W81K00-26-R-A051 Questions and Answers_29 Sept.pdf

Ground Ambulance services – Questions and Answers – W81K00-26-R-A051

Question #1. Company’s State of Louisiana EMS License — scope and timing (PWS §4.1) PWS §4.1 requires “a copy of the Company’s State of Louisiana EMS License” in addition to the individual Louisiana licenses required by Technical Exhibit C. Because the Government furnishes the ambulances (PWS §3.4), please confirm: (a) that §4.1 means a Louisiana Department of Health ambulance-service license issued to the company; (b) whether that license must be in hand at proposal, at award, or at the 1 April 2027 start of performance; (c) whether a complete LDH application pending the required on-site inspection is acceptable at start; and (d) whether GFP vehicle VINs, plate numbers, and unit numbers will be released immediately after award so the LDH packet can be filed. LDH closes an application if the service is not inspection-ready within 90 days of fee payment.

Government answer #1: (a) Yes, LRS 40:1235.2 governs state licensing for ambulance services.

(b) Timing: Standard IL5 credentialing (PWS §10.1) requires submitting completed credentialing packets 45 days prior to start (February 15, 2027).

(c) Pending Status: PWS §14.1 states any failure to meet credentialing/licensing is "basis for termination." An active license is required.

(d) GFP VINs: Must be requested immediately upon award to meet the 90-day LDH inspection window.

Question #2. Individual licenses at start versus the 180-day NREMT sentence (Tech. Ex. C) Technical Exhibit C requires Louisiana licensure with no portability, and also states EMT personnel shall “obtain the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Certification within 180 days of employment.” Please confirm that every EMT and Paramedic will hold an active Louisiana Bureau of EMS license on the first shift he or she works, and that the 180-day window applies only to NREMT — not to the Louisiana license.

Government answer #2: PWS §1.5.1 explicitly mandates that personnel must be currently certified by the NREMT at the start of performance. There is no 180-day grace period in this PWS text. All providers must hold active Louisiana and NREMT credentials on day one.

Question #3. EMS Medical Director — location and LDH service-director role (PWS §5.1.1

/ CLIN 0007)

Technical Exhibit C already states the Medical Director qualifications (M.D./D.O., board-eligible or board-certified Emergency Medicine). Attachment 3 funds 0.5 FTE (480 hours in the base period; 960 hours in each option year). Please confirm: (a) whether the 0.5 FTE may be performed remotely or must be on-installation; (b) whether that physician must hold a Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners license; and (c) whether the same physician will also serve as the LDH-required service medical director for the company license in PWS §4.1.

Government answer #3: a) Location: Clinical oversight, protocol coordination (PWS §7.2), and training coordinate directly with the department chief, suggesting on-site presence is required.

(b) Licensure: Yes, directing clinical services in Louisiana requires a Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners license.

(c) Dual Role: The Medical Director must sign off on clinical protocols, aligning with the LDH service director requirement.

Question #4. Two stations versus co-location at MEDDAC (PWS §1.5.4.3.1 and §5.1.2.f) PWS §1.5.4.3.1 requires “coverage for two (2) stations” 24/7/365. PWS §5.1.2.f requires the ambulances to be “co-located at the Fort Polk MEDDAC.” PWS §3.2 provides workspace “at the Medical Stations.” Please confirm whether both units operate from a single MEDDAC bay or from two posts, and what crew-rest or standby space the Government will make available at each location.

Government answer #4: Operational Setup: The PWS text indicates a shared facility/living quarters setup (PWS §4.2.i) where EMS teams reside and perform daily cleanup. While they monitor dispatch 24/7 (PWS §5.2), the physical crew-rest/living quarters are shared, indicating co-location at a primary base (MEDDAC) with coverage zones.

Question #5. Field hours have no CLIN (PWS §1.5.6 / Attachment 3) PWS §1.5.6 requires additional coverage, on an hourly basis with advance notice, for one separate Government-furnished ambulance at MASCAL, MWR, and community events.

Attachment 3 has no field-hour CLIN. Please confirm how those hours will be ordered and paid (Excess / Call-Back CLINs, a CLIN to be added, or inside the 24/7 FTE hours) and the estimated annual quantity.

Government answer #5: Payment Method: Since there is no standalone "Field Hour" CLIN in your referenced Attachment 3, these hours must be tracked as Excess Hours under PWS §2.1.4 (which covers crew overlaps and transition periods) or billed within the core 24/7 FTE hours if scheduled as part of standard shift coverage.

Question #6. On-Call versus Excess / Call-Back (Attachment 3) Attachment 3 prices both On-Call hours and Excess / Call-Back hours for Paramedic, EMT- Basic, and Senior Paramedic. Neither term is defined in the PWS. Please define each, confirm whether On-Call is paid for availability if the employee is not activated, state any minimum call-back guarantee, and state whether On-Call personnel must remain on the installation.

Government answer #6:

• On-Call (Stand-by): Personnel are not required to remain at BJACH or their residence but must be reachable by phone (PWS §2.1.3). Paid for availability.

• Call-Back: Actual clinical work performed upon returning to BJACH. Paid at the normal hourly rate.

• Location: Personnel may move freely within a radius that allows a 60-minute physical response to BJACH.

Question #7. First Due ePCR — mandatory brand or FedRAMP equivalent (PWS §4.3) PWS §4.3 names First Due as the Contractor-furnished ePCR, FedRAMP Moderate, with three iPads and a printer to transfer data to MHS Genesis. Please confirm whether First Due is a brand-name requirement or whether an equivalent FedRAMP Moderate cloud ePCR with a demonstrated MHS Genesis transfer method is acceptable. If First Due is mandatory, please confirm an interface already exists at BJACH / MEDDAC.

Government answer #7: The PWS text does not explicitly name "First Due" but does mandate compatibility with Sweet Soft/Pro QA and MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) systems (PWS §5.2.1).

Any equivalent system must interface seamlessly with Fort Polk DES and MEDCOM IT infrastructure.

Question #8. Controlled medications and DEA / Louisiana CDS (PWS §3.4 and §5.1.2.w) PWS §3.4 states the Government furnishes “non-controlled substance medications.” PWS §5.1.2.n and §5.1.2.w require Paramedics to administer drugs, including by IV, under standing orders and radio order. Please confirm whether controlled substances are used on these units and, if so, who holds the DEA registration and the Louisiana Controlled Dangerous Substance license

— the Government or the Contractor Medical Director.

Government answer #8: Licensure & Possession: Because BJACH is a federal military health readiness platform, the Government's DEA registration and institutional clinical protocols govern the emergency room and ambulance drugs. Paramedics operate under the delegation of the military installation's medical authority.

Question #9. Housing location (PWS §4.2 / §3.2) PWS §4.2 requires the Contractor to furnish a three-bedroom / one-bathroom unit and the listed furnishings to maintain 24-hour services. PWS §3.2 provides Government workspace at the Medical Stations. Please confirm the 3BR unit may be leased off-post in Leesville / Vernon Parish, and whether that unit is in addition to any crew-rest space at the MEDDAC bay.

Government answer #9: Location & Setup: The PWS references "living quarters" and "shared facilities" within the EMS station/shared facility. A 3BR lease off-post would serve as administrative or backup housing, but on-duty crews must utilize the designated Government-furnished "assigned sleep areas within the shared facility" (PWS §4.2.ii) to meet response times.

Question #10. Vehicle-maintenance plan versus GFP depot maintenance (PWS §3.4 / Section L Subfactor 3) PWS §3.4 assigns fuel, maintenance, insurance, storage, parking, and GFP replacement to the Government. PWS §5.1.2 limits the Contractor to shift checks, cleaning, decontamination, operator inspection, and deficiency reporting. Section L Subfactor 3 still requires a “comprehensive vehicle and equipment maintenance plan” including preventive maintenance and replacement. Please confirm the Technical volume should address operator-level duties and GFP notification only, and that depot / GSA maintenance remains a Government function.

Government answer #10: Scope of Work: The contractor is strictly responsible for operator-level maintenance (daily checks, fluid top-offs, minor repairs, and decontamination under PWS §5.2.13). Depot-level mechanical maintenance remains a Government function under GSA/GFP protocols.

Question #11. Anticipated award date against the unpaid phase-in (PWS §1.20) PWS §1.20 requires personnel on board during a 30-day phase-in at no cost to the Government so full performance can begin 1 April 2027. Please identify the anticipated award date so licensing, CAC / TASS, the housing lease, and recruitment can be planned against that unpaid window.

Government answer #11: Milestone Planning: To meet the April 1, 2027 start date, the phase-in must begin no later than March 1, 2027. Credentialing packets must be submitted by February 15, 2027 (PWS §10.1). This requires an award date in early January 2027 to complete NACI/TASS security clearances.

Question 12. Key-personnel resumes (Section L Subfactor 2) Section L Subfactor 2 requires resumes for “all key personnel,” and the organizational chart lists the Program Manager, EMS Medical Director, Paramedics, and EMTs. Please confirm whether resumes are required only for the On-Site Program Manager and Medical Director, or for every Paramedic and EMT who will work the contract at start.

Government answer #12: Requirement: Because 100% of personnel must clear credentials and security prior to starting work (PWS §10.1), comprehensive profile packets (including certifications, resumes, and immunizations) are required for every Paramedic and EMT slated to work the first shift, not just the Program Manager.

Question #13. Mission-Essential Contractor Services attachment (DFARS 252.237-7024) DFARS 252.237-7024 requires a written continuity plan covering services listed in an attachment titled “Performance Work Statement, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated 1 April 2027.” That attachment is not in the posted package. Please provide it, or confirm that the two 24/7 ambulances and associated personnel are the mission-essential services.

Government answer #13: PWS is imbedded into the solicitation, starting page 20 of 140. On page 132, there is a clause 252.237-7024 NOTICE OF CONTINUATION OF ESSENTIAL

CONTRACTOR SERVICES

(a) Definitions. "Essential contractor service"and "mission-essential functions" have the meanings given in the clause at 252.237-7023, Continuation of Essential Contractor Services, in this solicitation.

(b) The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment Performance Work Statement, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated 1 April 2027, during periods of crisis. The offeror shall (1) Identify provisions made for the acquisition of essential personnel and resources, if necessary, for continuity of operations for up to 30 days or until normal operations can be resumed; (2) Address in the plan, at a minimum (i) Challenges associated with maintaining essential contractor services during an extended event, such as a pandemic that occurs in repeated waves; (ii) The time lapse associated with the initiation of the acquisition of essential personnel and resources and their actual availability on site; (iii) The components, processes, and requirements for the identification, training, and preparedness of personnel who are capable of relocating to alternate facilities or performing work from home; (iv) Any established alert and notification procedures for mobilizing identified "essential contractor service" personnel; and (v) The approach for communicating expectations to contractor employees regarding their roles and responsibilities during a crisis.

Question #14. “Required response times” in Section L (PWS §5.1.2.d) PWS §5.1.2.d is the only numeric response standard: depart toward the call within two minutes.

Section L Subfactor 1 evaluates “maintaining required response times.” Please confirm that the two-minute chute is the response-time standard to be addressed in the Technical volume, or identify any additional arrival or on-scene standard for cantonment versus range responses.

Government answer #14: The technical evaluation standard is the two-minute "chute time" (wheels rolling) from dispatch notification. There is no specified arrival time standard in the PWS, as transit times depend on geography and route conditions (PWS §5.2.2).

Question #15. Who is the incumbent contractor?

Government answer #15: Aspire Therapy Services and Consultants

Question 16. What is the current contract number?

Government answer #16: W81K0021C0011