Smokejumper Protective Face Cage_RFI.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Smokejumper Protective Face Cage

(THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - A SOLICITATION IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE)

Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office: Forest Service Loca on: Na onal Technology & Development Program: Missoula, MT

RFI Issue Date: May 9, 2024

RFI Response Date: June 7, 2024

Synopsis:

This Request for Informa on (RFI) is solely for informa on and planning purposes. It shall not be construed as a solicita on or obliga on on the part of the USDA Forest Service. The purpose of this RFI is to iden fy qualified vendors to manufacture products for the Na onal Smokejumper Program this fiscal year. As a result of this RFI, the Forest Service Na onal Technology & Development Program (NTDP) may contact respondents for addi onal informa on sharing where respondents can discuss their product, services, and capabili es on face cage fabrica on. Vendors who do not receive further inquiry from NTDP may make contact on their own accord to provide/gather further detail. The Government will not pay for, nor reimburse, any expenses incurred in responding to this RFI.

NTDP does not intend to no fy respondents of the technical evalua on and will not share informa on made available; please ensure any sensi ve or protected informa on submi ed is marked as such.

The Forest Service reserves the right to cancel this request and change its requirements if needed and any material submi ed becomes the property of the Forest Service and will not be returned. Responding to this RFI does not guarantee par cipa on in any future ac vi es. Failure to respond to this RFI does not preclude bid in the future government solicita on.

Background:

NTDP has been tasked by the Na onal Smokejumper Program to evaluate technological advancements for Smokejumper personal protec ve equipment (PPE) and iden fy opportuni es to improve upon the Smokejumper protec ve face mask. The Smokejumper helmet with face mask is only worn during parachu ng opera ons. It is not u lized for firefigh ng opera ons and does not need to meet any heat requirements set forth by the Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on (NFPA) 1977, Standard on Protec ve Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Firefigh ng. NFPA 1977. Special considera ons for the face mask include:

- Does not impede operator vision.

- Durability/strength

Table 1 – Historical data for face cage fabrica on. Note that sta c load tes ng listed in the table represents the amount of force applied ll the point of permanent deformity.

Timeline Manufacturing Material (Steel)

Material Diameter (Inches)

Sta c Load Tes ng (Lbs. of force)

Deformity Measurement (Inches)

Pre 1996 12-guage 0.1084 1000 1/8 Post 1996 11-guage 0.1233 620 1/4 Post 2008 9-guage (outside frame) 11-guage (mesh lacing)

0.148

0.120

General:

Respondents will be contacted by NTDP to discuss further requirement details and inquire about material and design concepts. NTDP is seeking a long-term solu on to providing the Smokejumper program with a custom protec ve face cage that meets or exceeds the current standard issue protec ve face covering. An cipated quan es required are approximately 100 per year.

Products and services shall:

- Be designed for all-weather condi ons and varied environments.

- Meet or exceed strength ra ng of current face cage.

- Weight shall be equal to or less than that of current face cage. (Current, 1.2lbs.)

- Be compa ble with current Smokejumper helmet (POC ski racing helmet, model; Dura X/Dura

Comp).

- Provide tes ng reports for strength and deformity thresholds.

Figure 2 - Mask, Front view with dimensions Figure 3 - Mask, side view with dimensions

Figure 1 - Current protec ve face cage and a achment points. Note also shown is the POC ski racing helmet currently being u lized for Smokejumper head protec on.

US Forest Service, Business Opera ons Procurement and Property Services Special Project Opera on Center – East Branch Arthur Courtney, Contract Specialist Arthur.courtney@usda.gov

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. This RFI does not cons tute a solicita on for proposals or the authority to enter into nego a ons to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this contemplated effort. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as a request for proposal or as an obliga on on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No en tlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this RFI or the Government’s use of such informa on. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor’s input resul ng from this RFI. Response to this RFI will not be returned. Whatever informa on is provided may be u lized by the US Forest Service in developing its acquisi on strategy and its Statement of Work. The informa on resul ng from this RFI may be included/combined with other submissions in one or more op ons considered in the analysis of alterna ves. Any proprietary informa on that is submi ed may be used in establishing requirements, but specific informa on will be safeguarded as proprietary.

Submi al of Informa on:

Vendors responding to this Request for Informa on must provide the following:

A technical capability statement outlining core capabili es, available technology, past performance, and other differen ators that would indicate ability to meet needs in “General Requirements”. Response to this RFI shall be limited to twenty (20) pages.

The following informa on must be submi ed with your comments:

1) Company Name

2) Company Mailing Address

3) DUNS Number or Unique En ty ID (if registered in System for Award Management (SAM))*

4) Company Point of Contact (name, telephone number and e-mail address)

5) Company’s Size Standard (i.e. Large, Small, Veteran Owned, etc.) based on NAICS code 339920.

6) Exis ng Government Contract Numbers and Schedules (if any)

7) Provide Technical Capability Statement

- Provide a Technical capability statement that outlines the product and services that will meet the use parameters and a technical capability statement. Where applicable, the capability statement should include a sketch for proposed design ideas or modifica ons.

*Following Market Research, the Forest Service intends to issue a solicita on for this requirement an cipated in July 2024. Although System for Award Registra on (SAM) is not a requirement in response to this RFI, Offerors or quoters are required to be registered in SAM at the me an offer or quota on is submi ed in accordance with Federal Acquisi on Regula on (FAR) 4.1102.

PROVIDE ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION RELATING TO THIS RFI THAT WILL ASSIST THE

GOVERNMENT IN ADJUSTING THE CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR A FOLLOW-ON SOLICITATION.

The informa on requested by this RFI shall be provided, via email, by close of business (4:30 p.m.

Mountain Time) on June 7, 2024, to:

Jus n Gilman, Smokejumper Equipment Specialist, NTDP, jus n.gilman@usda.gov; and Derik Ryan, Smokejumper Equipment Specialist(detail), NTDP, derik.ryan@usda.gov

The U.S. Forest Service intends to use the RFI responses/informa on to assist with the development of solicita on to obtain products and services that match the technical specifica on.

(End of RFI)