RFP_6400_PLS3020_ATT_4_v1.pdf

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SOLICITATION NO. RFP 6400 PLS3020

Description: TOWER CLIMBING SERVICES

1.0 Purpose

The City of Austin Technology Services (ATS)-Mobile Radio Communications (MRC) seeks a qualified Contractor for tower climbing, repair, and inspection. This contract is needed for maintaining the City of Austin's (COA) radio and mobile data antenna tower infrastructure. These services will be available on an “as-needed basis.”

2.0 Term of Contract

This Contract shall remain in effect for an initial term of 12 (twelve) months, or the City terminates the Contract. This Contract may be extended beyond the initial term for up to four (4) additional 12 (twelve) month periods at the City’s sole option.

3.0 Background

ATS-MRC is responsible for directing repairs and maintenance oversight of numerous communication antenna systems which include guyed and self-supporting towers, power-pole-mounted antennas, building-mounted antennas, and microwave antenna systems belonging to COA and other local government agencies. The frequency range of these antenna systems varies from Very High Frequency (VHF), Ultra High Frequency (UHF), 700 and 800 MHz, 1.9, 2.4, 4.9, 6, 10, and 11 GHz microwave. The typical tower or structure height is between 20 and 450 feet. Sometimes service may be requested for work on commercial broadcast tower antenna systems up to 1000 feet. Most of the tower sites are located within Travis County; however, there are some towers located in neighboring counties.

4.0 Contractor’s Tasks/Requirements

4.1 General Tower Services

The Contractor shall:

• Perform tower climbing of ascending tall structures like cell, broadcast, and wind towers for maintenance or installation.

• Perform tower maintenance and regular inspections, repairs, and upkeep of communication or structural towers to ensure safety, functionality, and compliance.

• Perform tower inspections and evaluations of structures like cell, broadcast, and utility towers to assess their structural integrity, safety, and functionality, checking for damage, corrosion, loose hardware, and ensuring compliance.

• Perform tower dismantling and disassembly of tower structures using support cranes and specialized equipment.

• Perform repairs and installations that include structural fixes, grounding, antenna work, mechanical and structural upkeep, leak repair, part replacement, rigging, and welding, with services including emergency repairs, site upgrades, and full system replacements.

• Comply with all requirements of Motorola R56 (Standards and Guidelines for Communication Sites), a comprehensive, industry-accepted guide for the

2 | P a g e design, installation, and maintenance of secure, high-reliability communication sites.

4.2 Tower Maintenance & Inspection

The Contractor shall:

• Perform routine tower maintenance, conduct tower inspections, antenna/mount inspections, and guy-wire tension measurements and safety inspections. Plum and re-tension of guywires, if required.

• Document antenna and coaxial cable (coax) locations, install mounting structures and perform monopole maintenance or installation.

• Perform tower dismantling or disassembly, including lighting maintenance as required.

• Repair tower lighting systems and replace strobes, beacons, side-marking lights, and bulbs, repair lightning-related damage to lighting systems, perform power/control wiring maintenance, waterproofing, and cable/connection repairs and replacements.

4.3 Coax, Hardline, and Waveguide Services

• Install, repair, replace, or remove coax, hardline, and elliptical waveguide transmission lines.

• Provide mounting support installation or repair.

• Ensure grounding meets R56 standards at antenna, every 75 feet, tower demarcation, and building entrance.

• Waterproof all coax using vapor wrap and UV-resistant tape. Heat-shrink, sparry, or coatings are not allowed.

• Ensure proper lightning protection and grounding for all coax systems.

• Perform transmission line testing including Standing Wave Radio (SWR), Distance-To-Fault (DTF) sweeps, and Frequency Domain Reflectometer (FDR) sweeps.

4.4 Antenna Services

• Install new antennas or repair existing antenna systems, perform SWR, DTF, and FDR testing, remove old antennas and relocate antennas to new positions as directed.

4.5 Diagnostic Assistance

• Assist ATS-MRC in identifying and repairing faulty antenna systems, provide technical support for poor coverage or performance issues, perform diagnostic testing including SWR, DTF, and FDR sweeps as needed.

4.6 Microwave & Waveguide Equipment

• Repair or replace microwave dishes and elliptical waveguide systems, including connector repairs.

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4.7 Grounding & Lightning Protection

• Install and maintain grounding systems in compliance with R56 and other applicable standards, ensure proper lightning protection for all installed or repaired systems.

4.8 New System Installations

• Perform new antenna system installations and ensure full compliance with City technical requirements.

4.9 Disposal of Removed Equipment

• Remove and dispose of old or damaged equipment (antennas, coax, mounts, catwalks, etc.)

• Disposal must comply with COAD asset retirement and applicable laws, items may only be removed when identified and approved by ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee, no equipment may be removed from a site without explicit City approval.

4.10 Tower Climbers and Ground Crew Employee Safety Protocol and Certification

4.10.1 General Safety Rules

• All employees must comply with best practices for Tower Climbers and Ground Crew Employees as per Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Communication Tower Best Practices.

4.10.2 Tie-Off & Fall Protection

• In this scope of work, “100 percent tie-off" for tower climbers refers to remaining continuously always connected to an approved fall protection system while at heights, ensuring no moment occurs without security, even while moving.

4.10. 3 Request for Quote (RFQ) The Contractor must maintain 24/7 availability and comply with the following requirements:

• Provide a detailed response that includes a list of deliverables, project schedule, and pricing. The Contractor must be available to commence work within two (2) business days of RFQ issuance, or at a later date if requested.

• Emergency Services: The Contractor must be available to respond within four

(4) hours of RFQ submission, or at a later time if requested. All services must be completed within the timeframe specified by the State.

4.10.4 Training & Oversight

• The Contractor shall ensure a qualified and competent individual is always present on-site during the execution of work activities. This person should monitor the mental and physical well-being of climbers on their team. The competent person should have authority to stop an unfit employee from

4 | P a g e climbing and should be expected to exercise that authority whenever necessary to ensure the safety of employees at the site.

• Work stops immediately whenever any serious safety issue is reported on a work project. Work shall not be restarted until the tower owner has received proof that the unsafe condition has been eliminated. Contractor shall notify COA Division Manager / IT Manager Field Services or designee- should be reported immediately (within 30 minutes of stopping work) with follow-up in writing.

• The Contractor shall submit an annual training plan and report for crew members to meet safety, skills, and awareness requirements.

Reports shall:

I. Be submitted annually, no later than the anniversary date of

MA renewal).

II. Include confirmation that all crew members meet required training standards.

4.10.5 Certification Requirements

• Tower climbers must be certified as per National Wireless Safety Alliance

(NWSA) guidelines (TTT-1, TTT-2, A&L, ARC etc.) and verified with NWSA Clarus prior to start of each tower project.

• Crew members must have at a minimum Entry Level certification and Supervisors to have Advanced Level certifications.

4.11 Parts

• Contractor shall provide all parts unless supplied by the City, to expeditiously complete a job during installation or maintenance.

• Parts may include, but are not limited to, coax connectors, ground kits, waterproofing materials, lamps, and miscellaneous hardware such as screws and nuts. Parts must be billed as shown on the Price Sheet.

• Use new parts unless prior written approval is obtained from ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services, or designee.

4.12 Tower Site Security

• Coordinate with the ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee for tower access, appointment times, and work with other site vendors to coordinate services on towers.

• Have an ATS-MRC escort who will be coordinated by the ATS-MRC’s field services manager or designee.

• Protect the security of tower sites by ensuring that gates and doors are properly locked at the sites when entering and leaving the premises.

5.0 Services Delivery Requirements

5.1 City Requests for Quotes

5.2 Response and Service Requirements

5.2.1 Preparedness: The Contractor shall arrive with all tools, equipment, and parts necessary to fully complete the repair to the extent possible.

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5.2.2 Notification: The Contractor shall provide the ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee with a 24x7 answered telephone number to a contact that has the authority to initiate a repair service call.

5.2.3 Normal Service Call Request: Contractor shall be on-site and available for work within 48 (forty-eight) hours of telephone notification by ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee requesting quoted service. A "Normal Service Call" shall be Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

5.2.4 Emergency Service Call Request: Contractor shall be on-site and available for work within four (4) hours of a request for emergency service repair. An "Emergency Service Call" shall be Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:01 PM and 5:59 AM, Saturday, Sunday, and City Holidays.

6.0 City’s Responsibilities

The City of Austin will:

6.1 Identification of Equipment for Removal or Disposal

6.1.1 Identify which items (antennas, coax, mounts, catwalks, etc.) may be removed from a tower site.

6.1.2 Provide approval before any equipment is removed or disposed of.

6.1.3 Ensure only ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee give approval for disposal actions.

6.2 Authorization & Oversight

6.2.1 Designate ATS-MRC Division Manager, IT Manager Field Services or designee responsible for overseeing Contractor work and providing direction as needed.

6.3 Access Coordination

6.3.1 Coordinate tower site access, appointment times, and scheduling with the

Contractor.

6.3.2 Provide necessary information about site conditions, restrictions, or safety considerations.

6.3.3 Provide access upon passing criminal background checks.

6.4 Technician Support for Diagnostics

6.4.1 Make ATS-MRC’s technicians available when Contractor assistance is needed to diagnose antenna system failures, poor coverage, or performance issues.

6.5 Provision of Parts

6.5.1 If applicable, provide parts.

6.5.2 When the City chooses to supply parts instead of using Contractor-furnished materials, the City will provide those parts in a timely manner to avoid delaying the work.

6.6 Compliance Information

6.6.1 Provide the Contractor with applicable City policies, including asset retirement and disposal procedures, safety requirements and any site-specific rules or Radio Frequency exposure information.

7.0 Specific Invoice Requirements

The City’s preference is to have invoices emailed to ctmapinvoices@austintexas.gov. For questions regarding your invoice/payment please contact the City Contract Manager.

mailto:ctmapinvoices@austintexas.gov

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8.0 Designation of Key Personnel

The City and the Contractor resolve to keep the same key personnel assigned to this engagement throughout its term. If it becomes necessary for the Contractor to replace any key personnel, the replacement will be an individual having equivalent experience and competence in executing projects such as the one described herein. Additionally, the Contractor shall promptly notify the City and obtain approval for the replacement. Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Contractor’s and City’s key personnel are identified as follows:

Name/ Title Phone Number

Email Address

City Contract Manager

David Farries 512-972-

David.Farries@austintexas.gov

City Contract Administrator, Procurement Specialist

Genesis Torres- Gonzalez

512-974-

Genesis.Torres- Gonzalez@austintexas.gov

City Contract Monitor

Arletha Guerrero

737-224-arletha.guerrero@austintexas.gov

9.0 Travel Expenses

Mileage and other travel expenses are not reimbursable and shall not be billed. This also applies to travel between tower site locations under this contract. However, the Contractor may charge one round-trip flat fee as indicated on the Price Sheet per three-member crew.

mailto:David.Farries@austintexas.gov