foot $50.38

101-500 Cu Ft cubic/foot $45.34

>500 Cu Ft cubic/foot $40.30

Other Services

Deodorizing Ozone, Hydroxyl, etc. EA $6.30

Document Freeze Drying via Sublimation CF 30.00

Document Cleaning – Level #1-cu/ft. CF $57.60

Document Cleaning – Level #2-cu/ft. CF $84.00

Document Cleaning – Level #3-cu/ft. CF $115.00

Document Cleaning – Level #4-cu/ft. CF $144.00

Document Cleaning – Level #5-cu/ft. CF $225.00

Irradiation Gamma - Greater than 51 cu ft. CF $16.62

Microbial Disinfecting EA $7.56

Sanitizing with Biocide- Level #1-cu/ft. CF $12.00

Sanitizing with Biocide– Level #2-cu/ft. CF $15.00

Sanitizing with Biocide – Level #3-cu/ft. CF $18.00

Sanitizing with Biocide – Level #4-cu/ft. CF $20.00

Sanitizing with Biocide – Level #5-cu/ft. CF $25.00

Secure Destruction wet or dry- cu/ft. CF $15.00

Stabilization Freezer Storage- cu/ft./month CF $4.08

Ultrasonic Separation EA $7.96

X-Ray Cleaning SF $1.95

LABOR CATEGORIES

LABOR CATEGORY LABOR DESCRIPTION

Administrative Support / Field Admin Doc, Moisture Doc Tech

Person responsible for conducting document moisture readings, then entering data recorded into the BMS CAT system to track drying efforts and ensure efficiency.

Assistant Project Manager Reports directly to the Project Manager and is typically utilized on large projects with a wide variety of tasks or a large number of laborers. Assists with operations by ensuring crews understand their daily responsibilities and oversees crew progress.

Carpenter A skilled craftsmen who may participate in the restoration efforts from a construction standpoint. A Carpenter is responsible for emergency board-ups, constructing temporary walls and any construction the project may require to limit safety hazards.

Document Recovery Tech The Document Recovery Technician is responsible for handling material involving the drying and recovery of damaged documents and media. This person cleans and sanitizes damaged documents, packages documents, loads documents, unloads documents and prepares shipments for inventory.

Document Specialist Responsible for the on-site inventory, packing, and secure loading of damaged documents and media.

Electronics Restoration Supervisor/Technician

Person involved with the disassembly, cleaning and reassembly of electronic equipment. Responsibilities include performing electronics restoration per the Scope of Work and supervising general labor.

General Cleaning Laborer – Direct Hires/General Cleaning Laborer - Labor Svc

Responsible for the completion of simple daily tasks as assigned by the Project Manager and/or Project Director, including but not limited to debris removal, equipment staging, general cleaning, and mucking out

General Laborer-NY & CA Responsible for the completion of simple daily tasks as assigned by the Project Manager and/or Project Director, including but not limited to debris removal, equipment staging, general cleaning, and mucking out.

General Restoration Supervisor/Technician/Mitigation Restoration Supervisor

This is a person who has specific training in basic restoration procedure. The overall skill set would be in general restoration procedures vs. any specialized training. This would not include services provided in the areas of hazardous materials, drying, equipment and machinery cleaning, or other specialized areas.

Responsibilities include performing restoration per the Scope of Work and supervising general labor.

Health & Safety Officer This individual is responsible to ensure the contractor's personnel adheres to all health and safety protocols utilized on a specific project. Establishes site-specific safety protocols and provides any necessary health and safety training.

LABOR CATEGORY LABOR DESCRIPTION

Industrial Corrosion Control Supervisor/Technician

This is the person responsible for disassembling, cleaning, treating for corrosion, and the reassembly of industrial equipment. Responsibilities include performing corrosion control per the Scope of Work and supervising general labor.

Painter- Drywaller A skilled craftsman responsible for painting and drywall installation and repairs. This includes hanging new drywall with tape, bed, and ultimately painting the surface.

Project Accountant The person mainly responsible for all paperwork and information pertaining to tracking and preparing the necessary documentation for invoice preparation.

Project Consultant Industry expert brought in to address a specialized subject that is specific to a loss. Responsibilities include but are not limited to assessing environmental issues or proprietary equipment that may have special restoration requirements.

Project Coordinator A project coordinator typically coordinates the overall activities of a project or a variety of projects as a support to the management on site at a specific project. His time is billed to an individual project or could be allocated across the spectrum of multiple jobs.

Project Director Accountable for determining the scope of work, setting up the project, and overall communication between the client and BMS CAT. Serves as the primary point of contact for the customer and project managers. Insures the project is fully staffed with the proper labor, equipment, and material resources.

Project Manager Responsible for the overall management of a specific restoration project. This individual will implement protocols, assign crews, interact with policyholder, insurance representatives, and basically oversee the entire project is completed within appropriate timeframes and cost projections.

Remediation Supervisor/Technician

This person is responsible for supervising a crew that would complete a specific assignment on a restoration project.

Responsibilities include performing remediation per the Scope of Work and supervising general labor.

Resource Coordinator

Person responsible for pulling together a broad range of resources needed for a project. This could include, but not be limited to, consumables, equipment, chemicals, personnel, finding hotel and transportation, or other logistical considerations.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Contact: Renee Braun, Contracting Officer-OSCU - Finance Division, Phone: 540.868.4801 Contact #2-Craig Rodgers-Records Management-Program Analyst Phone: (540) 324-5820

A regional FBI office containing records storage of active files were flooded when the area was struck by Hurricane Sandy. Many of the files were classified as “Top Secret” when the damage occurred.

Following the flooding the FBI packaged and loaded the boxes into refrigerated trailers for storage until a solution could be found. The FBI determined that BMS CAT was the best option for the situation and transported the refrigerated trailers to our facility in Fort Worth, Texas. BMS CAT freeze dried 8 truckloads of documents in our chambers.

Additional security measures were applied for the duration of the project both in transport and while the documents were at the BMS CAT facility. The project was completed to the satisfaction of the FBI.

Raytheon – Space & Airborne Systems Contact: - Jeff Belton-Strategic Sourcing Specialist Telephone: 972.205.4468

A helicopter burst into flames after it crashed into the Raytheon plant located in El Segundo, CA in March of 2011. The building housed hundreds of Raytheon engineers and staff. The helicopter landed in a patio area, setting the first two floors of the building on fire.

Raytheon being a military contractor had many sensitive documents that needed to be recovered.

There were thousands of files that had been placed into large 55 gallon bags. Some marked for recovery, some for disposal, many were wet with employee’s personal effects intermixed.

BMS CAT was brought in the day after to start recovering documents and employee’s personal items.

They set up a large onsite cleaning facility to triage all the bags. The lightly affected items that were not wet or moldy were cleaned onsite. Everything else was shipped to BMS CAT’s corporate headquarters in Ft. Worth where the items were freeze dried, cleaned and subjected to Gamma Radiation. The entire process took a few months.

BMS CAT’s unique web based inventory system was of great value to Raytheon. The CAT teams in Ft.

Worth and El Segundo were able to look at the same data and provide fast, accurate answers to Raytheon. BMS CAT also set up an employee personal effects processing procedure for safe return to the employees.

National Archives Contact: Ann Harrison, Contracting Officer Phone: 301.837.0772

Severe thunderstorms flooded a group of buildings that lie between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues in the nation’s capital—an area commonly called the Federal Triangle. One of the buildings was the Archives—or Rotunda—building, which belongs to the National Archive and Records Administration.

This is a historic, multi-story facility that houses some of the most important records of our history as a country. More specifically, it houses the original Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights—documents often referred to as the "Charters of Freedom."

Severe street and sewer flooding literally filled the sub-basement, half of the basement and the outer moat that surrounds the building. The National Archives building lost power when eight feet of water flooded the building and covered two transformers in the sub-basement. As such, the electrical switch gear and all air-conditioning and indoor environmental controls were damaged by water and off-line for several days. This required the basements and moat areas to be pumped and temporary electrical power to be brought in using generators.

Additionally, temporary lighting, desiccant dehumidification and air-conditioning were set up to stabilize the indoor environment. This helped to both dry the wet structural materials, and to protect archival materials stored and displayed within the building from high moisture levels. Due to prior planning on the part of the National Archives, and the rapid response of BMS CAT, there was no permanent damage to this historic building or any of the valuable records housed within.

Bronxville ISD, Bronxville, NY Contact: Dan Carlin Phone: 914.395.0500

On August 29th, Hurricane Irene made landfall in the New York City area. As a result, the Bronxville area experiences substantial flooding. BMS CAT was called in to perform the restoration. This was actually the second time that the school required assistance following flooding. Both times the school suffered damage throughout the first floor including a gym floor. BMS CAT performed water damage restoration, controlled demolition, moisture control and reconstruction.

Internal Revenue Service Contact: Edward Roberts Phone: 512.640.8008 Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security to clean up and recover sensitive documents, office equipment and personal effects damaged by a February plane crash and subsequent building fire.

Applying a unique inventory system the company deploys as part of its aviation disaster business, Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT inventoried the entire contents of the building, including 6,000 boxes of tax files. Documents were boxed and labeled, and later cleaned and sanitized. Freeze drying prevented further deterioration and damage to wet documents, and charred edges on burned documents were trimmed to prevent IRS employees from inhaling soot. Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT also employed a combination of ozone, safe chemicals, air exchanges, air filtration and ionization to deodorize recovered documents that had been contaminated by fire, plane fuel or mold.

As part of the document recovery process, Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT took possession of active criminal investigation and grand jury files. To preserve the sanctity of the chain of custody and evidence, the IRS took the unusual step of adding BMS CAT to the grand jury list. Comfort and trust were also important in the recovery of personal effects. The IRS took the position that the building was unsafe for their employees to retrieve personal items. Instead, the IRS asked Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT to inventory and photograph employee personal effects and then post the photographs on a secure website for employees to view and claim. In addition to the recovery of personal effects and documents, Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT worked with IRS on the recovery and/or disposal of office equipment and furnishings.

University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston, TX Contact: Paul Pousson Phone: 512.499.4559

Hurricane Ike pounded the barrier island of Galveston, damaging every building on the University of Texas Galveston Medical Branch. BMS CAT crews were ready and waiting to respond as the storm passed. At the height of restoration, BMS CAT crews numbered over 1,400 strong. Restoration efforts began immediately and included: debris removal, moisture control, water extraction, decontamination, odor removal, electronic restoration, content restoration, and document restoration.

U.S. Pentagon - Washington, D.C.

Contact: Menandra Whitmore Phone: 703.602.6273

On September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked this facility. Smoke and water damage affected the entire library which housed more than 250,000 bound volumes, 2,000,000 pieces of micro-graphics, classified and confidential records, historical military documents and more than 100 computer workstations and a dedicated server room. Mold and mildew had begun growing, as it was more than 10 days before FBI/ATF investigators released the library. Dehumidification was set up immediately to control the indoor environment and halt mold growth and materials deterioration. A crew of 25 technicians and supervisors worked daily for one month to recover the collection and facility.

BMS CAT, Inc. 1-06-2015 (revised)

SUMMARY

When a facility suffers damage from water, fire or microbial growth, documents stored within are susceptible to irreversible damage. Can paper and media be recovered?

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

In today’s environment preserving documents for business and historical purposes is not only a need, it is often the law. Retention of records is required in many cases for several decades. Additionally, some documents may have historical value to an organization. Documents and media that have become wet, moldy or have debris such as soot can be recovered. Often, these materials are highly secure and careful consideration must be taken to ensure that any company hired to handle records have proper security protocol in place. Such was the case when BMS CAT was hired to restore documents damaged at a FBI facility during

Hurricane Sandy that were TOP SECRET.

CLEANING OFF SITE

There are many reasons to clean documents off site. Typically, documents are not the only thing damaged, the facility housing the documents usually needs repairs and/or restoration. While this may seem cumbersome, it allows for several benefits.

1. Restoration and repairs can be performed freely without fear of further damaging documents or books.

2. Documents are in a secure facility while cleaning, including cameras, supervisors and dedicated staff.

3. Technicians have a dedicated facility for cleaning.

4. Costs are lower because local technicians can be utilized instead of incurring the costs of transportation and housing.

CAN PAPER BE SAVED?

RECOVERING DAMAGED DOCUMENTS

When packing out documents, it is generally appropriate to begin with materials that have sustained the most damage. Site conditions may prevent this. Microfilm and other photographic negatives should not be allowed to dry out. The emulsions become soft when wet and will act like an adhesive. When these items dry next to paper or other films, the emulsions will stick to whatever is next to it permanently. Trying to pull items apart will destroy the film. Film should be placed in a plastic bag and a moderate amount of distilled water is added to keep items wet. Finally, film and other photographic materials should be stored at a cold temperature. When dealing with bound volumes, they should be packed “spine-down.” Large volumes should be placed flat in boxes.

HOW DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF IT ALL?

BMS CAT utilizes an inventory system that gives each box a unique number that will become its own identifier. The inventory number will tell us the building, floor, office (or cubicle) and how many boxes were removed from each space. On both the box label and corresponding spreadsheet, there is a section for comments describing the documents.

Each box is labeled with two identical labels. All inventory information is consolidated onto spreadsheets and provided to the customer.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

BMS CAT has extensive experience in document and special media recovery following a disaster. The cleaning portion can be performed on documents damaged by debris, char or soot.

Water Damage: If the Moisture Content of the paper is less than 7%, documents can be cleaned without drying first. If Moisture Content is greater than 7%, documents will continue to sustain further damage as the water equalizes or wicks into paper. Freeze drying is generally accepted to be the least damaging of all methods of drying wet paper.

Fire & Smoke Damage: Documents damaged by smoke and soot are cleaned using

“chemical sponges” made of pure latex rubber. Soot particles are removed from the edges of volumes and documents. Technicians use gentle sweeping motions, moving from the center out to the edges of the document. If necessary, HEPA vacuums will be used to trap additional debris. If odors exist, ozone may be used to neutralize the odor.

Ozone should not be used, however, on archival or intrinsically valuable records.

General Cleaning Protocol:

Each item is first HEPA vacuumed to remove gross accumulations of mold and debris.

The technician then uses a dry cloth and/or a “chemical sponges” made of pure latex rubber to further remove accumulations from the surface.

If books are damaged, the spine and fore edge may be accessed and cleaned with a bottle brush or dry cloth if necessary.

Binders are not a good candidate for cleaning or retention following damage.

Instead, information from each binder is retained with the materials that were housed in that binder. Additionally, we photocopy or photograph the original information to prevent confusion when re-filing.

If requested, BMS CAT will also replace file folders made of permanent-durable materials. The old file labels are retained and placed in a plastic bag and hermetically sealed and new file labels are applied to replace them.

Documents that have been wet or have mold should be cleaned and sanitized. An EPA registered biocide will be applied to the documents, specifically where visible mold growth has occurred.

If documents are exposed to Class 3

Water, or “Black Water”, they should be sterilized via Gamma Radiation.

Black Water can include sewage, river water, water from area wide flooding and any water that has been present for extended periods of time.

If documents will be returned to a healthcare setting, Gamma Radiation is recommended for the safety of patients who may have compromised immune systems.

CONSIDERATIONS

If your documents are important enough to recover, security must be a concern.

Security occurs at several points as demonstrated below:

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If there is any advance notice of potential damage, all possible protective measures should be taken such as covering items with plastic, raising furniture and protecting electronics. Additionally, consider permanent storage of certain valuable items (rare books, historical newspapers or long term archival documents) in buffered, acid free storage boxes.

It is important to have a plan in place for a disaster. It is highly recommended that you pre-contract with a restoration company before a loss occurs. This gets any administrative “red tape” out of the way, expedites response times and allows you to carefully pre-qualify the service for your exact needs. BMS CAT offers a Response

Service Agreement at no cost.

Customer Site Security

•Additional security should be hired if necessary

•Segregate documents from other restoration activies

•An inventory of the documents should be performed and audited

•When documents are placed in a truck/trailer a security lock should be applied

•A dedicated security person should visually monitor the trailer door

•Docuemnts should not be left alone during transport or when in the trailer

•Restoration employees should have visable ID badges with picutres and wear uniforms

Transportation Security

•Trailer doors should be secured with a US Customs High Security Seal

•Straight through shipment should be used if common carrier is shipping

•Team drivers should be used so no overnight stays are required

•Transportation should be performed by a security vetted company with GPS Tracking

•Driver background checks should be performed

Restoration Security

•The facility where restoration occurs should be secure

•There should be no open doors for visitors to walk in

•Employees should be background checked and drug screened

•Only employees with a need to access the documents should be allowed to enter the facility

•The facility should be alarmed

•The document processing areas should be segregated from other areas of the building

•Ensure that training for employees applicable to your industry has occured (HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley etc)

When papers and books are wet, freeze drying via sublimation is the best and fastest way to salvage them. Papers and books can be wet from a variety of circumstances.

The cause of the wet papers or books may be broken water pipes, a roof torn off during a tornado, area wide flooding, etc. Often times many of these papers and books may become submerged under water. They can become contaminated with a variety of contaminants and sustain substantial damage. The dilemma for the owner of the documents and books is what to do and who to turn to.

In today’s environment preserving documents for business and historical purposes is not only a need, it is often the law. Retention of records is required in many cases for decades. Additionally, some documents may have historical value to an organization and they want to preserve these permanently. Often, these materials are highly secure and confidential. Documents and books that have become wet, moldy or have debris such as soot can be recovered while in a secure environment.

By freezing paper that has become wet, the mechanical disintegration of the paper will end, ink will stop dissolving and the potential for mold and fungus growth ceases. Once frozen, paper can stay frozen indefinitely and transported via any refrigerated means.

WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE FREEZE DRYING?

Documents exposed to water will continue to sustain further damage as the water equalizes or wicks into paper. The Library of Congress and the National Archives &

WHY CHOOSE FREEZE DRYING

TO SALVAGE WET BOOKS & PAPER

Records Administration both recommend vacuum freeze drying by sublimation as the preferred method of removing water from paper.

Modern large scale freeze drying chambers actually cost less than desiccant or air drying papers or books. During the freeze drying process the quality of paper is maintained. By comparison, papers dried by air or dehumidification will swell up to 25%, wrinkle (cockle) and lose tensile strength

Water exists in three phases: liquid, solid and gas. It is the liquid phase of water that is most damaging to paper and any media printed on it. The cross-scission and cross-fusion of paper is gradually destroyed by water. The tiny fibers of the paper separate and lignin, that binds the fibers together, no longer serves as an adhesive. Most writing pen inks are water soluble and begin to run or dissolve. And finally, mold now has an optimal environment for growth. Because of this, simply air drying water soaked paper is not practical.

By allowing paper and books to start drying instead of freezing, additional damage is occurring to the documents. The escaping water molecules separate and break the

AIR OR DESICCANT DRYING

FREEZE DYRING VIA

SUBLIMATION

paper fibers, while rendering the lignin useless. Paper generally swells about 25% greater in volume and 30% or greater in reduced strength causing it to tear easily.

When books are allowed to start to air dry, the same issues mentioned above occur, but to a greater degree. The spines of the books are generally stitched. This stitching will minimize the dimensional change of the spine but all the energy of moisture evaporation into the air will cause massive swelling on the foredge of the book. For this reason, it is important to completely remove any books prior to any attempts to dehumidify the area.

If necessary, a plastic vapor barrier can be constructed to section off the area. It is important to remember that time is of the essence when freezing books in order to minimize damage.

Drying frozen, water-soaked paper via sublimation (or freeze drying) is slower than evaporation directly from the liquid phase. However, sublimation causes the least amount of damage to the paper and content. The drying rate using sublimation can be

MICROSCOPIC VIEW OF PAPER PAPER LEGAL FILES SWELLING

AND DISTORTING ON METAL

SHELVING

controlled by manipulating process parameters, minimally impacting the time difference.

Due to the damage produced by air drying and desiccant drying wet paper and books, it is clear that drying via sublimation is the best solution

WHAT IS FREEZE DRYING VIA SUBLIMATION?

The technical aspects of drying via sublimation (or freeze drying) can be complex, but the basic principles of the process have been widely understood and accepted for generations.

Sublimation is a phase change which requires latent (not apparent) heat energy. This energy leaves the solid ice with the vapor and, by the process known as evaporative cooling; the temperature of the ice tends to get colder. Therefore, it is necessary to have heat from outside the system (in our case, electrically heated shelves). Now, if there is more heat energy available than that required for optimum sublimation, the temperature of the ice will rise and its vapor pressure will rise, thus increasing the rate of sublimation. It is important to know that, for certain historic archival documents the heated shelves are optional; the process will simply take slightly longer. Depending on the type and age of the material, some archivists recommend removal of heated shelves for preservation purposes. In order to closely monitor the temperature of the paper, BMS CAT places temperature sensors in multiple boxes throughout each chamber.

Low pressure and a surplus of heat (energy) are essential during the freeze drying process. However, when the pressure reaches 0.100torr (prox) the process becomes adiabatic (without loss or gain of heat). At this point the process is truly optimized, because all of the electric heat added works to raise the temperature of the ice verses supporting sublimation.

The condenser (freeze trap) assists the vacuum pump in lowering chamber pressure. When the sublimed vapor clings to the condenser surface, it changes phase and reverts back to a solid, giving up its latent heat as sensible (apparent) heat, thus the need for refrigeration. As the ambient condenser pressure is lowered, vapor from within the chamber tends to fill this region and equalize pressure of the total chamber/condenser volume (vapor laws). The coil must be sized to condense vapor at the optimum sublimation rate. This can be accomplished via large surface area or very low surface temperature.

The graph above is the phase diagram for water. For any combination of pressure (vertical axis) and temperature (horizontal axis), you can tell whether water is solid, liquid, or gas. Normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 760 Torr. If the pressure is below 4.57 Torr (point O), water can exist in only two states - solid and vapor (depending on the temperature). Point O is called the triple point of water because it is the only temperature and pressure where water can exist in all three states, solid, liquid, and vapor. Remember, all the damage to paper is done during the liquid phase of water.

By keeping the pressure below 4.57, we prevent further damage while allowing the ice to sublimate (go directly to vapor).

The process of freeze drying consists of placing the frozen documents into the freeze dry chamber, reducing the pressure in the chamber to about 2.3 Torr and adding heat to warm the documents, causing sublimation, the conversion of ice to vapor. The vapor is condensed on refrigerated coils in the cold trap attached to the chamber. Periodically, the cold trap is isolated from the chamber and the refrigeration cycle is reversed to heat the coils. Next, the cold trap is opened to atmospheric pressure, and the ice is melted and removed as the liquid water runs into a container. There are several cold traps operating “push pull” - while one trap is in defrost; the other is still connected and removing water.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF DOCUMENTS ARE WET?

If paper items, such as books and manuscripts, have been exposed to excessive humidity, are near a water intrusion, under a sprinkler discharge or partially submerged in water, they should be inspected for moisture content with a moisture meter. The moisture meter will determine the amount of moisture present in the material. Simply visually inspecting the items or touching them will not tell the whole story. Moisture can be deceiving, you cannot always feel or see it. An archivist’s electronic moisture measurement meter will give you the full picture.

The meter will read from 4.3% to 18% (saturation) moisture range on paper. It is important to check the owner’s manual for instructions on how to calibrate the device prior to use and calibrate before each use.

Moisture Content is considered within the acceptable range when the measurement is < 7% MC (Moisture Content). Many offices may have documents that are in the 5% to 7% MC range. Moisture Content is considered higher than desired when the range is >7% MC but < 11% MC. Document moisture content is then considered “humid - damp”.

It is recommended that action to reduce the moisture content to less than 7% within 48- 72 hours. During this time frame it is acceptable to try moisture removal on site with blocking or air movement when dealing with small batches of documents. If you are unable to remove moisture within 72 hours, schedule documents for freeze drying.

Moisture Content is considered “unacceptable” when the moisture content is greater than 11% MC. At this point, the documents are considered “wet” and should be freeze dried via sublimation immediately. Your first step is to freeze the documents to mitigate any further damage until the documents can be shipped to the freeze drying chambers.

DELMHORST P-2000 PAPER MOISTURE

METER

Freezing: The most effective method way to stabilize water-damaged archival and library materials is freezing at low temperatures as quickly as possible. This method is the most generally accepted by conservators. By freezing at a level of around -30°C (- 20 °F) is recommended. Frozen materials should remain in cold storage until freeze drying can occur.

BMS CAT is able to provide refrigerated trailers at the site of the loss. These trailers are capable of achieving a -20 °F temperature. This will allow teams inventorying to process items then immediately place pallets of wet books or documents into the refrigerated trailer, thus mitigating the damage. Once a trailer is full it can be shipped with the appropriate security levels in place to our secure freeze drying facility.

Compression: It is important to note that books dried without mechanical compression will distort and cockle. Several companies will attempt to solve this issue with rubber bungee cords with minimal success.

BMS CAT has developed a proprietary process of “Self Compensating Mechanical Compression” book reforming process. A snapshot of the process is illustrated below.

BENEFITS OF FREEZING AND FREEZE DYRING VIA SUBLIMATION

Freezing Documents Halts Mold: Mold requires three things to thrive: moisture, food and temperature. By freezing documents, the temperature required for mold to thrive is lowered to a point where it cannot survive. While mold spores are not destroyed by freezing, they remain dormant until a more favorable environment is available. Freezing will stop the infection of mold and harmful damage to the documents ceases.

NO COMPRESSION BUNGEE COMPRESSION

Freezing Stabilizes Soluble Inks and Dyes: Freezing has the additional advantage of stabilizing inks, dyes, dyestuffs and colorants used for manuscripts, maps, sketches and drawings that are soluble in water. Later, when freeze-drying takes place, migration or feathering of inks or dyes can be restrained since the liquid stage is by-passed.

Freezing Prevents Adhesion of Pages: Books and periodicals are generally printed on stock that uses a coating pigment with a binder of casein and starch, both of which are highly water-soluble. If coated stock is permitted to dry it will turn the book into a clay-like brick at which point restoration is impossible. The only practical method to salvage these items, especially when large quantities are involved, is freezing while wet then freeze drying.

Freezing Gives You Time To Assess: By freezing water-damaged documents, they are stabilized as long as they remain frozen. Disasters can be stressful and confusing. By stabilizing documents through freezing, there is time to assess the damage. Decision makers can determine which documents can be discarded, replaced or copied. It allows time to determine what repairs or restoration is required and how much time it will take to recover damaged storage areas.

Freeze Drying Uses Fewer Chemicals Produces Fewer Odors: The process uses fewer chemicals, thus producing limited odors. The vacuum chambers cause VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) to “flash off”, boil or vaporize because the pressure in the chamber is lower than the boiling point of the VOC’s. Additionally, many chemical contaminants escape with the gasses released during the process. As a result, the documents will smell better and have very few (if any) contaminants remaining. Any contaminants that do remain can be cleaned during the cleaning process.

Following a plane crash in the Hudson River, many paper documents were submerged in water filled with pungent jet fuel. Our freeze drying chambers were able to remove most of the odor from the jet fuel.

Freeze Drying is Safe for Documents and Books:

“In studies conducted by the Research and Testing Office of the Library of Congress, there was NO evidence found that freezing drying causes damage of cellulosic and proteinaceous materials (5).” Source: Vacuum freeze-drying, a method used to salvage water-damaged archival and library materials A UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) Study 1987.

Freeze Drying Produces a Cleaner Document: The gasses during the sublimation process deposit loose matter at the surface of the papers. This facilitates a better cleaning of the papers from silt, loose mold spores and other contaminants.

Freeze Drying Is a Safe and Secure Way To Dry Documents: According to the National Archives (NARA) “Records can dry in their original containers reducing risk for disruption of original order.“ This allows us to have a secure process, keeping clients documents segregated from other client’s documents.

According to the National Archives (NARA) “Records must be removed from their containers, spread on shelves to dry in warm dehumidified air, and periodically rotated to expose wet paper surfaces.” As you can imagine, a great deal of space must be used to spread paper out individually. The risk of this process is that documents can be knocked off of shelves and intermixed with other client’s documents. Because paper is spread throughout a facility, there is greater risk of retrieving the wrong file or intermixing files.

should be taken such as covering items with plastic, raising furniture and protecting electronics. Additionally, consider permanent storage of certain valuable items (rare books, historical newspapers or long term archival documents) in buffered, acid free storage boxes.

It is important to have a plan in place for a disaster. It is highly recommended that you pre-contract with a restoration company before a loss occurs. This gets any administrative “red tape” out of the way, expedites response times and allows you to

BMS CAT offers over 8,500 cubic feet of freeze drying space in our freeze-drying chambers. Our 7th generation equipment is completely controlled electronically and monitored 24 hours a day by our trained professional recovery staff and around the clock security. BMS CAT recently upgraded software and equipment and continues to improve in several areas including:

�More rapid drying cycles �24 thermocouples per chamber for more precise knowledge of temperature inside boxes �Increased control of chamber pressure �Enhanced remote monitoring.

�Decreased vacuum pressures down to 1 Torr

Click for additional white papers on Document Cleaning and Document Destruction

References, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), The Library of Congress, The United Nations, The Northeast Document Conversation Center, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization)

Sterilization, BMS CAT Page 1

Mark E RoccoVice President- Special Technologies & Government Contracting

CR, ASCS, CIEC

2505 Juanita Way, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Cell 562-673-6322 Fax 949-861-6878 mrocco@bmscat.com

STERILIZATION of DOCUMENTS

There are three options for sterilization: heat, chemical and radiation.

HEAT:

(d) Typically one bakes materials in the an oven at

(i) 171ºC (340F) for at least one hour

(ii) 160ºC (320F) for at least two hours

(iii) 121ºC (250F) for at least 16 hours

CHEMICAL:

Sterilants are specialized chemicals, such as glutaraldehyde or formaldehyde, which are capable of eliminating all forms of microbial life, including spores. The term sterilant conveys an absolute meaning; a substance can not be partially sterile.

Some species of pathogenic bacteria are capable of adapting to hostile conditions by forming a thick outer and chemically impervious shell. They transform from their normal or vegetative state to form spores and are difficult to eliminate since they can resist the effects that sanitizer or disinfectant exposures have on bacteria. Elimination of spores is carried out by specialized chemical agents or physical means, and requires several hours for total microbial destruction.

Some of the factors requiring consideration are whether they are the easy to kill bacteria in their vegetative state or whether they are present on the surface as highly resistant spores. A major consideration that also needs to be addressed is whether other materials such as blood, feces or organic matter are present within the bacterial environment.