Questions HSCEDM-12-R-00001 - Dec 15 2011.doc

Questions and Answers for Solicitation HSCEDM-12-R-00001

December 15, 2011

1. We as an organization do not have corporate practical experience with the transporting and detention of prisoners. We do have a tremendous amount of prior experience within the ranks of law enforcement whereby many of our officers had the day to day responsibility of performing such duties. Would the lack of the company having the practical experience with a contracted client preclude us from being considered for this contract?

The lack of the company having the practical experience with a contracted client while having a tremendous amount of prior experience within the ranks of law enforcement whereby many of your officers had the day to day responsibility of performing similar such duties will not preclude you from being considered for this contract

2. We as a company have a tremendous amount of experience of providing security services to many complex corporate accounts. Will past performance surveys be accepted from these type of clients and count towards our overall evaluation as a company?

Past performance surveys will be accepted from these types of clients. The Government will assess the relevance and breadth of the Offeror’s experience.

3. The small business company references the $18.5 million dollar threshold and 500 employees. Does the 500 mean all employees whether they be full time or part-time or does it mean the number of full time equivalent employees?

500 Full time equivalent (FTE)

4. In the questions and answers, several responses mentioned an OT rate, while others referred to an On Call/Demand rate/CLIN. Will a separate CLIN be established for OT or would all instances, including hospital escorts, clinic visits, embassy visits, and any other non-jail runs be charged to the On Call/Demand rate at the price established by the contractor?

The Lodging, MI&E and Overtime CLIN’s are established for overtime.

If no separate OT CLIN is established, specifically, can ICE state when the On Call/Demand rate would apply?

The On Call/ Demand rate .portation beyond those specified in teh utes is?

of teh ake teh is applied for additional transportation required beyond those specified in the PWS.

5. If there is an OT CLIN would it apply whenever the contract has to pay OT for transportation?

The Overtime CLIN applies when transportation exceeds the standard workday.

6. Can CLIN 0002-4002 be split to 0002A-4002A for the Overtime Rate

(when contractor staff work in excess of 40 hours per week)

And

CLIN 0002B-4002B Lodging and M&IE

(reimbursable at the current Federal JTR rate for area when pre-approved by the COTR)

In so doing, overtime for additional runs that emerge but are not listed in the RFP would be covered and no guesswork would be involved in overnight stays during transports.

ICE will consider splitting this CLIN into two SubCLINs. The amount for evaluation purposes remains unchanged.

7.

Question 68 referred to contractor responsibility for detainee valuables/property. Is government storage space and containers available at the Varick Facility for secure storage? Are individual, sealable containers for loose articles available at no charge?

a. What must the contractor provide in terms of storage materials since no overnight storage is required? (Who provides the receipt documents, inventory documents, cash envelopes, etc.?)

Storage and space containers will be provided by the Government. Individual containers for loose article swill be available at no charge if needed.

Government will provide receipt/ inventory documents/ cash envelopes, etc if needed.

8.

Question 24 stated contractor would be responsible to dump waste from buses after transport. Who pays the dumping fee if any? If contractor pays, what is being charged currently to ICE?

Vehicles would have to be driven to special facility that handles waste. Cost can be billed to ICE who will pay separately.

9. Is contractor required to wash vehicles (inside) after each use?

Yes … when it is needed. Paid via the provided fleet card.

If so, is there a government vehicle washing facility (or hose and water supply) available to the contractor?

If not are any fees for vehicle washing (inside and out) any fees paid by the government or the contractor?

If the contractor, what is the fee currently paid.

10.

Question 31 indicated that there is a possibility of transport being required on weekends? Would this be charged to the On Call/Demand CLIN?

Correct

11. In view of the multi-tasking nature of the Driver Escort Posts, and the requirement that any transport would require 2 officers, will ICE consider increasing the required D/E posts to 2 officers per shift on days and swings vs 1 officer on each shift?

Two (2) person teams are required for Driver/ Escort transportation duties.

12.

Question 105 states the contractor will “maintain” the Preventative Maintenance Schedule for vehicles.

What is meant by “maintain”?

Is any cost accruable for this requirement, such lubricants, oil changes, wiper blades, wiper fluid, etc.?

That is, does the contractor pay for preventative maintenance materials or do we just check the oil level, wiper blade condition, fluids, etc as part of vehicle pre-inspections?

Preventive Maintenance paperwork (copy) will be held by contractor with original given to ICE VCO who will schedule maintenance beyond daily inspections. Refueling, adding of fluids will be done by contractor and paid for via fleet card assigned to GOV.

13.

Question 95 response referred to an SRT; is this the contractor’s SRT or an ICE Team?

ICE SRT.

14.

PBNDS requires all buses to have certain equipment such as:

First Aid Kits (Disaster size)

First Aid Kits (Minor) Vans

Emergency Flares

Fire Extinguishers

Engine Fluids, oil, transmission, etc

Bolt cutter, fuses, fan belts, jack, flashllght

Lantern, trash bags, ground cloth, broom, coveralls, work gloves, jumper cables

Minor Tool Kits – Vans

Surveillance cameras in buses

Is any of this government provided?

This is Government furnished.

15. Is video conferencing available?

No.

16. We did not attend the Industry Day Conference. Could you e-mail me a copy of the routes that has been requested for the Transportation Contract for the City of New York? We are currently reviewing all the questions that were submitted and answers that were given by you to proceed forward to submit a Technical and Price for the RFP.

Attachment 1 – Section C PWS of the solicitation contains the routes.

17.

How many facilities do you presently service on a regular basis (please list)?

The facilities required to be serviced in this solicitation are identified in Attachment 1 of the solicitation.

18. How many facilities do you presently service on an intermittent basis (please list)?

The facilities required to be serviced in this solicitation are identified in Attachment 1 of the solicitation.

19.

How many State prisons are situated within the New York AOR (please list)?

Unknown. However the facilities required to be serviced in this solicitation are identified in Attachment 1 of the solicitation.

20.

How many and what type of ICE vehicles are presently dedicated to the transportation of ICE detainees? Is it anticipated that those vehicles will be utilized by contractor?

See Attachment 6. Yes

21.

Please identify all routes which will be used with originating, transit and destination points.

Attachment 1 – Section C PWS of the solicitation contains this information.

22. What is your average daily detained population by site/location?

Please clarify the applicability of this question to the solicitation requirements?

23.

To date in calendar year 2011 how many ICE detainees by gender, and nationality were transported and guarded by ICE Officers in the New York AOR ?

How many were juveniles?

24.

Do you use/coordinate removals with ICE Air Operations? If so, when and where? What contingency plan is used when the flight is unavailable, or cancelled due to mechanical problems?

25.

How many ICE Officers are presently engaged in the transportation of ICE detainees?

What detention facilities both ICE owned and operated and or contract facilities (IGSA's) do you use?

Please clarify the applicability of this question to the solicitation requirements?

27.

What corollary duties would the contract Detention Officers/Guards be expected to do (e.g., property management, Ident, visitation, screening public inquiries etc)?

The corollary duties are outlined in Attachment 1 – Section C PWS of the solicitation.

28.

Is there any ICE provided training which would be required prior to contractor deployment?

ICE will not provide training. All training requirements are the responsibility of the Contractor.

29.

What are the geographical boundaries of the New York AOR?

See map below

30.

Is there a bilingual language requirement?

No.

31.

Will ICE provide all restraints?

The Contractor is responsible for providing all restraints.

32.

What are the primary communication devices for contract transport personnel - cell phones?

Walkie-Talkies or another suitable method of communication to ensure that personnel can contact their management team or emergency services in the event of an incident / emergency.

33.

Will contract personnel be performing medical guard functions? If so, how many projected monthly labor hours on average?

Guarding detainees at a medical facility is a requirement of the contract. The On/Call Demand CLIN will cover such charges.

34.

With respect to Section J –attach 1, specifically 2.10 TRANSPORTATION, Under 2.10.1.1 you state that “The Contractor shall provide two person teams of armed officers to securely transport…” Is the driver counted as one of the armed officers?

Correct.

35.

With respect to weapons licensing- the D.O.’s are required to cross state lines with their weapons. As there is no reciprocity between New York and New Jersey, this would require dual licensing. Licensing in New York can take up to one year and licensing in New Jersey requires you to be a resident of the state. Is the government willing to deputize the D.O.’s in order to effectuate the crossing of state lines with weapons? If not, how does the agency see their role, if any, in expediting the weapons processing for the contractor?

The Government will not deputize the DO’s or be involved in expediting any license or weapons processing. These are the responsibility of the Contractor.

36.

What weapons and non-lethal weapons will guards be required to carry?

See Section 5.8.3 of the PWS for firearms. Mace as a non-lethal weapon.

37.

Is body armor required?

See Section 3.7.3 of the PWS.

38.

Will the contractor have to provide training/fit testing/and annual oversight for protective masks?

No

39. Will the government provide e-z passes for the toll roads/bridges?

YES.

40. On page 35 of the RFP, Section L, it states that no pictures or graphics are to be included in the proposal. Is an organization chart (wire diagram) acceptable? Are tables considered graphics? Would a floor plan that depicts staff deployment in the facility be a graphic that is not acceptable?

Organizational charts and tables with information pertaining to this solicitation are considered acceptable. Graphics or pictures, in the context on page 35, refer to company brochures and things of that nature.

41. In the CD-ROM, may we could submit the PowerPoints along with the Word and Excel documents of the response.

Microsoft Power point slides are acceptable.

42. We have completed completed the annual representations and certifications on the ORCA website. My understanding is that Part D needs to be filled out with any representations or certifications that are not in the ORCA forms. Is this correct?

Correct

43. Who will be responsible for taking vehicles to maintenance facilities for such things as oil changes, tire rotations, etc? Will hours spent at such facilities be chargeable under the “on call/demand” CLIN?

Taking vehicles to maintenance facilities is the Government’s responsibility.

44. Para 1.4.5(b) posts are entitled “Driver/Escorts”; Are these officers supposed to be used as the primary “hospital/clinic/court appointment” “escorts” so the driver team can drop off the escort and the detainee and continue to transport? If so, are two officers for each detainee required to act as “escorts” at these destinations or will one suffice?

The primary purpose of these positions in 1.4.5 B is to provide escort services to hospitals, courts, embassies, etc. They will not “drop off” escorts and detainees and “continue transporting”.

Or are these “Facility Escorts” who monitor hold rooms and escort detainees to the court rooms on the 11th floor?

The primary purpose of these positions in 1.4.5 B is to provide transportation services, and to escort detainees to the 11th Floor but not to monitor hold rooms.