HSHQWA-11-R-00002 Final Questions Answers.pdf

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: What is the maximum number of officers needed at one time for the Emergency

Services line item?

Answer: See Emergency Security Services Note on page 24 of 291.

2. Question: Will you allow personally owned weapons to be used or must the weapons be owned by the contractor?

Answer: No, personally owned weapons may not be used.

3. Question: Can Quality Control and the Supervisor be the same person?

Answer: The only restriction is under 15.1.2 of the SOW.

4. Question: Are the employee qualification standards on the existing contract the same as on the solicitation and if not what are the differences? :

a. Training

b. Medical

c. Fitness

d. Firearms

e. Suitability

f. Security Clearance

g. PIV

Answer: The current contract personnel meet all requirements under 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.

5. Question: Do the PSO’s on the current contract meet the requirements of the solicitation? If not how many and what qualifications are missing?

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.

6. Question: Should the contractor provide pricing for the 6 month extension period of June 1, 2017 to Nov. 30?

Answer: No, for purposes of price evaluation, the government will utilize the vendor’s unit prices from the final Option Year to calculate a price for the 6 month extension.

7. Question: Is a collective bargaining agreement anticipated to be signed prior to contract award?

Answer: The Government is not privy to this information.

8. Question: Will the government allow arming and disarming at the sites? If yes which sites.

If no, which ones?

Answer: See Exhibit 1 for post hours. All pre and post times are at the expense of the contractor.

9. Question: Is there an area where the contractor could store weapons at the sites? If yes, which ones?

Answer: See 14.4.6 of the SOW, storage will not be available.

10. Question: Will the government provide training space?

Answer: No

11. Question: Will the government provide office space?

Answer: No.

12. Question: Will the government obtain the required permits and licenses for government issued radios in (14.2.1)?

Answer: See 14.2.1 of the SOW, “Contractor shall obtain applicable permits in accordance with Federal Regulations for operation of such radio equipment…”

13. Question: How many pages is the SGIM?

Answer: 88 pages

14. Question: How frequently will the government provided training be offered?

Answer: As deemed necessary by FPS.

15. Question: Where will the government training be offered and how will it be delivered?

Answer: X-ray and FPS training will be conducted at a Government office on the weekend by an FPS Instructor.

16. Question: Where will the government exam be offered and how will it be delivered?

Answer: FPS proctored test at a Government facility.

17. Question: Where should training wages for pre-assignment annual and refresher training be shown on the “Price element breakdown”?

Answer: See Price Element Breakdown, Attachment 6. Training should be calculated for each year whether new or refresher training, based upon the offeror’s judgment.

18. Para 5.4.2.4(a) states contractor must have a Facility Clearance prior to submission of proposal; Para 5.4.2.4(b) states FPS “may” sponsor a contractor who does not have such clearance. In the Instructions on page 260, it states the contractor must have said clearance by June 1, 2012.

Question: Do we properly interpret these paragraphs as meaning that a contractor without a facility clearance may submit a proposal, and subsequently be sponsored by FPS for a facility clearance, but must have the clearance no later than June 1, 2012 (or whatever date will be the contract start date)?

Answer: Yes

19. Para 5.4.2.6 states the contractor is responsible for all costs associated with obtaining and renewing security clearances for employees. Paragraph 5.4.3.1 distinguishes security clearances from Suitability Determinations.

Question: What is the estimated cost for conducting the SBI for Top Secret Clearances?

Answer: No cost to the contractor.

20. Para 5.4.4.3 states the “FPS will not accept interim Top Secret Clearances”; as the time between an interim and final Top Secret Clearance can be lengthy, this could unduly delay the hiring of replacement personnel subjecting the contractor to penalties, and more importantly not being able to provide security coverage for a national security position.

Question: What is the rationale for not accepting an “interim” Top Secret Clearance, when the purpose of the interim is to provide timely staffing?

Answer: See 5.4.5 of the SOW.

21. Question: Does the contractor bear any cost liability (other than submission of documents) for the FPS suitability determination process?

22. Para 6.1.1 states: “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.”

Question: Under what circumstances would the COTR “not accept” evidence of training completion by an incumbent employee transitioning to the new contract if the training requirement of the previous contract and the new contract were the same?

Answer: The COTR may accept training and certification documentation and/or credentials that are valid and meet the requirements of the contract being solicited.

23. Question: For example, presuming the training syllabus for Basic Training for the current contract is the same as the basic training syllabus for the new contract; would there be “any reason” why the COTR would not accept and grandfather the course completion record to the new contract?

Answer: Basic training is a one time requirement. It will be accepted for the new contract.

24. Question: Are there any differences between the Basic Training Course completed by the incumbent guard force under the current contract and the Basic Training Course required for the new contract?

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

25. Question: Is there any difference between the Initial Weapons Training and Qualification

Course in the current contract and the Initial Weapons Training Course in the new contract?

Answer: See Question 24.

26. Question: Is there any difference in the Government Provided Orientation Training in the current contract and the Government Provided Orientation Training required in the new contract?

Answer: See Question 24.

27. Question: Is there any difference in the written exam between the current contract and the new contract?

Answer: All test questions are pulled from the Security Guard Information Manual (SGIM).

28. Para 6.4.1.1 states: 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. Onetime only courses are:

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

Question: Is this paragraph properly interpreted to mean that “if” an employee completes the one time training requirements “within the new contract period”, the employee will not be required to repeat the course?

Answer: Yes. Also see Question 23 regarding incumbent personnel.

30. Question: Or, does this mean that these courses are “grandfathered” into a new contract period for incumbents transitioning to the new contractor?

Answer: Incumbent personnel are not “grandfathered” or provided waivers, their training records are to be provided to the COTR for review and approval.

31. Question: Para 6.7.2.1 states that all PSOs must attend FPS Orientation prior to standing post; was this a requirement of the current contract as well?

Answer: Yes.

32. Question: Para 6.7.3.1 states that all PSOs must attend and pass an exam for Screener

Training. As this is not listed as a “one time” course, does this mean that any transitioning PSOs will have to attend this training?

Answer: Yes, as the current contract personnel meet all requirements under 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

a. If the answer above is “yes”; and since the FPS conducts this training, will the

FPS conduct this training at times and days of the week that accommodate transitioning PSOs work schedules so as not to interfere with the current contractor’s work?

Answer: FPS will accommodate.

33. Question: Para 6.8.1 addresses CPR/1st Aid/AED training. Since the certification cards indicate the date of expiration/date completed, may bidders presume that these courses do not need to be completed during transition but instead upon expiration?

34. Question: Para 9.2.1: Is PTS active and utilized?

Answer: PTS is not operational at this time.

35. Question: Para 13.5: PIV Cards. At what locations are these cards issued? Is the contractor required to reimburse employees for travel, per diem, wages if required to travel to get this card?

Answer: PIV cards have not been issued. The enrolling stations will be located in Portland and Eugene, Oregon. Yes, the contractor must reimburse the employees for the PIV related expenses.

36. Question: Para 14.4. Are clearing barrels to be provided “on site”?

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

37. Question: Para 14.4. Are weapons safes authorized on site?

38. Question: Are shotguns required at any posts?

39. Question: Will all PSO’s including incumbents be required to take the Physical Abilities Test/Physical during transition?

Answer: It will be a requirement for incumbent personnel at the time of their medical expiration.

40. Question: Will FPS confirm that the S&W .40 caliber handgun will require the 8 hour platform change training?

Answer: The current contractor is carrying Glock 22, .40 caliber. There is no platform change.

41. It should be noted that the Wage Determinations published in the RFP are dated June 2011.

Question: If the DOL issues a revised wage determination prior to contract start, will the contractor be able to submit an REA if a subject Wage Determination is incorporated into the contract after award but prior to the contract start date? (Wage determinations are commonly issued in the May/June timeframe.

42. Question: Is the contractor to “redact” its name from the Past Performance Section of the 3 technical proposals required to be name redacted? That is, on the past project form and any written amplifications of past performance?

Answer: No. See Amendment 000001

43. Reference: 6.4 Training Requirements by Position

Question: Does the incumbent guard force currently meet all of the training requirements outlined in this section as well as in the exhibits?

all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant

44. Reference: 6.6.4 Transitional Weapon/Weapon Platform Change

Question: What weapon platform is the current guard force using?

Answer: Semi-automatic pistol.

45. Reference: 12.1.2 Breaks

Question: Are supervisors and rovers authorized to provide relief/breaks?

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

46. Reference: 14.4.6 For those contracts storing weapons on site, Contractor shall store and secure additional ammunition on-site, periodically rotating old duty ammunition with new ammunition.

Questions: Will the contractor be authorized to store weapons and ammunition on-site at any of the locations listed in the post exhibits? If so, which locations and how much additional ammunition is the Contractor required to store at each location?

47. Reference: Exhibit 7: PSO Medical Questionnaire and Physical Abilities Test Manual

Question: Does the incumbent guard force currently meet the standards outlined in this exhibit?

all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant

48. Reference: Exhibit 8E Contractor-Provided Communication Equipment

Question: The quantity listed on this exhibit is for one (1) cellular telephone. Is the contractor required to only provide one (1) cell phone per building or one (1) cell phone per post?

Answer: See Exhibit 8E, #2 on page 205 of 291.

49. Reference: 5.4.1.2 ( Security Clearances) and 5.4.2.4(a) Contractor must possess a facility clearance that is equal to level for work on this contract as specified in 5.4.1.2 prior to submission of proposal or quote and 5.4.2.4(b) DHS may sponsor Contractor for a facility clearance, if contractor performance requires access to classified information and Contractor selected for award does not possess a facility security clearance that is equal to level for work on this contract as specified in Section 5.4.1.2.

Question: Is a facility security clearance required to propose on this requirement or will DHS as stated in 5.4.2.4(b) sponsor the awardees for the clearance?

Answer: See question 18.

50. Reference: 5.4.1 General Information

Question: Our facility clearance was deactivated in 2008 because we no longer held any classified contracts. We are teaming with a large security firm that has an active TS Facility Clearance and if awarded the contract, they will be assigned responsibility at the facility in Portland, OR that requires the TS cleared personnel. Will this meet your requirements IAW paragraph 5.4 of the statement of work?

Answer: See 5.4.2.4(b). The facility clearance is issued to the contractor awarded the contract.

51. Reference: RFP SOW Section 6.4.2. (RFP pg 80 & SOW pg 29)

Discussion: Section 6.4.2. states that the required training for Supervisors is established under Section 6.4.1. which references the SOW Exhibits.

Question/Comment: Will the Government clarify if FPS Supervisory training of 9 hours, as previously required under separate Exhibit on other FPS solicitations is not required for this contract?

Answer: See Exhibit 4, page 144 of 291.

52. Reference: RFP SOW Exhibit 8C (RFP pg 201 & SOW pg 87)

Discussion: Exhibit 8C identifies .40 S/W required weapon.

Question/Comment: Will the government please advise if this is currently the weapon being used under the current contract?

Answer: See Question 40.

53. Reference: RFP, Section E – Instructions to Offerors (RFP pg 259)

Discussion: Instructions state that Offerors are to submit an electronic version of the pricing schedule, the detailed breakdown, and technical proposal on Compact Disk (CD), and files must be able to read with Microsoft Office 2003.

A. Question/Comment: Can the government clarify if a CD is required with each hard copy?

Answer: Submit one CD as indicated in the RFP.

B. Question: If not, does the government require a redacted or non-redacted version of the

Technical Proposal?

Answer: Non-redacted.

C. Question: Can the government clarify if a copy of the entire price proposal is required on CD or just the Pricing Schedule and Attachment 6 Detailed Breakdown?

Answer: See note under submission address on page 259 or 291.

D. Question: Can the government clarify if PDF files are permitted for signature pages?

Answer: 1 original signature and PDF signature for copies are acceptable.

54. Reference: RFP, Section E – Instructions to Offerors Proposal Submission Requirements 3

(RFP pg 261)

Discussion: Section 3 states that three (3) of the five (5) copies of the technical submission shall be redacted.

Question/Comment: Will the Government clarify whether the Past Performance information including questionnaires should also be redacted?

Answer: See Amendment 000001

55. Reference: RFP, Section E – Instructions to Offerors Proposal Submission Requirements, Price Proposal 4.B. (RFP pg 267)

Discussion: Price Element Breakdown, Attachment 6, is recommended as a detailed breakdown of proposed prices.

Question/Comment: Will the government please advise if contractors should complete a separate Price Element Breakdown sheet for each Facility/CLIN? If not, should contractors modify this file to accommodate all facilities/CLIN’s required under the solicitation?

Answer: Yes to the latter response.

56. Reference: RFP Pricing Schedule & Exhibit 1 Post Exhibit

Discussion: There appears to be inconsistencies between the Maximum Hours on the Pricing Schedule and the Post Exhibit. Some hours match, while others are higher or lower between these two documents.

Question/Comment: Can the government please confirm that the maximum hours presented in the Pricing Schedule to create contract “ceiling amount” are accurate?

Answer: The Pricing Schedule is accurate.

57. Reference: Supervisor, SOW Section 11.3.2

Discussion: This section states “Under no circumstances shall Supervisors perform productive hours while working in supervisory capacity.”

Question/Comment: 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

58. Reference: Section E – Solicitation Provisions - Proposal Submission Requirements, Paragraph 2

Discussion: This section states “… the Contractor must use the Standard Form 1449 as a cover page to the proposal.”

Question/Comment: For the technical proposal submission, does the Government prefer the cost data be redacted from the SF1449?

59. Reference: Representations and Certifications in accordance with FAR 52.212-3

Discussion: Proper submission of Representations and Certifications

Question/Comment: Please confirm this is to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

Answer: Include in the price proposal.

60. Reference: Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters in accordance with FAR 52.209-5

Discussion: Proper submission of Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters

61. Reference: Information Regarding Responsibility Matters in accordance with FAR 52.209-7

Discussion: Proper submission of Information Regarding Responsibility Matters

62. Reference: HSAR 3052.209-76(f) & Attachment 7 (If Applicable):

Discussion: Proper submission of HSAR 3052.209-76(f) & Attachment 7 (If Applicable)

Question/Comment: Please confirm these items are to be included with the Price Proposal submission.

63. Reference: Exhibit 1 Post Exhibit

Discussion: Posts 10 G 190 and 10 G 191 require Top Secret Clearances.

Question/Comment: Are these posts included in the current contract? If yes, are the PSOs currently assigned to these posts cleared to the T/S level?

Answer: Yes to both questions.

64. Reference: Attachment 5 – Area Wage Determinations (WDs)

Discussion: Three Area WDs were provided, but there was no inclusion of any Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

Question/Comment: Please confirm there are no active CBAs on this contract.

Answer: There current contract is operating under a CBA that is expired. There are no active CBAs on the contract being solicited and offerors should propose to the three Area Wage Determinations provided.

65. Reference: Pricing Schedule – TAS & ESS Hours

Discussion: Historical data for TAS & ESS Hours

Question/Comment: Can the Government provide the number of TAS & ESS hours ordered to support the current contract?

Answer: The hours provided in the Pricing Schedule are based upon historical data, with the exception of ESS, which is not included under the current contract.

66. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions

Discussion: It was indicated during the pre-proposal conference that there was a CBA tied to the current contract that has since expired, and Offerors are to use the supplied wage determinations for this solicitation.

Question/Comment: If a new CBA is renegotiated during the proposal preparation phase or after submission of offers, will the government supply the CBA to Offerors so that revised pricing may be submitted?

Answer: See FAR 22.1012-2(b).

67. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions, Price Proposal Submission

Discussion: The government stated during the pre-proposal conference that Offerors should supply one (1) firm fixed, blended, and fully burdened hourly rate for all buildings on the pricing schedule.

Question/Comment: Can the government please confirm?

Answer: Confirmed.

68. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions, Price Proposal Submission, Attachment 6

Discussion: Suggested submission of Attachment 6, Detailed Price Breakdown.

Question/Comment: Should Offerors breakout hours and costs factored into the blended rate by wage determination rather than by building as listed on Schedule B?

Answer: One blended hourly rate for basic; one blended hourly rate for TAS; and one blended hourly rate for ESS.

69. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions, Exhibit 8E

Discussion: Exhibit 8E states that one (1) cellular telephone and accessories is required for all facilities for the Oregon and Southern Washington contract. The government clarified during the pre-proposal conference that one (1) cellular telephone is required for each “post”

vs. one (1) per facility.

Question/Comment: Can the Government confirm?

Answer: See Question 48.

70. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions, SOW 6.4 Training Requirements

Discussion: Separate Supervisor training of 9 hours is not included in the training Exhibits as on previous FPS contracts. The government stated during the pre-proposal conference that 9 hours of Supervisory training is no longer required.

Question/Comment: A. Will the government please confirm that 9 hours of Supervisor training is no longer required?

Answer: See Exhibit 4, page 144 of 291.

Question: B. Additionally, please confirm that Supervisors are required to complete all training and testing requirements established under Section 6.4.1.

Answer: Supervisors are required to complete all training and testing requirements established under Section 6.4.1 if they will be required to perform productive PSO services.

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. In order for a supervisor to this, they must have successfully completed all training and testing requirements established under Section 6.4.1.

71. Reference: Pre-Proposal Conference Questions, Technical Proposal Submission

Requirements

Discussion: The government stated during the pre-proposal conference that Past Performance shall be provided under a separate cover and should not be redacted.

Question/Comment: Would the government please confirm if this will include items A through F which are required under Relevant Past Performance.

Answer: Confirmed. See Amendment 000001

72. Reference: Technical Proposal Submission Requirements

Discussion: 3. Teaming Arrangements

Question/Comment: Is this section to be provided redacted as well?

Answer: No. See Amendment 000001

73. Reference: Oregon Break Relief

Discussion: Oregon State law requires all employees working an 8 hour period to receive a 30 min unpaid lunch period and two paid ten min break periods.

Question/Comment: Will the government please confirm that PSO’s working on this contract in the state of Oregon will be eligible for required break time / pay per state regulations?

Answer: See 12.1.2 of the SOW.

74. Section C, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, Section 04 Prices B.3 on page 22 of 291 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.

75. Part VI. Contract Administrative Data, Section 03, Adjusting Payments for Contractor

Performance, A.1 on page 28 of 291 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 291 provides in relevant part “FPS utilizes a Post Tracking System (PTS) as an electronic validation of post staffing.”

Exhibit 6, PTS Instructions, on page 170 of 291 is blank and only serves as a placeholder.

Question: Is the PTS operational at this time?

Answer: PTS is not operational at this time.

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

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

76. 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 35-39 of 291.

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

Answer: See Question 62 above.

77. Section 1.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 57 of 291 provides in relevant part, “Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers PSO positions as First Responders Awareness Level (CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)).”

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: See 12.2 of the SOW.

78. Section 5.1.2.5 of the Statement of Work on page 67 of 291 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.

79. Section 5.2.4.1 of the Statement of Work on page 71 of 291 provides “PSOs must submit to urine drug screening as part of initial pre-employment process and during recurring medical examination, every three years.”

Section 5.2.4.2 of the Statement of Work on page 71 of 291 provides, “Drug screenings shall conform to current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) “Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs”’

Section 3.4 on page 24 of 51 of the SAMHSA “Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs” provides, “Marijuana metabolites .............................................. 50 ng/mL Cocaine metabolites ................................................ 150 ng/mL Opiate metabolites.

Codeine/Morphine 2 .................................... 2000 ng/mL 6-Acetylmorphine ..................................................... 10 ng/mL Phencyclidine ........................................................... 25 ng/mL Amphetamines 3 AMP/MAMP4 ........................................................... 500 ng/mL MDMA6 .................................................................... 500 ng/mL”

It has been our experience that on other FPS solicitations of similar scope, the drug standard limits have been the following:

“Substance Cutoff Level (ng/ mL) Marijuana metabolites 50 Cocaine metabolites 300 Opiate metabolites 2,000 Phencyclidine 25 Amphetamines 1,000”

Question: Please confirm what the cutoff concentrations are for drug tests.

Answer: See 5.2.4.2 of the SOW.

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

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

80. Section 5.3.1.15 of the Statement of Work on pages 73 of 291 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.

81. Section 5.3.2.2 of the Statement of Work on page 73 of 291 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 investigation conducted on the incumbent personnel is the same as the one required for the requirement.

82. Section 5.4.2.6 of the Statement of Work on page 77 of 291 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.

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.

83. Section 6.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 79 of 291 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: The Pre-Proposal Conference slides identified significant differences between this SOW and the incumbent contract specific to screener training and semi-annual firearms qualifications; is the current security force trained to each of the remaining training specifications identified in Exhibits 4B through 4F of this procurement? If not, please specify which exhibits incumbents must receive training on during the transition.

all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant

Training Frequency Exhibit Incumbents Qualified?

AED

ARC/AHA

Requirements N/A

Contractor Provided Basic Training *One Time Only 4B

CPR

ARC/AHA

Requirements N/A

Contractor-Provided Annual Weapons Refresher Training (Firearms)

Semi-Annual 4C & 4D

First Aid

ARC/AHA

Requirements N/A

Contractor-Provided Initial Weapons Training and Qualification

*One Time Only 4C

Contractor-Provided Annual Weapons Refresher Training (Less-Than-Lethal

Weapons) Annual 4C & 4D

Government Provided Orientation Training

*One Time Only 4G

Contractor Provided Refresher Every 3 Years 4E

Training Government Provided Screener

Training Annual 4G

Government Administered Written Exam

Upon Completion of Basic Training

N/A

84. Section 6.4.1.2 of the Statement of Work on page 80 of 291 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) Government-Provided Orientation Training (Exhibit 4G) Government-Administered Written Exam (Section 6.5)”

Question: Please confirm that the section mistakenly refers to Government Provided Orientation Training as Exhibit 4G and that the correct reference is 4F.

Answer: Confirmed.

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: All PSOs are required to complete all of the training and must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant contract. The COTR may accept training certification documentation for incumbent PSOs that is valid and meets the requirements of the contract being solicited.

85. Section 6.6.4.1 of the Statement of Work on page 82 of 291 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 201 of 291 provides in relevant part “Contractor will provide all PSOs, including part-time and reserve PSOs, 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

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: No to both questions.

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 (semi-automatic) in the RFP is the same as the current 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 the SOW. PSOs that have completed the initial training are not required to retake the training.

86. Section 6.8.1 of the Statement of Work on page 84 of 291 provides “PSOs must maintain a valid/current certification for First Aid/CPR/AED, from American Red Cross (ARC) or American Heart Association (AHA).”

Our question below presumes that the government has determined the specific needs so that

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

all PSO personnel must meet all contractual requirements to perform on the resultant

87. Section 7.3.1.1 of the Statement of Work on page 85 of 291 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 291 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?

88. Section 11.3.2 of the Statement of Work on page 99 of 291 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 45.

89. Section 12.1.2.1 of the Statement of Work on page 100 of 291 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.”

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

90. Section 13.5 of the Statement of Work on page 103 of 291 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?

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 stations will be located in Portland and Eugene, Oregon. The government will not provide separate reimbursement. Any associated travel costs shall be priced into the hourly rate.

91. Section 14.3.1 of the Statement of Work on page 105 of 291 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 206 of 291 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.

92. Section 14.4.6 of the Statement of Work on page 106 of 291 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 14.4.6 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?

93. Section 14.5.3 of the Statement of Work on page 106 of 291 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?

94. Exhibit 4C, Contractor Provided Initial and Transitional/Platform Firearms and Less-Than- Lethal Weapons Training and Qualification includes shotgun qualification requirements on pages 150 and 151 of 291. Also, a “Shotgun Qualification Course” is included on page 155 of 291 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?

The Shotgun Qualification Course provides the following Note: “A specific post requirement must exist for PSOs to be armed with a shotgun.”

Answer: No posts require shotguns at this time.

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

95. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission Requirements, on page 259 of 291 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.

96. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission

Requirements, Subpart 2 on page 260 of 291 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: 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.

97. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission

Requirements, Subpart 3 on page 261 of 291 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.

98. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Proposal Submission

Requirements, Subpart 3 on page 261 of 291 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?

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?

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

99. Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Technical Proposal

(Non-price factors), Section 1.D. on page 263 of 291 provides “Where contractor teaming arrangements (as defined at FAR Subpart 9.6) are proposed, a narrative shall be submitted as part of the proposal which clearly details the roles, responsibilities, and distribution of effort (by type and percentage) between the parties in performance of the Government’s requirement. This information should be provided by the managing partner of the joint venture or the prime contractor as a one (1) page supplement to its Past Project Forms (Attachment 3) and will not count against the 20-page size limitation on the proposal.”

Also, Section E, Part II Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Technical Proposal (Non-price factors), Section 3, Teaming Arrangements, on page 266 of 291 provides “Contractors shall outline any teaming arrangements proposed in response to this solicitation. The teaming arrangement shall be submitted as part of the proposal and clearly detail the roles, responsibilities, and distribution of effort (by type and percentage) between the parties in performance of the Government’s requirement.”

Question: Does the government require that Offerors submit the teaming arrangement description in a 1-page supplement to its Past Project Forms and also address the same information in the body of the proposal?

Answer: The 1-page supplement to the Past Project Form is to be provided when the past project was completed via a teaming arrangement.

Question: The RFP states that the 1-page supplement does not count against the 20-page size limitation, however, no such statement appears in the guidance found on page 266 of 291;

please clarify the impact on the page limitation.

Answer: See Amendment 000001

100. 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 264 of 291 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.