Statement of Work for Mortuary Contract.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK- BURIAL SERVICES

INTRODUCTION

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Medical Center, Rochester, Minnesota, intends to make a single award for the provision of burial services to a responsible contractor who can provide the services in accordance with the stated requirements for the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The Federal Medical Center (FMC) is located at 2110 East Center Street, Rochester, Minnesota. The Contractor shall provide complete burial services to include burial services specified below for FMC Rochester. The base period of performance will be from effective date of award through twelve (12) months, with an anticipated start date of June 1, 2022.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Sequence of events following the death of an inmate

Contractor will be contacted by the Correctional Supervisor to advise of the inmate’s death. Within two hours of notification, the Contractor will pick the body up at the designated institution of the inmate, or occasionally at a local community hospital.

An autopsy will be performed consistent with Minnesota State Law at the direction of the coroner.

Contractor will be notified by the Contracting Staff, Chaplain, or Health Service Administrator if an autopsy will not be required. If an autopsy is required, the Contractor will perform arterial embalming (unless otherwise instructed) and await further instructions.

The Contracting Officer, Health Service Administrator, or Chaplain will notify the Contractor of final arrangements to be made: 1) local burial, 2) shipment of remains. When a local burial is necessary, a Medical Center chaplain will view the body as well as conduct or supervise the grave-side ceremony.

When shipment of the body is required, the Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) will periodically view the body.

Shipment of the remains will be by whatever conveyance is most cost beneficial to the government.

Transportation of remains will be provided to an inmate’s place of conviction or to the legal residence within the United States or its territories. Shipment of remains will be coordinated between the Contractor and the COTR.

Contractor will work with the FMC’s chaplain to work out an acceptable time and date for local burial.

Contractor will also work with the Contracting Officer or Chaplain concerning shipment of each body to: 1) exchange information concerning the name, address and phone number of the receiving funeral home, 2) name and location of cemetery and date of burial, if known, 3) exchange information necessary to complete death certificates and other necessary legal documents, and (4) provide shipping arrangements to include times, dates, flight numbers, airlines, airports, airway bill number and cost. Contractor will notify the receiving funeral home concerning all shipping arrangements, while Social Worker will notify the next of kin of the arrangements.

DISPOSITION OF DECEASED INMATES

The following specifications and procedures outlining shipment of a deceased inmate are provided for guidance purposes.

The Contractor agrees that the quality of all material and services furnished hereunder will not be inferior to these specifications.

All state and interstate shipment laws relating to the embalming, preparation, burial, and shipment of bodies must be fully observed and complied with, and in any case wherein the state law contains requirements more rigid than the requirements set forth herein, such laws will be controlling.

a. General. The Contractor shall pick up the body and transport to the contractor’s funeral parlor in a suitable closed conveyance. After embalming and dressing, the contractor shall transport the body to the air terminal, or local cemetery as directed by the Contracting Officer or designee. Cemeteries located within a 50-mile radius of the institution will be considered local cemeteries for local burial purposes unless the Contracting Officer specifies otherwise. The contractor shall secure or furnish all necessary papers and permits for shipment or internment. Suitable space in the undertaking establishment shall be available for the performance of postmortem examinations when requested by the Government.

b. Preparation of Body. Complete embalming services will be performed including all standard practices to conform to applicable state laws.

• The Contractor shall restore the body to be as lifelike in appearance as is possible, including shaving face and neck, trimming hair of head, neck, and face, dressing hair properly, applying suitable cosmetics, performing derma-surgery and other restorative work as may be necessary.

The body will be placed in the casket in such a manner as to create an appearance of rest and composure, and to assure maintenance of position during shipment or local burial.

• The Contractor will furnish and dress the body in all appropriate clothing, including cotton undershorts and undershirts, regular length socks, manufactured burial suit of dark or conservative color.

c. Burial Cases. There are, in general, two different types of burial cases. Each body shall be embalmed according to its condition and in a manner to ensure thorough preservation of all tissues. All body orifices shall be treated and closed in accordance with state laws. A post-embalming inspection of each body shall be made by the embalmer to determine whether the preservation is uniform and complete, or whether further treatment is required. If further treatment is required, it shall be given before final delivery of the body. The body must be in an acceptable state of preservation at the time of final delivery.

• Normal Cases. Appropriate when death has been due to disease or other causes, and where there has been little or no mutilation or breakdown of body tissue. For such cases, preservation shall be accomplished by a thorough cavity treatment. Standard preservative solutions shall be used for the arterial injections and cavity saturation.

• Autopsied Cases. This will be where a partial or complete autopsy has been made to an extent which will not permit a normal arterial embalming operation. FMC Rochester will notify the contractor in writing to conduct a complete autopsy. Sectional embalming shall be used to thoroughly preserve the body, including organs, and the inside of the body cavity shall be treated with a hardening compound. The cranial cavity shall be filled with plaster of paris or other suitable material and the calvarium securely replaced. All incisions shall be tightly sutured and treated to prevent leakage.

• Cremation. Cremation shall be authorized in accordance with Minnesota state law by the individual through an advance directive or by the legal next of kin. The Contractor will be notified as soon as WRITTEN VERIFICATION has been received authorizing cremation. A standard container shall be provided that is sealed and capable of transportation through the U.S.

Mail or other common carrier. Shipment of remains to the next of kin will be made by either the Contractor or the crematory, and will be sent first class, certified receipt. Reimbursement at the current postal rate will utilized.

d. Casket. A standard size casket, manufactured in accordance with minimum industry standards shall be furnished. If a requirement for a sealed or oversize casket arises, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer for authorization.

(1) METAL. State perfection cut, 20 gauge steel shell, light copper or grey with no shading, lacquer finish, interior plain panel, ivory twill, no shirring, and matching color hardware (handles).

e. Outside Container. Each casket shall be furnished with the types of outside container required by industry standards. The type of container may differ depending on the mode of transportation required.

f. Shipping of Body. In the event of an inmate death, the same regulations apply as those for transportation for an inmate release. Shipment of the remains will be by whatever conveyance is most cost beneficial to the government. Transportation of remains will be provided to an inmate’s place of conviction or to the legal residence within the United States or its territories. Shipment of remains will be coordinated between the Contractor and the COTR. If the inmate’s family wants the body returned to an alternate location, the family is responsible for pickup of the body from that point or directly from the burial services contractor.

The following methods are authorized for transportation:

1. Air/Train Transportation. If the location is such that transportation by air or train is beneficial to the Government, these transportation services can be acquired.

2. Ground Transportation. If the location is such that transportation by ambulance or hearse is beneficial to the Government, the burial contract mileage rate will be the rate in the burial services contract.

The contractor is responsible for making all shipping arrangements for transportation (i.e. air travel, train, etc.). If location is such that transportation by ambulance or hearse is beneficial to the Government, the burial contract mileage rate will be the rate in the burial service contract. Accordingly, if the deceased inmate’s record of residence is outside the United States, transportation to the residence of record is appropriate. If the family wants the body returned to a location, other than the two alternatives mentioned above, the family is responsible for pickup of the body from that point, or directly from the burial service contractor.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT CASKETS

g. SEALED CASKET. Metal, 20 gauge steel shell, constructed in accordance with industry standards of commercial practice so as to form a hermetic seal which will prevent leakage or escape of odors when properly closed and sealed. THIS ITEM TO BE FURNISHED ONLY WHEN ORDERED, as in the case of death by communicable disease, to meet pertinent state or interstate regulations, or in cases of badly decomposed or odoriferous body.

h. OUTSIDE CONTAINER. Each casket shall be furnished with one of the following types of outside containers, depending upon the type of service required.

(1) In cases of shipment by air, either a commercial air shipping bag used by commercial airlines or an air shipment tray available for purchase and used by Funeral Directors shall be provided.

(2) In cases of shipment by rail and/or foreign shipments, the outside shipping container shall be constructed of one inch seasoned wood in accordance with best modern practices and equipped with bolted handles complying with laws governing the same.

(3) In case of local burial, rules and regulations of the cemetery in which internment is made shall govern the type of container to be furnished. Unless otherwise specified, the outside container furnished shall be constructed of one inch seasoned wood manufactured in accordance with the best modern practice. No handles will be required.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

The contractor will supply proof of licensing. The contractor will also maintain insurance necessary to cover all potential losses. The contractor will hold harmless the Federal Medical Center Rochester from all third party claims that may arise from the operation of this contract.

WORK MANAGEMENT

The successful contractor will be required to follow any and all applicable guidelines for the services to be provided.

The resultant contract will require the Contractor to operate a limited system of records as identified for medical treatment documentation, and require adherence to the Privacy Act of 1974. Death Notices will not be placed in any media type newspaper.

The successful Contractor will be required to submit detailed itemized invoices for payment with a copy of the air freight bill.

The successful Contractor will notify the Contracting Officer’s Technical representative within 10 days of award the cemetery utilized for local burials.

INSTITUTION SECURITY

The contractor agrees to adhere to all regulations prescribed by the institution for safety, custody and conduct of inmates. In accordance with BPAP 37.103 (b) regarding service contracts, the contractor agrees to security investigative procedures including:

(1) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check;

(2) DOJ-99 (name check);

(3) FD-258 (fingerprint check);

(4) Law Enforcement Agency checks;

(5) Vouchering of Employers;

(6) Resume/Personal Qualifications;

(7) OPM-329-A (Authority for Release of Information; and

(8) National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) check (if applicable).

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

This is a contractual agreement and not a Civil Service appointment. As specified in FAR 37.101 "Nonpersonal Service Contracts" means a contract under which the personnel rendering the services are not subject, either by the contract's terms or by the manner of its administration, to the supervision and control usually prevailing in relationships between the Government and its employees. All duties outlined in this Statement of Work shall be performed in accordance with standards and methods generally accepted within the Contractor's own field of expertise. Payment shall be based on the accomplishment of specific results, and the results to be obtained shall be entirely within the Contractor's own unsupervised determination. The Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) will periodically evaluate the contractor's performance of the contract. In this evaluation, the performance of the contractor will be evaluated by the COTR. If the performance of an individual is deemed unacceptable based on the COTR, that individual will no longer perform those duties. In this event, the contractor will be responsible for replacing that individual.

The Contractor is solely responsible for full compliance with all Federal, State, Local and Bureau of Prisons laws, policies, rules and regulations. In the event that two or more of the regulations conflict, the strictest of the regulations shall apply. The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all equipment, labor, licenses, maintenance, materials, parts, permits, repairs, tools, etc. needed to carry out the requirements of this contract.

PAYMENT TERMS

Contractor will be paid via BPA calls with a government purchase card upon receipt of a complete invoice.