09022011 - Final Questions and Answers.pdf

Solicitation No. HSHQWA-11-R-00001 Questions & Answers

THE PROVIDED RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY OFFERORS ARE FOR INFORMATION

ONLY. IF THERE ARE DIFFENCES BETWEEN THE RESPONSES AND THE SOLICITATION, THE

SOLICITATION OVERRIDES THE RESPONSES. THE RESPONSES DO NOT CHANGE THE

SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS AS WRITTEN.

1. Question: Page 57 of the RFP states that firearms qualification is annual; Exhibit 4-D states semi-annual;

please clarify.

Answer: See 6.6.3 of the SOW. Firearms qualification is semi-annual.

2. Question: Does FPS require a “guard mount” period each day for muster, inspection and instruction? If so, is there a specified minimum amount of time?

Answer: No. There is no guard mount required.

3. Question: No information is included on the post charts regarding if the 5 days per week posts include Federal Holidays; should bidders reduce the annual hours to exclude federal holidays?

Answer: See Amendment 000002.

4. Question: To determine if the incumbent guard force will require remedial training to comply with the new contract, what were the training requirements in terms of hours for the current contract?

Basic?

Firearms?

Orientation?

Screener?

Answer: All PSOs are required to complete all of the required training that is set forth in this RFP, which may vary from the type and quantity of training required under the expiring contract. IAW SOW 6.1.1, the COTR has discretion to accept or deny proposed exemptions for previous training and /or certification obtained under another FPS contract. Previous training and certification documentation and/or credentials must be valid and meet requirements of this contract to be considered. All PSOs must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract.

5. Question: Is the weapons platform changing under the new contract or do the guards currently use the 40 Caliber S/W handgun?

Answer: GLOCK 22, 40 Caliber pistol.

If platform is changing, is 8 hours the appropriate number for re-training the guard force?

Answer: Comply with the Statement of Work for all requirements. See Exhibit 4C.

6. Question: Per the SF1449 coverer page, the performance period for the base year will begin May 1, 2012.

CBA pay raises are effective on June 1 of each year. Are we to price the base year at 1 month x June 1, 2011-May 31, 2012 CBA rate, and 11 months at the June 1, 2012-May 31, 2013 rate?

Answer: In this instance, use of a weighted average would be appropriate for the base period.

7. Question: The Post exhibit states period of performance will begin June 1, 2012; please clarify if SF1449 is correct (May 1) or if the Post Exhibit is correct (June 1).

Answer: The Standard Form 1449 is correct. The period of performance will begin 1 May 2012. See Amendment 000001.

8. Question: Would all the Options then be priced at the June 1, 2012 rate since there is no raise scheduled in the CBA beyond that date?

Answer: This is at the discretion of the offeror.

9. Question: Presuming the Physical Ability Test is new to this contract, are all incumbent guards going to be required to pass the physical prior to the new contract start date?

Answer: All PSOs will be required to meet the new standards and must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract.

10 Question: Are weapons storage areas available at any government site or are individual weapons issued to officers desired/required?

Answer: See 14.4.8 of the SOW, storage will not be available.

11. Question: Are there any clearing barrel areas designated at any location?

Answer: There are no clearing barrels available and none are permitted on site. See 14.4.4 - Contractor shall designate an area off Government property for PSOs to clear and clean duty weapons.

12. Question: Is there any office space/furnishings in any government locations provided for a PM, Supervisors, other contract staff?

Answer: No.

13. Question: If so, what “utilities” such as internet, land lines, are provided?

Answer: None

14. Question: Will contractor employees be allowed to use local facility fax machines?

Answer: Only if deemed necessary by the Government for the conduct of official Government business.

15. Question: REF: SOW, Section 11.3, Supervisor: This section (11.3.2) states “Under no circumstances shall Supervisors perform productive hours while working in supervisory capacity.” Are supervisors permitted to work in a capacity other than a supervisory capacity? If yes, are supervisors working in non-supervisory capacity permitted to provide relief and/or stand post?

Answer: Supervisors cannot provide relief while working in a supervisory capacity. A supervisor shall not perform supervisory and productive PSO services simultaneously. In order to provide break and relief, a supervisor must sign-off as a supervisor and sign-on as a productive PSO

16. Question: REF: SOW, Section 5.4.1.2 & Exhibit 1: Post Exhibit: The level of clearance indicated in Section

5.4.1.2 is Top Secret. Additionally, there are posts in Exhibit 1: Post Exhibit that requires a security clearance, though the level of clearance is not specified. Are Top Secret clearances required at any posts identified in Exhibit 1? If yes, do the PSOs currently standing these posts hold active, final DOD T/S clearances?

Answer: The level of clearance is Top Secret. See Amendment 000001.

17. Question: REF: Section E – Solicitation Provisions - Proposal Submission Requirements – Management Approach: This section states “FPS desires that offerors provide management strategies and proposed solutions demonstrating how they will result in better value to the government. In response to this Evaluation Factor, offerors shall address Quality Assurance, Transition, Staffing and Continuity of Operations.” However, the COOP submission requirements that typically appear in these RFPs under Management Approach are not included with this instant RFP. Please advise if COOP will be evaluated in the technical proposal and identify the proposal submission requirements for this section, if applicable.

Answer: Offerors are not required to submit the Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan under Management Approach for this RFP. The COOP Plan will not be evaluated. See Amendment 000001.

18. Question: REF: Section E – Solicitation Provisions - Proposal Submission Requirements – Line Item 4, Page Limitation: This section states the technical proposal is limited to twenty (20) pages in at least 11 pt. font; however, headers, footers and tables are typically exempted from the 11 pt. font restriction. Please advise whether this is the case.

Answer: The font and page restriction apply to headers, footers, and tables.

19. Question: REF: Section E – Solicitation Provisions - Proposal Submission Requirements – Line Item 7, Small Business Subcontracting Plan: Please confirm the Small Business Subcontracting Plan is to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Submit the plan with price proposal.

20. Question: REF: Representations and Certifications in accordance with FAR 52.212-3: Please confirm this is to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

21. Question: REF: Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters in accordance with FAR 52.209-5: Please confirm this is to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

22. Question: REF: Information Regarding Responsibility Matters in accordance with FAR 52.209-7: Please confirm this is to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

23. Question: REF: HSAR 3052.209-76(f) & Attachment 7 (If Applicable): Please confirm these items are to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

24. Question: REF: Collective Bargaining Agreement and Applicable Wage Determination: The CBA requires PSO wages to increase from $25.35 to $26.50 on June 1, 2012, one month after the contract start date of May 1, 2012. Please confirm that vendors should price the Base Year with one month at $25.35 and 11 months at $26.50.

Please also confirm the $26.50 wage rate is to be priced in the out years.

Answer: See Questions 6 & 8.

25. Question: Several Posts on Exhibit 1: Post Exhibit (Posts: 10-G-69, 10G-711A, 10-G-711B, 10-G-711C, 10-G-77, 10-G-94, 10-G-41, and 10-G-42) are listed “as needed” and do not provide any information on the number annual hours required. However, the SF 1449 continuation pages appear to include an estimated figure for these “as needed” posts (For example Post 10-G-41, which shows no estimated hours on the post exhibit shows 450 hours on the SF 1449 Continuation Page by referencing the building number). It is, however, difficult to determine the number of estimated annual hours for posts listed “as needed” when there are other posts within the same facility. Can FPS please provide the estimated annual hours for “as needed” posts so the Offeror’s can determine staffing needs?

Answer. The 5,000 estimated Temporary Additional Service hours include all these posts.

26. Question: A shotgun qualification course of fire is included in the solicitation with a note that states “A specific post requirement must exist for PSOs to be armed with a shotgun.” Do any posts require a shotgun?

Answer: No, there are no Shotgun posts at this time.

27. Question: Will FPS please provide a copy of the post schedule and SF 1449 Continuation Pages in excel?

Answer: Only SF 1449 – Pricing Schedule in Excel format will be posted in FedbizOpps.

28. Question: What weapons are the incumbent PSOs currently carrying in performance of their duties?

Answer: See question 5.

29. Question: Do incumbent PSOs already have PIV cards?

Answer: No.

30. Question: What is/are the location(s) that PSOs must travel to obtain PIV cards?

Answer: The specific location has not been established, but will be in King County.

31. Question: What is the current weapon in use?

Answer: See Question 5.

32. Question: How many vehicles are currently in use for security service?

Answer: None. This RFP does not specifically require any vehicles.

33. Question: Do the subcontracting documents go into the pricing proposal, as part of the technical required, as part of the technical as an attachment or does it go into both the Technical and Pricing proposals?

Answer: See Question 19.

34. Question: The CBA mentions the UGSOA Union covering the FAA Towers - and we understand that the post listing does not have any Tower listings - however, are there any posts that are covered by the UGSOA Union?

Please confirm that there is only one Union, that of SUN.

Answer: Only the CBA with SUN is applicable.

35. Question: Does the Socio-Economic Factor belong in the Pricing Proposal or the Technical Proposal - and if in the Technical Proposal, does it count against our 20 pages?

Answer: Include in the Technical Proposal. Yes. It does count against 20 page limit.

36. Question: The SF1449 and Pricing Schedule indicate that May 1, 2012 is the performance start date.

However, Exhibit 1, Post Exhibit, indicates a performance start date of 6/1/2012.

Please clarify.

Answer: See Question 7.

37. Please note that CBA wages, medical insurance contribution rate and the retirement contribution rate are scheduled to change on 6/1/2012. Consequently, a May 1, 2012 start date necessitates that Offerors compute a weighted average for the base period and calls into question what rates should be used in the option periods. While page 283 Number 3 provides “For purposes of proposal preparation, where a predecessor contractor’s CBA applies, the minimum wages and fringe benefits of the predecessor contractor’s CBA corresponding to the initial period of performance of this contract shall be regarded as applicable to all additional period of performance under this contract.” we have been directed by the government in similar procurements to use a weighted average for the base period and the 6/1/12 rates for the option periods.

Section C, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, Section 04 Prices B.3 on page 20 of 307 provides “For cost/price factors that are subject to variation, but are not subject to adjustment under the provisions above, contractors may factor in contingency allowances.

“Note: Increases to Supervisor wages and benefits are not subject to contract price adjustment in the subsequent ordering period periods under FAR 52.222-43(d), unless the Supervisory position is expressly covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement or DOL Wage Determination. For Supervisor positions that are not subject to contract adjustment under FAR 52.222-43(d), the contractor is permitted to include a reasonable escalation in subsequent ordering periods (periods 1-4), based on the labor market in the geographical area that the effort will be performed.”

Question: Is it permissible to price Supervisory positions at a 5 year average instead of escalating wages each period?

Answer: This is at the discretion of the offeror.

38. Part VI. Contract Administrative Data, Section 03, Adjusting Payments for Contractor Performance, A.1 on page 25 of 307 provides in relevant part, “To compute labor-hour deductions the Contracting Officer’s Representative will compare the man-hours reported by the Contractor through the Post Tracking System (PTS)….”

Section 9.21.1 of the Statement of Work on page 93 of 307 provides in relevant part “FPS utilizes a Post Tracking System (PTS) as an electronic validation of post staffing.”

Exhibit 6, PTS Instructions, on page 183 of 307 is blank and only serves as a placeholder.

Question: Is the PTS operational at this time?

Answer: PTS is not operational at this time.

39. Question: If not, when does the government anticipate that the PTS will be operational?

Answer: The Contractor will be notified when PTS is implemented.

40. HSAR 3052.209-76, Prohibition on Federal Protective Service Guard Services Contracts with Business Concerns Owned, Controlled or Operated by an Individual Convicted of a Felony is provided on pages 32-35 of 307.

Question: In which section of the proposal should Offerors provide this disclosure – Technical or Price?

Answer: See Question 23 above.

41. Section 1.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 56 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers PSOs, as first responders, (awareness level).”

OSHA defines First Responders (awareness level):

First responders at the awareness level are individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release. First responders at the awareness level shall have sufficient training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the following areas:

An understanding of what hazardous substances are, and the risks associated with them in an incident.

An understanding of the potential outcomes associated with an emergency created when hazardous substances are present.

The ability to recognize the presence of hazardous substances in an emergency.

The ability to identify the hazardous substances, if possible.

Question: Given that OSHA’s definition of first responders at the awareness level requires an intimate knowledge of hazardous materials, is any additional training required for uniformed contract employees to qualify as first responders at the awareness level?

Answer: SOW 12.2 of the SOW.

42. Section 5.1.2.5 of the Statement of Work on page 66 of 307 provides in relevant part “Government may require PSOs to possess proficiency in a specific language for certain posts and will indicate this requirement in Post Exhibit (Exhibit 1).”

Question: As no language proficiency requirements have been indicated in Exhibit 1, please confirm that the Government does not require any specific language proficiency besides English on this contract.

Answer: English is the only required language.

43: Section 5.2.2.1 of the Statement of Work on page 67 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Contractor shall require PSOs to undergo a pre-employment medical/physical examination and every three years thereafter. A licensed physician shall administer the examinations and document results on Medical Questionnaire (Exhibit 7).”

According to information provided during the Pre-Bid Conference, the medical standards established in Section

5.2.2.3 of the RFP are different from the medical standards applied to incumbent personnel.

Also, information presented during the Pre-Bid Conference indicated that all personnel will be required to undergo full medical and physical examinations during the transition period due to the change in medical standards.

Question: Please confirm that incumbent PSOs who meet the medical/physical standards of the current contract will be required to take a medical/physical examination during transition due to changed medical standards.

Answer: For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

44. Section 5.2.4.1 of the Statement of Work on page 70 of 307 provides “PSOs must submit to a urine drug screening as part of initial and recurring medical examinations, Employees are screened for five substances at following cutoff levels (nanogram per milliliter, ng/mL):

Substance Cutoff Level (ng/ mL) Marijuana metabolites 50 Cocaine metabolites 300

Opiate metabolites 2,000 Phencyclidine 25 Amphetamines 1,000

Our questions below presume that the government has determined the specific needs so that it can properly evaluate Offerors management approach and price.

Question: Are the drug screening standards in this RFP different from the drug screening standards currently applied to incumbent personnel?

Answer: For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

Standards indicated in the RFP are the same as the current contract.

Question: Will incumbent PSOs with drug screening records that meet the requirements of the current contract be required to undergo drug screening during transition because the drug testing standards have changed?

Answer: For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

45. Section 5.3.1.15 of the Statement of Work on pages 72 of 307 provides “Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with obtaining and renewing suitability clearances for employee associated with this contract.”

Question: Does this section mean that contractors bear the administrative costs of requesting the suitability and the employee’s time spent completing the process online only and that the Government bears responsibility for the costs related to the suitability review? Generally this is our experience working under federal contracts.

Answer: See 5.3.1.15 of the SOW.

46. Section 5.3.2.2 of the Statement of Work on page 73 of 307 provides “Any investigation conducted by or for another federal agency on an individual that is of same or higher type and scope as one required for position is sufficient to meet investigation requirements if investigation occurred within past five years.”

Question: Was the investigation conducted on incumbent personnel the same or higher type and scope as the one required for PSO positions under this RFP? We are trying to determine the extent of clearance efforts needed during transition.

Answer: The current contract personnel meet all requirements under the current contract.

47. Section 5.4.2.6 of the Statement of Work on page 76 of 307 provides “Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with obtaining and renewing security clearances for each contract employee.”

Question: Does this section mean that contractors bear the administrative costs of requesting the clearance and the employee’s time spent completing the process online only and that the Government bears responsibility for the costs related to the clearance process? Generally this is our experience working under federal contracts.

Answer: See 5.4.2.6 of the SOW.

Question: How many of the current PSOs have a Top Secret clearance issued by the Defense Security Service?

Answer: The current contractor has sufficient staff with a Top Secret clearance to meet staffing requirements.

48. Section 6.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 78 of 307 provides, “COTR has discretion to accept or deny proposed exemptions for previous training and/or certifications obtained under another FPS contract. Previous training and certification documentation and/or credentials must be valid and meet requirements of this contract to be considered.”

Our questions below presume that the government has determined the specific needs so that it can properly evaluate Offerors management approach and price.

Question: Is the current security force trained to each of the training specifications identified in Exhibits 4B through 4H of this procurement? If not, please specify which exhibits incumbents must receive training on during the transition.

Answer: The current contract personnel meet all requirements under the current contract. Note that the RFP requirements differ from the current contract requirements. For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

Training Frequency Exhibit Incumbents Qualified?

AED Annual N/A

Contractor Provided Basic Training *One Time Only 4B

CPR Annual N/A

Contractor Provided Annual Weapons Refresher Training (Firearms)

Semi-Annual 4C & 4D

First Aid Annual N/A

Contractor Provided Initial Weapons Training and Qualification

*One Time Only 4C

Contractor Provided Annual Weapons Refresher Training (Less than Lethal)

Annual 4C & 4D

Government Provided Orientation Training *One Time Only 4G

Contractor Provided Refresher Training Every 3 Years 4E

Government Provided Screener Training Annual 4H

Contractor Provided Supervisory Training *One Time Only 4F

Government Administered Written Exam Upon Completion of

Basic Training N/A

49. Section 6.4.1.2 of the Statement of Work on page 79 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Required training includes both, recurring and “one-time only” courses. If completed successfully, one-time only courses are not required to be repeated during contract period. One-time only courses are:

Contractor-Provided Basic Training (Exhibit 4B) Contractor-Provided Initial Weapon Training and Qualifications (Exhibit 4C) Contractor-Provided Supervisory Training (Exhibit 4F) Government-Provided Orientation Training (Exhibit 4G) Government-Administered Written Exam (Section 6.5)”

Our questions below presume that the government has determined the specific needs so that it can properly evaluate Offerors management approach and price.

Question: Does the Government and/or the incumbent contractor have evidence that all incumbent PSOs have successfully completed the aforementioned training? If not, please indicate the types of training that incumbents must receive during transition to be eligible to perform under the contract resulting from this RFP.

Answer: The incumbent contractor maintains the evidence that incumbent PSOs have successfully completed the training requirements identified in the current contract. For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

Question: Does the phrase “…are not required to be repeated during contract period” mean that because this is a new contract that incumbents must retake the listed training during transition? Or is the Government’s intent that the

“one-time only” courses are taken only one-time regardless of how many times the PSO transitions to a new contract and/or contractor?

Answer: For this RFP all PSOs are required to complete all of the training. All PSOs must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract.

50. Section 6.6.4.1 of the Statement of Work on page 81 of 307 provides “Contractor shall complete Transitional Weapon and Weapon Platform Change training in accordance with Exhibit 4C.”

Also, Exhibit 8C Contractor Provided Firearms and Ammunition on page 214 of 307 provides in relevant part “The contractor will provide all security officers, including part-time and reserve officers, with their own pistol. Select the firearm that will be used: 38 Special, 9mm, .40 S/W, .357 SIG.” The Exhibit specifies the .40 S/W as the type of firearm required for performance on this RFP.

Our questions below presume that the government has determined the specific needs so that it can properly evaluate offerors management approach and price.

Question: Is the current weapons platform different from the weapon platform required under this contract? Is the .40 S/W considered a change from the current platform?

Answer: See Exhibit 4C. Any weapon other than the current weapon (GLOCK 22, .40 caliber) requires transitional weapons training.

Question: Please identify which specific requirements of Exhibit 4C are applicable for incumbent PSOs:

3 hours of Transitional Weapon training (revolver to revolver; semi-automatic to semi-automatic) 8 hours of Weapons Platform Change training (revolver to semi-automatic pistol)

Answer: The weapon required in the RFP is new to the contract.

Question: Please confirm that the 40 hour course identified in Exhibit 4C (4 hours Use of OC Spray, 4 hours Use of Baton, 8 hours Firearms Maintenance, Safety and Handling, and 24 hours Initial Firearms Familiarization Fire) is only required for new employees.

Answer: All PSOs must meet all requirements in accordance with 6.6 of the SOW. PSOs that have completed the initial training are not required to retake the training.

51. Section 6.8.1 of the Statement of Work on page 83 of 307 provides “PSOs must maintain a valid/current certification for First Aid/CPR/AED, from American Red Cross (ARC) or American Heart Association (AHA).”

Our questions below presume that the government has determined the specific needs so that it can properly evaluate Offerors management approach and price.

Question: Do incumbent personnel possess current First Aid/CPR/AED certification that meets the requirements of the RFP?

Answer: The current contract personnel meet all requirements under the current contract. Note that the RFP requirements differ from the current contract requirements. For this RFP, all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring all PSOs are in compliance with the requirements.

52. Section 7.2.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 85 of 307 provides “Contractor shall maintain personnel files for employees who work under this contract. These files shall reside in Contractor Manager’s office and be made available to Government immediately upon request.”

Section 11.2.5 of the Statement of Work on page 98 of 307 provides in relevant part, “CM shall be available during normal working hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) within 30 minutes by telephone or in person to discuss deficiencies.

After normal duty hours or on weekends and holidays, CM shall be available within two hours.”

Question: Will the government provide office space on-site for the CM and administrative staff? Or must the contractor factor in the cost of maintaining off-site office space?

Answer: There is no government-provided office space.

Question: If the government provides office space, which of the following will also be provided:

Office furniture?

Computing equipment?

Printer?

Copier?

Internet access?

Phone service?

Answer: See above.

Question: If the government provides office space, what is the building address where the space would be provided?

Answer: See above.

53. Section 11.3.2 of the Statement of Work on page 99 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Under no circumstances, shall Supervisors perform productive hours while working in a supervisory capacity.”

Question: Does this mean that supervisors are not allowed to provide relief?

Answer: See Question 15.

54. Section 12.1.2.1 of the Statement of Work on page 100 of 307 provides “Contractor shall provide breaks and/or meal periods in accordance with minimum state requirements and/or applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. Exhibit 1 specifies which posts require a PSO relief provision.”

Collective Bargaining Agreement between Paragon Systems, Inc. and Security Union of the Northwest (SUN), effective April 14, 2010 through November 30, 2012 provides in relevant part:

“SECTION 6.6 - Meal and Rest Periods. All employees who work five consecutive hours during a normal workday or more shall be entitled, at their election, to a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal period during which time they shall be relieved of all work-related duties, uninterrupted. Such meal period shall commence no less than two hours nor more than five hours from the beginning of the employee's shift. Employees who elect a meal period and are not provided a meal period shall be paid for the meal period at the employee's regular rate of pay.

“Each January 1, May 1 and September 1, employees shall be permitted to waive off-duty unpaid meal periods.

Such employees who elect to waive an off-duty meal period shall be permitted to revoke their waiver of an off duty meal period at any time; however, in the event that an employee revokes waiver of an off duty meal period, he or she shall not be entitled to waive an off duty meal periods in the future. Employees who waive off-duty unpaid meal periods must do so in writing.”

Question: While Exhibit 1 identifies posts that require relief the CBA provision cited above allows for personnel to elect or waive an unpaid meal period making an estimate of relief costs difficult unless Offerors know roughly what percentage of the workforce working posts that require relief have waived off-duty meal periods. Will the government provide such an estimate?

Answer: FPS is not a party to the CBA.

Question: Will a break/lunch room and lockers be provided for contractor employee use?

Answer: No.

55. Section 13.5 of the Statement of Work on page 103 of 307 addresses Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Cards.

Question: Do incumbent personnel have active PIV Cards?

Answer: PIV cards have not been issued.

Question: Do incumbent personnel need to repeat the process if a new Contractor is selected?

Answer: See above.

Question: Please confirm that the amount of time required per PSO to complete the issuance process for a PIV card is 20 minutes as indicated in section C.5 of Exhibit 9E, Government-Provided Property HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card Employee Application Process.

Answer: The solicitation is clear on its face – 20 minutes per enrollment but that additional time for travel to / from enrollment station may be necessary).

Question: Please identify the enrollment station for this contract and provide the physical address. Also, will the Government provide reimbursement for any travel required?

Answer: The enrollment station will be located in King County. The government will not provide separate reimbursement. Any associated travel costs be price into hourly rate.

56. Section 14.3.1 of the Statement of Work on page 105 of 307 provides “Contractor shall obtain all applicable permits, titles, inspections, and registrations in accordance with applicable Federal, state and local laws for the operation of vehicles.”

Exhibit 8F, Contractor Provided Vehicles, on page 219 of 307 provides in relevant part, “The Contractor shall furnish a vehicle or vehicles, as indicated below, for patrol at the facility, to transport supervisors, in the course of supervision duties, and emergency response, as may be necessary.” The Exhibit lists “N/A” in the “3. Vehicle Requirements” table.

Question: Please confirm that no vehicles are required to be provided by the contractor for productive PSOs patrols.

Answer: Vehicles are not required.

57. Section 14.4.8 of the Statement of Work on page 106 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Exhibit 8C specifies amount and type of ammunition, including additional rounds for contingency. For those contracts storing weapons on site, Contractor shall store and secure additional ammunition on-site, periodically rotating old duty ammunition with new ammunition. (Terms of solicitation will expressly state if weapons can be stored on Government site. If terms do not explicitly provide for on-site storage, such storage will not be available).”

Question: As no terms have been expressly stated, please confirm that this RFP does not allow for weapons to be stored on site.

Answer: See 14.4.8 of the SOW, storage will not be available.

Question: If this contract does allow weapons to be stored on site, please indicate which buildings have weapons stored on site. If any locations require weapons to be stored on site, will the government provide the safes needed to store the weapons?

Answer: See above.

58. Section 14.5.3 of the Statement of Work on page 106 of 307 provides, “Contractor shall follow OSHA standards for respiratory protection including Appendix D to 29 C.F.R. § 1910.134. FPS will require Contractor to medically evaluate and clear contract PSOs for the use of respirators, at least every three years, in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134. Contractor is responsible for employee fit testing at such time a public health authority declares the use of respirators to be mandatory.”

Question: Is the requirement for employee respirator fit testing in this RFP different from the employee respirator fit testing requirement in the current contract?

Answer: For this RFP, all PSOs are required to complete the required respiratory fit testing in accordance with the SOW 14.5.3 and must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract.

Question: Are incumbent PSOs with current respiratory protection clearances required to take a respiratory protection examination during transition because the respiratory protection standards have changed or are new?

Answer: See above.

59. Exhibit 1 of the SOW, Post Exhibit, on pages 116-117 of 307 does not indicate whether or not security service will be required on Holidays for each site.

Question: Please clarify whether security services will be required on Holidays at each site of this procurement. It appears that all posts require services on holidays based on the pricing schedule hours. This would seem somewhat unusual based on our experience.

Answer: Holiday services are reflected in the annual estimated hours for each post.

60. Exhibit 4C, Contractor Provided Initial and Transitional/Platform Firearms and Less-Than-Lethal Weapons Training and Qualification includes shotgun qualification requirements on pages 151 and 152 of 307. Also, a “Shotgun Qualification Course” is included on page 156 of 307 although shotguns are not identified in Exhibit 8C:

Contractor-Provided Firearms and Ammunition.

Question: Does this contract require every PSO to qualify with a shotgun?

Answer: No posts require shotguns at this time.

Question: Does this contract require that shotguns be made available to PSOs? If so, where are they stored (please provide the facility address and method of storage)?

Answer: See above.

61. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, on page 275 of 307 provides, “Note: In addition to the hard copies, vendor shall submit an electronic version of the pricing schedule, the detailed breakdown, and technical proposal on Compact Disk (CD). Electronic version must be able to read with Microsoft Office 2003.”

Question: In which proposal section (Technical or Price) should Offerors place the CD?

Answer: Include with the price proposal.

Question: Please confirm that only one CD needs to be submitted to the Government.

Answer: Submit one CD as indicated in the RFP.

62. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, Subpart 2 on page 276 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Standard Form 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items – When responding to this RFP the Contractor must use the Standard Form 1449 as a cover page to the proposal.”

Question: Is the Standard Form 1449 the cover page for only the price proposal or is it also required as the cover page for the technical proposal?

Answer: Offerors shall submit the completed 1449 with the price proposal

Question: Does the government require that Offerors fill in boxes 21 through 24, unit prices and amount, of Standard Form 1449, or will a completed Pricing Schedule suffice?

Answer: Complete SF1449 Continuation Pages – Pricing Schedule.

63. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, Subpart 3 on page 277 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Proposals shall be comprised of TWO (2) separate sealed envelopes, the first containing two (2) copies of the pricing submission and the second containing five (5) copies of the technical submission.”

Question: Does the Government require two (2) copies and one (1) original or one (1) copy and one (1) original of the pricing submission? Similarly, does the Government require five (5) copies and one (1) original or four (4) copies and (1) original of the technical submission?

Answer: Provide one original and one copy of the pricing submission and one original and four copies of the technical submission.

64. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, Subpart 3 on page 277 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Page Limitation - Excluding the cover page and past performance forms and questionnaires, the technical proposal (covering all non-price factors) is limited to twenty

(20) pages in at least 11pt. font and 1” margins.”

Question: Will a smaller font size be allowed for graphics and tables?

Answer: No.

Question: Please confirm whether the Offeror can include headers and/or footers with essential information, such as RFP Section Name, RFP Solicitation Number, page number, and disclosure statement, within the margin limitations as long as the 11 pt. font size is adhered to?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Will the inclusion of a Table of Contents count against the 20-page limit?

Answer: No.

65. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, Subpart 7 on page 277 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Offerors, other than small businesses, shall prepare and submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

Question: In which proposal section (Technical or Price) should Offerors place the Small Business Subcontracting Plan?

Answer: See Question 19.

Question: Should the Small Business Subcontracting Plan be included in the Technical Proposal, would the Government exclude it from the 20-page limit?

Answer: See Question 19.

66. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Technical Proposal (Non-price factors), Section 2.A.1.b. on page 280 of 307 provides “(NOTE - The Government defines a Lead PSO as a single point of communication at a facility, identified by post orders, for the purpose of communicating operational and facility specific info to the security force at a facility. In addition, the government’s review and acceptance of an offeror’s proposed supervisory ratio, will not alleviate the vendor from modifying (i.e., increasing) the amount of supervision after contract award should the Government’s or contractor’s oversight and inspections reveal systemic problems with performance. If at any time the vendor determines that additional supervision beyond what was initially proposed is needed to address performance issues, such additional supervision will be provided at no additional cost to the Government.)”

Question: Please indicate on the post exhibit if any post requires a Lead PSO.

Answer: Placement of Lead PSOs is a contractor determined issue. Single points of communication are identified in the individual post orders.

67. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors, Price Proposal, Section 4.A.(1) on page 283 of 307 provides in relevant part, “Elements in the proposed unit prices that are associated with the level of supervision, staffing, quality control, transition, relief, COOP and other advantageous aspects proposed under the Management Approach factor.”

FAR 52.212-4, Section 04 Prices, C.4, Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) Implementation on page 22 of 307 provides in relevant part, “All other direct costs (ODCs) associated with implementation of the COOP, including but not limited to: overtime, travel and per diem, PPE replenishment, changes to IT/communication systems or devices, and training and certification of additional personnel etc. shall be reimbursed under the Optional COOP Implementation CLIN contained in the Schedule of Supplies/Services and Prices. Since COOP implementation costs cannot be pre-determined at this time, the Government has provided estimates and established Not-to-Exceed Amounts in the Schedule of Supplies/Services and Prices.”

The Addendum to FAR 52-212-1 Instructions to Offerors , Price Proposal, Section 6 on page 284 of 307 provides in relevant part “The Government has estimated other direct costs in support of COOP implementation as follows:

Other Direct Costs in Support of COOP Implementation

Base Year $100,000.00 Option I $100,000.00 Option II $100,000.00 Option III $100,000.00 Option IV $100,000.00”

Exhibit 8D: Contractor Provide Personal Protective Equipment on page 217 of 307 provides, “Contractor shall maintain a stock of the following personal protective equipment items for each officer, post, and location covered by this contract in quantities sufficient to furnish all productive and supervisory security officers performing on Contract with equipment for a two-week period. Contractor shall maintain all equipment in a ready and usable condition and replenish stock as necessary to ensure a two-week supply is available at all times.”

Question: Please clarify whether the initial two week supply noted in Exhibit 8D PPE is included in unit hourly rates or if it will be reimbursed under the separate Not-to-Exceed CLIN.

Answer: It will not be separately reimbursed.

68. Section E, Part IV. FAR 52.212-3 beginning on page 288 of 307.

Question: In which proposal section (Technical or Price) should the Offerors place the representations and certifications?

Answer: See Question 20.

Question: Should FAR52.212-3 be included in the Technical Proposal, would the Government exclude it from the 20-page limit?

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

69. Section E, Part IV. FAR 52.209-5 beginning on page 303 of 307.

Question: In which proposal section (Technical or Price) should the Offerors place the certification regarding responsibility matters?

Answer: See Question 21 above.

Question: Should certification regarding responsibility matters be included in the Technical Proposal, would the Government exclude it from the 20-page limit?

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

70. Section 5.1.2.5. Indicates that the Government may require PSOs to possess proficiency in a specific language on certain posts per Exhibit 1. Nothing is indicated on Exhibit 1. May bidders assume that no additional language requirements will be required?

Answer: See Question 42.

71. Section 5.3. Indicates that Contractor’s training personnel are required to receive suitability clearance. If the Contractor elects to sub-contract the American Red Cross (ARC) training to the local ARC chapter, are the ARC instructors required to receive a suitability clearance?

Answer: See 5.3.1.2 of the SOW.

72. Section 6. Will the government provide training space at any of the work sites for contractor training?

Answer: No

73. Section 6.4.1.2. This section lists “Contractor-Provided Supervisory Training” under the one-time training requirements for Protective Security Officers. Are PSOs required to complete supervisory training?

Answer: See 6.4.2 of the SOW. Only supervisors are required to complete supervisory training.

74. Section 6.5. This section indicates that the Contractor can schedule the SGIM exam upon completion of the basic training and receiving a favorable pre-employment suitability. What standard amount of time will the government take to provide such suitability determinations?

Answer: There is no standard amount of time. See 5.3.3 of the SOW.

75. Section 6.7.3. This section states that the government will conduct 8 hours of screener training.

For planning purposes, when can the Contractor schedule this training?

Answer: Training must be coordinated through the COTR when training is required by the contractor.

How will the Contractor receive the results of this training?

Answer: The COTR will provide results.

When will the Contractor receive certification that this training was completed successfully?

Answer: The COTR will provide certification after the completion of the training.

Section 6.8.1.1 This section states that “PSO’s and uniformed supervisors must possess valid and current First Aid certification cards from the American Red Cross (ARC) or the American Heart Association (AHA) to perform on this contract”.

Does the current contract require First Aid, AED, and CPR certification of its PSOs?

Answer: Yes.

76. Section 7.1. Do all incumbent officers have the proper documentation (completed exhibits) required under this solicitation to perform the PSO duties?

Answer: The current contract personnel meet all requirements under the current contract.

77. Section 7.1.3. Indicates the requirement to submit all PSO certifications within seven days of completion.

Will the incumbent PSO’s data be transferred over to the new Contractor?

Answer: The information will be coordinated between the Government and the incoming vendor.

78. Section 9.8. Please specify how many Control Center Operations Posts exist on this contract and where they are located?

Answer: Post types are determined by individual Post Orders.

79. Section 9.22.3. This section indicates that “If the Contractor uses DHS Form 139, the Contractor will retrieve the forms from each post and submit the reports for the previous week to the COTR every Monday by 10:00 AM or as otherwise directed by the COTR.” Will the Contractor have access to government provided fax machines?

Answer: See Question 14.

80. SOW 12.1.2. This section states that “The Contractor shall provide breaks and/or meal periods in accordance with minimum state requirements and /or applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. Exhibit 1 to the Statement of Work specifies which post requires provision of a relief PSO if assigned PSO is taking a break or meal period to ensure continuous/uninterrupted coverage. Are supervisors able to conduct relief?

Answer: See 11.3.2 of the SOW and Question 15.

81. Section 14.4.3 Firearms, Ammunition, and Less-Than-Lethal Weapons, This section states that “The contractor must also provide applicable accessories such as clearing barrels”.

Will an area be provided on Government property for clearing barrels and gun lockers?

Answer: See Question 11.

Section 14.5.3 This section states that “The Contractor is responsible for employee fit testing as such time a public health authority declares the use of respirators to be mandatory”.

Does the current contract require all PSO’s be fit tested for respirators? If so, when did the fit testing occur?

Answer: For this RFP, all PSOs are required to complete the required respiratory fit testing in accordance with the SOW 14.5.3 and must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract.

How long will the Contractor be given to have all PSO’s working the contract fit tested in the event a public health authority declares the use of respirators to be mandatory?

Answer: There is no standard time frame, but the Contractor must be ready to perform in accordance with the requirements of the contract. A fit test must be administered before the respirator can be worn.

Exhibit 4C: Will the Government clarify if there is a shotgun requirement on this contract?

Answer: See Question 26.

Section 5.2 and Exhibit 7 Medical Questionnaire – please clarify Section 5.2 relative to the Medical Questionnaire in Exhibit 7. For example:

Section 2 reads: “Does the candidate meet the requirement to be able to bench press at [least] 40% of their body weight?” Who would make such a determination how, where, and when? Most physicians would not be able to assess this in their traditional office setting.

Answer: It is a Contractor determined issue.

If the physician makes any notes of any sort in the “Limiting Conditions” section, does this mean that the individual will automatically be considered unqualified to work on the contract?

Answer: See 5.2.2.3 of the SOW.

82. General: The solicitation states that some parts of the successful offeror’s technical proposal will be incorporated in full or by reference into the contract. In accordance with FAR 24.202(a) any part of a proposal incorporated into a contract is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act. How will an offeror protect its proprietary technical information from being released to its competitors for future competition?

Answer: Information determined to be releasable under the FOIA will be released in accordance with the Act.

83. Period of performance: Please clarify the contract period of performance. The SF1449 shows a base year period of performance of May 2012 – April 2013, the post schedule reads a “Performance Start Date” of 6/1/2012, and the CBA anniversary date is June 1.

Answer: See Question 6. The current CBA will expire on 30 November 2012.

Post schedule: please confirm that…