Sources_Sought_Notice_-_Pentagon_Mail_and_Parcel_Screening.pdf

Pentagon Mail and Parcel Screening Request for Information (RFI)

This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of a qualified 8(a) firms capable of performing under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether award to an 8(a) firm is possible.

BACKGROUND

Following the October 2001 confirmation of anthrax in official government mail, a series of screening processes were implemented to safeguard the Pentagon and other Pentagon delegated facilities from biological hazards that might be transported through mail and parcels. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) assumed this screening mission in 2005. Since that time, PFPA has evolved the screening process to encompass assessments for a broad spectrum of potentially hazardous items and suspicious materials.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Provide mail and parcel screening operations for the Pentagon and other delegated Pentagon facilities. Screening operations shall ensure that mail and parcels are free of chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive (CBRE) hazards, hoax/suspicious material, contraband, threatening or suspicious communication, other security violations before custody is transferred to follow-on recipients.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements are required to successfully accomplish screening of approximately 800,000 mail and 75,000 commercial parcels annually:

• Provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, tools, materials, supervision, and non-personal services.

• Maintain custody of mail and parcel deliveries using an electronic custody tracking system; as needed, generate hard-copy chain of custody documentation for delivery sources.

• Perform explosive trace testing and support x-ray analysis by loading and unloading x-ray machines.

• Monitor and report radiation and chemical hazard alarms; properly react to hazardous or suspicious items.

• Segregate and consolidate miss-sent mail and parcels.

• Open mail and parcels without damaging addressing or barcode information; inspect exterior and inner contents of mail and parcels for the presence of hazardous or suspicious material, contraband, security violations, and suspicious or threatening communication; photo-document and report flagged items.

• Maintain the integrity of inspected mail and parcels when repacking the contents back in its original container; re-seal mail and parcels and apply a security stamp to each mail and parcel.

• Ensure all mail and parcels have undergone the entire screening process prior to storing in a holding area.

• Store mail and parcels identified as being classified in a GSA approved safe.

• Segregate, photo-document and report all mail and parcels that have been identified as containing hazardous or suspicious material, contraband, security violations, and suspicious or threatening communication.

• Assist with a Government quality assurance inspection of mail and parcels once cleared for hazards; following Government approval, transfer custody of mail/parcels to authorized couriers.

• Hold all inspected mail and parcels until approved for release/transfer of custody by the Government.

• Collect samples from screening stations and deliver to a laboratory located on the Pentagon reservation for biological hazard analysis; approximately 14 samples are collected on a daily basis.

• Provide metric data on volume and type of material screened.

• Maintain a quality control (QC) and medical surveillance program to ensure services are performed in accordance with the applicable OSHA regulations and Government approved SOPs; implement procedures to identify, prevent and ensure non-recurrence of defective services.

• Maintain and follow a series of SOPs that cover all aspects of the screening operations; as needed, generate new SOPs if new processes are implemented.

• Maintain and certify approximately ten (10) Class II, Type A, biological safety cabinets (BSC) to the current NSF/ANSI Standard 49 on a semiannual basis.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The anticipated period of performance includes a base year plus four (4) option years. The base year is expected to begin on April 1, 2016.

OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

The screening facility, explosive trace detection system (not including associated consumables), chemical detection system, radiation detection system, x-ray machines, BSCs, bio-sample collection supplies, and security stamps will be provided by the government.

The screening facility will either be located on the Pentagon Reservation or at a facility within six (6) miles of the Pentagon Reservation. If the screening location changes, both facilities may need to be partially staffed during a transition period.

The screening facility will be equipped with ten screening stations; each can typically accommodate two (2) screeners.

Unless authorized by the government, all mail and parcel will be screened on the same day as received. Screening operation hours are Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, from 0730-1700 hours.

At points within the screening operation, personnel will be required to wear various levels of personal protection equipment (PPE). This PPE includes latex or nitrile gloves, full-length smock, disposable Tyvek coveralls with feet, Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) with hood.

Besides PPE, consumables necessary to accomplish screening operations include packing tape, scissors, box cutters, letter openers, stamp ink, duct tape, paper towels; bleach, alcohol and 2-gallon pump sprayers used to sanitize screening equipment and the exterior of PPE.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION SOUGHT

Respondents must provide as part of their responses, a capability statement containing the information pertaining to the following questions and issues. The Government requests interested 8(a) firms submit a statement of current capability to perform the tasks described above via email to connie.p.arline.civ@mail.mil by 25 January 2016 at 3:00 PM EST.

i. The material should be organized (e.g., cover page, title, index of topics addressed, executive summary, etc.)

ii. Information regarding respondents’: (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information.

iii. Respondents’ DUNS number, Cage Code, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUB Zone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code;

iv. respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses; and

DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. It is the intent of this agency to use the information for market research purposes only. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.

CONFIDENTIALITY

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).