JA Brand Name or Equal Monaco Transceiver _All Signed.pdf

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

W912DW-25-R-11C0 Aircraft Paint Shop Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), WA 07 March 2025

Pursuant to the Department of Defense Acquisition Regulations (DFARS) 206.302- 1(c)(2), the following justification is provided to support use of brand name or equal descriptions for issuance of solicitation for Aircraft Paint Shop at JBLM, Washington.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency:

United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Northwestern Division (NWD), Seattle District (NWS).

2. Description of Action:

Approval is being requested to include proprietary specifications for the use of brand name or equal description for Monaco Fire Alarm Radio Building Transceiver (BT-XM) as identified in the specifications for Solicitation W912DW25R11C0. The solicitation is for a new firm-fixed-price (FFP) construction contract titled Aircraft Paint Shop at JBLM, Washington.

The justification for use of brand name or equal descriptions, as outlined herein, is prepared to meet requirements under section 888(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-328) as referenced in DFARS 206.302-1(c)(2).

This procurement is being funded with Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Military Construction (MILCON) funds. The project consists of construction of a 5,964 square feet (SF) addition to an existing aircraft paint shop and installation of a media blast booth. Construction will include fire protection system, intrusion detection system, hazardous material storage, sustainability enhancement measures, and energy monitoring control systems connection. Supporting facilities include site development, lighting, paving, parking, walkway, curbs and gutters, storm drainage, information systems, landscaping, signage, and utilities and connections. The facilities will be compatible with applicable Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), Department of Defense (DoD), and Army/JBLM design standards applicable to a UEPH. The project will comply with DoD antiterrorism/force protection requirements per UFC. The facilities will be constructed to meet the requirements of UFC 1-200-02 High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements. USACE requires all existing/new addition general building construction projects to integrate high performance and sustainable building guidelines in accordance with applicable UFC requirements, as well as other command-specific energy efficiency standards.

This Design-Bid-Build opportunity was solicited via Prequalification of Sources announcement issued in accordance with DFARS 236.272 providing for full and open

Controlled Unclassif ied Information (CUI) competition. Prequalified firms will be invited to compete in the construction procurement and source selection will be based on Project Management Narrative (technical) and Price. The project is now at 100 percent design, with the solicitation scheduled for issue on 07 March 2025. The estimated construction cost for this MILCON project is $7.9 Million. The estimated period of performance of this MILCON requirement is 540 calendar days.

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

As part of the project, addressable fire alarm and mass notification systems will be installed in the Aircraft Paint Shop. The present fire alarm reporting system at JBLM employed by the Government uses a Monaco D-21 fire alarm radio receiver, which operates only with Monaco fire alarm radio transceivers. Each Monaco BT-XM transceiver will provide fire alarm reporting capability from its respective Aircraft Paint Shop to the Joint Base Emergency Command Center (JBECC). Each transceiver is part of the military construction project funds. Equipment to be provided includes Transceiver Panel, Relay Board, Software, Zone Expansion Capability and Antenna Network. Equipment package cost: approximately $200,000.

BT-XM Transceivers manufactured by:

Monaco Enterprises, Inc.

14820 East Sprague Avenue Spokane, Washington 99216-2191

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition:

The authority cited herein apply specifically to the application and justification for use of brand name or equal descriptions and provide explanation as follows:

10 U.S.C. 2304(f), as implemented by DFARS 206.302-1(c)(2), “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” This justification applies only to the brand name products (or approved equals) for the potential award of the solicitation action as specified herein.

FAR 6.302-1(c)(1)(ii) identifies that a justification is required to cover only the portion of the acquisition which is brand-name or peculiar to one manufacturer and the approval level required will only apply to that portion of the requirement. As the portion of this acquisition does not exceed $750,000, the contracting officer has authority to approve this justification, in accordance with UAI 5106.304-100, Approval of the Justification and FAR 6.304(a)(1).

5. Reasons for Authorities Cited:

a. Background: JBLM requires the use of Monaco BT-X and BT-XM type transceivers to provide two-way communication between the JBECC and individual facilities. This allows for both the receipt of supervisory, trouble and fire alarm signals and future two-way mass notification capability.

b. Justification: Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) Section 28 31 76, Interior Fire Alarm and Mass Notification System, paragraph 1.6 requires the devices and equipment for fire alarm service to be listed by the UL Fire Protection Directory or approved by the FM (Field Mutual) Approval Guide. The purpose of the UL listing or FM approval requirements is to ensure quality, suitability, and reliability of the equipment. The UL listing states that either the equipment or material meet appropriate standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner. FM Global approval is based on testing a complete system comprised of a fire alarm receiver and transmitter (transceiver).

Per Monaco, only their own equipment can communicate on the proprietary D-21 network. However, the Monaco BT-XM is designed to receive discrete signals from virtually any manufacturer’s fire alarm and mass notification panel. Thus, the BT-XM provides the bridge between other manufacturers’ fire alarm/mass notification systems and the proprietary D-21 network.

c. Alternatives: No other manufacturer’s product is listed or approved for use with the existing D-21 reporting and receiving system at JBLM. A reporting system of mixed manufacturer’s equipment is unacceptable because a mixed system would not be UL Listed or FM Approved, and it would not work properly due to Monaco Enterprises’ proprietary encoded protocol. Therefore, Monaco transceivers are required to operate on the D-21 network. Installation of non-Monaco radio fire alarm transmitters will require purchasing new and compatible radio fire alarm receiver and any incidental work to accommodate this new radio fire alarm receiver. A new radio fire alarm receiver is approximately the cost of one (1) Monaco transmitter for the new building. In addition, the relocation of existing equipment and upgrade of existing supporting utilities would be required to accommodate the new radio fire alarm receiver. Fire department dispatchers are the operators of the Monaco D-21 network. The dispatchers are required to perform two years of on-the-job training to be fully qualified. A fully qualified operator on a non-Monaco transmitter and receiver will not be possible at the time of installation. It is customary that Alarm Shop maintenance workers are factory trained to maintain and repair existing Monaco transmitters and receivers.

Thus, a trained Alarm Shop worker would not be available to maintain a non- Monaco transmitter at the time of installation. Installation of a non-Monaco transmitter may endanger life and property until the system is proven reliable.

d. Impact: The possibility of using non-Monaco transmitters with a Monaco receiver would diminish fire protection capabilities, and therefore, endanger life and property. The provision of a Monaco transceiver ensures reliable fire alarm protection for the existing/addition Aircraft Paint Shop. Installation of a new non- Monaco radio network will result in substantial additional cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements. A non-Monaco radio network will create additional costs, associated with operator training and maintenance training for non-Monaco equipment and other incidental costs.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

When utilizing the authority at FAR 6.302-1, the contracting officer shall ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable. In accordance with DFARS PGI 206.302-1, an announcement specific to the Monaco Fire Alarm Radio Transceiver was posted on https://www.sam.gov by Department of the Army-USACE (19 April 2023), Department of the Air Force (22 February 2022), and Department of the Navy (08 April 2021). No interested parties were identified within these postings. There is no discernable change in the technical compatibility or market conditions compared to these DoD GPE postings and this requirement.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost:

The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies/services covered by this Justification and Approval (J&A) will be fair and reasonable. The Government intends to evaluate price for fairness and reasonableness through the use of price analysis in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(b) for this solicitation. BT-XM Transceivers are routinely procured across the DoD allowing for a historical record of pricing available.

8. Market Survey:

Applicable Market Research was contemplated when Monaco was selected as the base reporting system. Now that it has been established as the base reporting system, all new devices must be compatible with the existing proprietary Monaco system as described within this document. No other manufacturers make a Monaco reporting system. Any future project that includes a Monaco Fire Alarm Radio Transceiver will conduct additional market survey to ascertain the availability of new technology that may provide for other compatible sources to meet the Government’s needs.

9. Other Facts:

Procurement History: This is a new acquisition for construction to an existing/addition Aircraft Paint Shop to be solicited as separate stand-alone (C-type), Firm-Fixed-Price construction solicitation issued to the list of Prequalified Sources.

Acquisition Data Availability: Not applicable.

Unusual and Compelling Urgency: Not applicable.

Subcontracting Competition: Subcontracting opportunities exist for suppliers, distributors and/or installers. Subcontracting competition will be the responsibility of the offeror or prime contractor awarded the contract. Applicable subcontracting competition requirements will be included in the solicitation and the resultant contract.

10. Interested Source:

On 15 May 2023, a Special Notice was posted on https://www.sam.gov providing the Government’s Notice of Intent (NOI) to include brand name or equal description for Monaco Fire Alarm Radio Building Transceiver (BT-XM) as identified in the specifications for Solicitation W912DW-22-R-0LTU. All interested parties were provided the opportunity to submit a capability statement if they believe that they can meet the https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ requirement. To date, no other sources have written to express an interest. In accordance with FAR 6.305, this J&A will be made publicly available.

11. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition:

The present fire alarm reporting system employed by the Government at JBLM includes a Monaco Fire Alarm Radio Transceiver. Future procurements of Monaco BT-XM transceivers will conduct the same market survey and review of UFGS to ascertain the availability of new technology that may provide for a compatible source. As of the date of this J&A, UFGS Section 28 31 76, Interior Fire Alarm and Mass Notification System, paragraph 1.6 remains in effect requiring the devices and equipment for fire alarm service to be listed by Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) or approved by FM Global (FM).

Should any other offers for fire alarm radio transmitters be identified during the Request for Proposals period or updated within the UFGS, the Government will consider each as applicable.

Technical and Requirements Certification I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Rebekah L. Barker Program/Project Manager

Legal Sufficiency Review I have determined this justification is legally sufficient.

Maria Manalac Assistant District Counsel

Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

Susan F. Newby Contracting Officer

Contracting Officer Certification / Approval I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief [FAR 6.303-2(b)]

Susan F. Newby Contracting Officer