Request For Information_FEMA REGION IX EMERGENCY MEDICAL MEMBERSHIP ACCESS.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)

REGION IX EMERGENCY MEDICAL MEMEBERSHIP ACCESS

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to conduct market research to identify qualified sources and obtain industry feedback regarding emergency medical member access, medical evacuation, and related transportation services for FEMA Region IX, which includes Pacific Basin, specifically Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). FEMA is seeking information about commercial practices, available service models, geographic coverage, rapid-response capabilities, pricing methodologies, subcontracting arrangements, and suitable acquisition structures. Information received may be used to refine the requirement and acquisition strategy.

GENERAL INFORMATION: This RFI is issued solely for information gathering purposes. In accordance with FAR 15.101(c), RFIs may be used when the Government wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, and capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these RFIs are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with their RFI response. Respondents will not receive additional information in response to their submittal to the RFI and will not be notified of the resulting market research.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND DISCLAIMERS: Respondents shall identify any proprietary information in its RFI response. Information submitted in response to this RFI will be used at the discretion of the Government. Further, the information submitted will remain confidential insofar as permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.

FEMA reserves the right to utilize any non-proprietary technical information in the anticipated PWS or solicitation.

Although it is not necessary to address in their response, respondents shall be aware of any potential, actual, or perceived organizational conflicts of interests. Any real or potential conflicts must be sufficiently mitigated prior to a contract award. For further guidance, refer to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 9.5.

A. Introduction The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is issuing this Sources Sought to conduct market research to identify qualified sources and obtain industry feedback regarding emergency medical member access, medical evacuation, and related transportation services for FEMA Region IX, which includes Pacific Basin, specifically Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). FEMA is seeking information about commercial practices, available service models, geographic coverage, rapid-response capabilities, pricing methodologies, subcontracting arrangements, and suitable acquisition structures. Information received may be used to refine the requirement and acquisition strategy.

B. Background FEMA employees regularly proceed on official travel to FEMA Region IX’s Area of Response (AOR)AOR to provide support and assistance. In the event of an emergency, FEMA employees from various locations throughout the United States may be deployed to this region. Due to the geographic isolation of the Pacific Islands and territories, obtaining timely medical services, medical advice, or medical coordination from a traveler’s Continental United States-based insurance company or medical provider may not be possible. Therefore, FEMA requires access to a third-party medical and security assistance services provider to support FEMA employees, or other members FEMA declares to be on a work-related assignment on behalf of FEMA, while on official travel within the Pacific Islands and/or territories, excluding Hawaii.

C. Draft Objectives The following are draft objectives for the requirement:

• Provide continuous 24 hours per day, 7 days per week access to clinical intake, case coordination, and emergency dispatch.

• Coordinate and provide timely medical transportation appropriate to the patient's clinical condition.

• Support fixed-wing, rotary-wing, ground ambulance, and medical escort transportation, as applicable.

• Maintain sufficient geographic coverage, provider networks, backup resources, and continuity capabilities for disaster conditions.

• Provide qualified medical personnel, properly equipped transportation assets, and required licenses, certifications, insurance, and regulatory approvals.

• Provide transparent, supportable pricing and complete mission, utilization, and invoicing documentation.

D. Draft Scope of Services The contemplated requirement may include the following services:

• Membership, readiness, and access to a 24-hour operations or assistance center.

• Clinical intake, medical necessity review, case management, and coordination with sending and receiving facilities.

• Emergency activation, dispatch, flight planning, and transportation logistics.

• Domestic and international fixed-wing air ambulance services.

• Rotary-wing air ambulance services when operationally appropriate.

• Ground ambulance transportation at the origin and destination.

• Medical escorts aboard commercial transportation.

• Basic, advanced, critical-care, bariatric, neonatal, infectious-disease, and other specialized transport capabilities, as required.

• Medical personnel and equipment appropriate to the patient's condition.

• Permits, landing approvals, international clearances, medical records coordination, and related logistical support.

• Backup transportation and continuity arrangements when the primary resource is unavailable.

• Mission status reporting, incident reporting, utilization reporting, and itemized invoicing.

E. NAICS Codes The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this requirement 621910 and/or 621999.

F. PRODUCT SERVICE CODE

The anticipated Product Service Code (PSC) for this requirement is Q999.

G. Contemplated Acquisition Approach For planning purposes only, FEMA is considering a commercial indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract under FAR Parts 12 and 16.5. FEMA is considering a firm-fixed-price membership or readiness component combined with fixed-unit-price mission services ordered as needed. FEMA is also evaluating whether a single-award, multiple-award, national, or regional structure would best support urgent requirements. No final acquisition strategy or contract type has been selected.

FEMA seeks to maximize firm-fixed-price ordering. If industry cannot reasonably establish fixed prices for limited categories of extraordinary costs, respondents should identify those categories and recommend a commercially customary, auditable, and appropriately controlled pricing method.

H. Draft CLIN and Pricing Structure

CLIN Draft service Unit Pricing method

0001 Membership, readiness, and 24-hour coordination Month or year Firm-fixed-price

0002 Case activation and dispatch Each activation Fixed unit price

0003 Fixed-wing air ambulance 0 to 500 miles Mission Fixed unit price

0004 Fixed-wing air ambulance 501 to 1,000 miles Mission Fixed unit price

0005 Fixed-wing air ambulance over 1,000 miles Mission or loaded mile Fixed unit price

0006 Rotary-wing air ambulance Mission, flight hour, or zone Fixed unit price

0007 Ground ambulance transportation Trip or loaded mile Fixed unit price

0008 Medical escort on commercial transportation Trip Fixed unit price

0009 Critical-care or specialized medical team Mission or hour Fixed unit price or rate

0010 Specialized medical equipment Item or use Fixed unit price

0011 Cancellation, diversion, waiting, or standby Event or time band Fixed unit price

0012 Extraordinary third-party expenses Not-to-exceed amount Industry input requested

The final pricing schedule may use distance bands, geographic zones, aircraft types, clinical-care levels, or other commercially customary units. FEMA requests recommendations that permit rapid ordering and meaningful price comparison while accounting for differences in mission conditions.

I. Information Requested Respondents should provide concise answers to the questions below. Respondents need not answer a question that is not applicable but should identify the question and explain why it does not apply.

8.1 Company and socioeconomic information

1. Provide the legal business name, physical address, website, Unique Entity Identifier, Commercial and Government Entity code, and primary point of contact.

2. Identify the company's business size under the proposed NAICS code and all applicable socioeconomic categories.

3. Describe experience providing comparable medical evacuation or medical transportation services to international customers.

8.2 Commercial service model

5. Are the contemplated services customarily offered and sold to non-governmental customers?

Describe the commercial customer base and standard terms of sale.

6. Describe available membership, subscription, readiness, pay-per-use, all-inclusive, insurance-supported, or other commercial service models.

7. Explain exactly what is included in a membership or readiness fee and which costs are separately charged when an evacuation occurs.

8. If an all-inclusive membership is available, describe coverage limits, exclusions, eligibility determinations, utilization restrictions, and circumstances under which a member may remain financially responsible.

9. Identify any standard commercial terms that may conflict with customary Federal contract terms and propose alternatives.

8.3 Operational capability and coverage

10. Describe domestic, territorial, tribal, remote-area, and international coverage, including material gaps or limitations.

11. Describe the 24-hour intake, clinical review, authorization, dispatch, and mission-monitoring process and typical response and mobilization times.

12. Identify fixed-wing, rotary-wing, ground ambulance, commercial medical escort, and specialized transport capabilities.

13. Describe owned, leased, network, and subcontracted transportation resources. State what percentage of anticipated missions would likely be subcontracted.

14. Describe backup coverage, surge capacity, and continuity procedures during widespread disasters, airport closures, communications outages, or competing demands.

15. Identify applicable Federal, state, local, international, aviation, medical, licensing, accreditation, insurance, and patient-privacy requirements normally associated with these services.

8.4 Pricing and ordering

16. Recommend the most appropriate contract and ordering structure, including whether a single-award, multiple-award, regional, or national vehicle would best support urgent missions.

17. Can the draft CLINs be priced using firm-fixed prices or fixed unit rates? Recommend revisions to the CLINs, units of measure, and distance or geographic bands.

18. Describe how commercial customers are charged for flight time, mileage, repositioning, fuel, medical personnel, routine equipment, ground transportation, landing fees, permits, waiting, diversions, and cancellations.

19. Identify costs that cannot reasonably be included in established fixed prices. For each, explain why and recommend an auditable pricing and ceiling mechanism.

20. Identify the utilization, covered-population, geographic, clinical, deployment, or historical data needed to price the membership and mission services.

21. Describe customary annual price adjustments or economic price adjustment indices, if any.

22. Recommend an appropriate minimum order, maximum contract value, ordering period, and any minimum mission value or other commercial ordering constraint.

23. Describe the information needed at activation to provide a reliable authorization or not-to-exceed mission amount without delaying emergency response.

8.5 Performance and administration

24. Recommend measurable response-time, mobilization, availability, mission-completion, reporting, and quality standards.

25. Describe the documentation customarily provided to validate mileage, flight time, clinical staffing, equipment, third-party charges, and mission completion.

26. Identify any patient information, medical records, system access, cybersecurity, or privacy considerations FEMA should address.

27. Describe significant risks, assumptions, limitations, or barriers that could affect competition, performance, or price.

28. Provide any additional recommendations that would improve the feasibility, commerciality, responsiveness, or cost-effectiveness of the contemplated requirement.

9 Optional Rough Order of Magnitude Information

To assist market research, respondents may provide nonbinding rough order of magnitude information or representative commercial pricing. Any pricing information should identify assumptions, inclusions, J. Response Instructions Interested parties shall respond to this Request for Information as follows.

Include “Region IX Emergency Medical Membership Access” in the email subject line. All responses shall be unclassified. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. The document format shall be either Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. Pages shall be 8.5 inch by 11 inch and shall use 12-point Franklin Gothic Book font type, except for charts, graphs, or tables, which shall not be smaller than 10-point font. Responses shall not exceed 20 single-sided pages in length including images, data displays, charts, graphs, and tables. Page limitation does not include one (1) cover page and/or Table of Contents. Do not include promotional materials. Any submission exceeding the page limit will not be reviewed.

No inquiries will be accepted at this time. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the market research. Vendor responses may be incorporated and used to develop the final SOW as well as any future solicitation.

Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to the following points of contacts:

Contracting Officer, Keturah Stroy at Keturah.Stroy@fema.dhs.gov

Response Due By: September 16, 2026, 1:00PM, ET mailto:Keturah.Stroy@fema.dhs.gov