P03 - 36C262-22-AP-0438 - AMBULANCE SERVICES - D.C - Signed.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR

CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 600-22-1-032-0011

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Regional Procurement Office – West, 4811 Airport Plaza Drive, Suite 600, 90815, as requested by VA Long Beach Healthcare System

(VALBHS).

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: The proposed sole source requirement is a firm-fixed price (FFP) for a purchase order for that requires Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Critical Care Transportation ambulances services for Veteran beneficiaries for the VALBHS with Liberty Ambulance. The total estimated value of the proposed action including options is $673,226.95.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The requirement is to provide all necessary labor, parts, tools, transportation and supervision to perform ambulance services.

including Basic Life Support ambulance services who require lie down services and possible non-medicated IV’s and oxygen, an ALS with a minimum of two (2) EMTs and a CCT that has the capability of providing a Licensed Critical Care Nurse and Licensed Respiratory Therapist.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition: FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) for restricting competition on this procurement. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

( ) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency

Requirements

(X) Unusual and Compelling Urgency ( ) Industrial Mobilization, Engineering, Developmental or Research Capability or Expert

Services ( ) International Agreement ( ) Authorized or Required by Statute ( ) National Security ( ) Public Interest

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority): Ambulance services is required to transport Veterans to or from the VA Long Beach Healthcare System (VALBHS) and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) for emergent and non-emergent health care. Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Critical Care Team (CCT) transportation is requested from a vendor that can provide all three types of transports within the governments required response times. The Long Beach Ambulance contract is not successfully being fulfilled by the current contractor due to excessive delays in response times, lack of ambulance staffing, and the overall unsatisfactory performance from our current contractor. The delays in transports for our Veterans causes a postponement in care and prolonged treatment. Market research has been conducted and Liberty Ambulance is the only contractor able to meet the government’s required response times with the appropriate levels of care.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: Synopsis of the proposed contract action was posted on Federal Contracting Opportunities (FCO) website.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: The anticipated cost is determined to be fair and reasonable based on the market research and historical pricing of the similar procurements.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: As described in Section 6 above, market research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by synopsis of the proposed acquisition, advising industry of the pending acquisition, and soliciting inquiries from interested parties.

a. Liberty Ambulance: response time BLS, CCT 60 minutes, ALS 30 minutes, 50% of nurses are ICU nurses and can operate an aortic balloon pump, ambulance services are available with a minimum of two EMT’s.

b. Ambu-Serve: EMS BLS, CCT response time is BLS is sixty minutes, ALS is 30 minutes, and CCT is 60, willing to have an ambulance on station if 5 or more transports per day, they are not licensed to pick up in Arizona or Nevada but can drop off in these states. They cannot provide qualified personnel to operate an aortic balloon pump and cannot provide service in the Nevada nor Arizona area.

c. Med Coast Ambulance: response time BLS, CCT 60 minutes, ALS 30 minutes, They can also provide transport to the Nevada and Arizona area, however they cannot provide qualified personnel to operate an aortic balloon pump.

Considering the nature of this requirement, it’s in the best interest of the Government to award to Liberty Ambulance who was the incumbent prior to the new contract being put in place. Liberty ambulance performed ambulance services satisfactorily for over 4 years.

8. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: Med Reach Ambulance Service and Lynch Ambulance responded but they currently do not have CCT transport services available in the Long Beach area. PRN Ambulance also responded but they are not able to have a transport team available within the required response times.

9. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition: Liberty Ambulance;

Ambu-Serve Ambulance; Med Coast Ambulance.

10. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to

Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

11. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona

Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

12. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the market place that would enable future actions to be competed.

13. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Name Date Title Facility

11/03/2021

14. Approvals in accordance with the VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP:

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Sandra Fusco Date Contracting Officer VHA RPO - West

b. One Level Above the Contracting Officer (Required over SAT but not exceeding $700K): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Chelsea Black Date Division Chief/VHA RPO - West http://vaww.pclo.infoshare.va.gov/PMWeb/VHAPM_Part_806.3.aspx