Q&A_(24_July_2017).docx

Solicitation Number: W91CRB-17-R-0034 Questions

1) Can the deadline for submission be extended?

It has been extended to 26 July 2017 by 3 pm.

2) Bid CLIN clarification: Please confirm the following is the requirements for each bid line item;

So the above CLIN are for 1 ea remains, multiply by 3 for PWS 1. Then multiply by 200 for the IDIQ bid??? So the bid requests 4 items, which is:

a) PWS 1 (CLIN 0001-0003 x qty 3)

b) CLIN 0001-0003, ea

c) Total bid (CLIN 0001-0003 x qty 200)

d) CLIN 0001-0003, ea (same as item b, but the bid asks for it and states it must be equal).

For the “basic contract” CLIN 0001 is for personnel and supervision/management services. The offeror shall provide a proposal for the total price for two hundred (200) remains for CLIN 0001 as it pertains to labor cost for personnel and supervision/management. The unit price for the 200 remains (under this CLIN) shall be the same unit price for the three remains under Task Order 1.

Quote for Task Order 1:

CLIN 0001 Three (3) Remains per the unit price of the basic contract.

CLIN 0002 Travel for personnel to support.

CLIN 0003 This CLIN is for tools, equipment, consumables, caskets and transportation of remains. Other direct cost.

The language on the solicitation for CLIN 0001 has been revised.

3) Must a new Air Tray and spare be required for every remains pickup, ie qty required is 400?

One (1) air tray per casket plus one (1) spare air tray for each task order (approximately 5-10), for a maximum total of 205-210 air trays. The intent is to have one (1) spare air tray available for each task order to be utilized by the Army during the disinterment. While still desired, the spare air tray is no longer required.

4) Air tray and spare - Is integral air tray with casket box acceptable, or plain air tray only?

Yes, an integral air tray with casket box is acceptable.

5) PWS 1 states location to be Fremont County, WY which is to be used for bid purposes. Is the timeline acceptable for Service vehicle/ ground transport, or is air transportation required? Or should we bid lowest cost option of the 3?

Bid the lowest cost option. Air transportation is not required. See solicitation, paragraph 5.2.6.

6) Solicitation states funeral coach or service vehicle, then further states 4wd may be required. Can we assume 4wd service vehicle will be acceptable in all cases?

Not in all cases. Most importantly, when transporting casketed remains to/from CBPC, vehicle should be a funeral coach. See solicitation, paragraph 5.1.4.

7) Escort travel - the 2 escorts, if traveling with service vehicle/ funeral coach, is this for a limited radius from CBPC, or will overnight travel situations apply as well? ie, who coordinates what hotel they are staying in, what time they must be ready by in the am to travel, what hours they can travel each day, etc.

The use of escort(s) will likely very by task order. If overnight situations apply, the COR will coordinate lodging and scheduling for escort(s) to coincide with the contractor’s schedule at no cost to the contractor.

8) 1.6.5 Place of Performance For clarification: the only work occurring at the base / step one for Return of Remains will be receipt of remains already inside the pouch supplied in advance, by contractor. US Army personnel will turn over pouched remains to contract funeral home for transport to Carlisle area funeral home, where all other tasks will be completed. If not correct, please clarify initial tasks required on-site at Carlisle.

That’s correct. Tasks required by contractor at Carlisle Barracks are outlined in paragraph 5.1 of the solicitation. No funeral services by the contractor are desired.

9) 1.6.8 Special Qualifications Funeral homes are regulated by State. There are no Federal licenses. As we will not have destinations in advance, will license copies be required from receiver at destination(s) “on demand”, prior to shipping?

Transportation of remains will be conducted in accordance with federal and state regulations. Destination location(s) will be provided in the task orders. Solicitation will be corrected if necessary.

10) 1.6.8 Travel: [1.6.13] Please clarify what type of travel is necessary for the contractor? Contractors do not typically accompany remains during transport. Please provide details on what type (or if) travel is required by contractor while serving / transporting decedents, and locations / # of times contractor will be required to attend meetings, conferences and training. This is necessary to quote an accurate travel price.

Answer to be determined.

11) 4.4 Air Tray:

Please explain need for spare air tray for each decedent. This increases cost per shipment and will affect CLIN 0003 pricing, accordingly. Also, please confirm acceptability: air trays will deliver to / be available at the contract funeral home, where packed for shipment. Air tray(s) will not be delivered to Carlisle base.

To clarify, the intent is to have one (1) spare air tray available for each task order to be utilized by the Army during the disinterment. While still desired, the spare air tray is no longer required.

12) 5.1.3 Family Ceremonies at CBPC & 5.1.4, return to funeral home If this will be performed as requested by CO, are we to include the cost of these services in the total CLIN 0003 services price regardless? Also, please provide a list of required personnel to be supplied by the contractor for these ceremonies (such as: hearse driver? Ushers? Funeral Director?), their roles / responsibilities connected with performing these ceremonies, and typical # of hours for ceremony.

The Army anticipates that the number and timing of family ceremonies (group or individual) will differ by task order. Therefore, paragraphs 5.1.3 and 5.1.4 are included to incorporate these potentialities. The contractor is required to transport the remains (casketed or uncasketed) to and from Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery and provide a driver.

13) 5.1.5 Storage is calculated daily, up to a maximum dollar amount monthly. For consistency of offers, how much time should be estimated for pricing of the storage factor to be included in CLIN 0003?

Per task order, the number of graves to be disinterred multiplied by three (3) days.

14) 5.4.2 The law and liability insurance only allows one person, in addition to driver, to travel in the front seat of a hearse. Do we need to include costs for supplying a second car to transport a second escort?

No second vehicle for escorts. The number of escorts (when utilized) may be limited by the federal or state law or regulation, or by space available in vehicle.

15) 5.4.7 We plan to have required personnel available / on call at the funeral homes, 1) serving Carlisle base and 2) serving at destination. For efficiency of man hours and cost, we would not plan to have personnel standing-by on Carlisle base grounds (3 ds) or at destination cemetery grounds (1d). Personnel at interment site will be released after the grave is closed, tamped, and raked. Is this acceptable?

Funeral home personnel are expected to be on call during these periods, not standing by on site.

16) 5.5.3 For offer consistency: four-wheel drive vehicle. If only used as / when needed, should a cost for this be included in the CLIN 0003 price regardless?

Yes.

17) After speaking with the funeral homes in Fremont county, WY, none of them are federally licensed. They are however licensed and approved for the sovereign nations they serve (Shoshone and Arapaho), which means the requirement on PRS #4 of Technical Exhibit 1 will have to be altered. Can you please clarify/correct?

If licensing is done by state (not federal), solicitation language (including PRS #1 and PRS #4) will be changed to “…provide a State licensed Funeral Home…”

18) Additionally, this area of the country does not use concrete grave liners, they use composite ones (low water table, lots of rock). Concrete liners are not available locally, and would need to be brought in from Salt Lake City or Denver at additional cost to the government. Recommend changing the language of paragraph 4.5 and removing the word "concrete" to save time and additional unnecessary expense. Can you please clarify/correct?

Language in paragraph 4.5 will be changed to: “4.5 Grave Liner: The Contractor shall provide one (1) Grave Liner per casket at the interment site. The Grave Liner is to be large enough to accommodate a casket described in 4.3 and include holes in the bottom to allow water to flow through freely.