Notice of Intent to Sole Source - WFIPS Program Support

This is a Notice of Proposed Contract Action Synopsis. There is no solicitation available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will receive no response. This Proposed Contract Action is published to notify potential sources that The Rocky Mountain Research Station intends to award a sole source firm-fixed price contract, on behalf of the USDA Forest Service, to Alturas Solutions for the Wildland Fire Investment Planning System project for the Missoula Fire Lab located in Missoula, MT.

1.0 Background: The Forest Service is continuing research and development on the program WFIPS (Wildland Fire Investment Planning System) for examining performance of firefighting resources (crews, aircraft, engines etc.), fuel treatments, and large fire impacts (costs, area burned, population affected, smoke). Scientists and staff at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (FiSL) have been developing this model for 5 years and will require additional time to complete it based on improvements suggested from interactions with USFS fire manager. The existing components include 1. Fire ignition generator (FIG) using historical fire occurrence data and modeled weather, 2. Initial attack (IA) model that uses the FIG together with resource attributes (location, type etc.) and dispatch logic to simulate firefighting, 3) large fire simulation for escaped fires, 4) economic analysis of fire impacts and costs, and 5) methods for representing fuel treatment effects on small and large fires. The programming requires additional geospatial analyses into the system to enhance both local and national scale analyses. Updates to the existing system must be made to address user-requested functionality.

2.0 Tasks:
1. Produce a monthly report detailing activities initiated and completed, status of each activity and hours utilized in the task categories, as broken out below.
2. Fix errors and bugs in the program as discovered during testing.
3. Modify the user interface as per design changes suggested by fire planner clients.
4. Make recommendations for functional and user-interface enhancements.
5. Implement geospatial analyses as designed by USFS Research and fire planners

3.0 Performance Requirements

Performance Standard-1 Contractor staff successfully execute PWS services • Expertise in programming in C++
• Expertise in geospatial programming
• Expertise in database programming
• Expertise in cross-platform software development (LINUX, Windows)
No deviation. COR/Designee review of resume(s) and random observations of personnel abilities.
Performance Standard-2 Works with the Forest Service and Regional fire planners to test WFIPS design and modify computer code for WFIPS • WFIPS program modified to fix bugs found during user-testing
• WFIPS program interface modified to accommodate user-requirements and feedback
• WFIPS program modified to accept user-supplied firefighting resource data including those from IROC
• WFIPS modification to include Fire Shed spatial data
• Develop method for checking for completeness and coverage to check new resource databases
• Add landmarks; Cities, roads, rivers so locations can be found.
• Preprocess the large fires for the fires in the fig and store in a database to speed up large fire.

The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement as directed. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Date posted to FedBizOpps: 17 MAY 2019. Date posting will close: 28 MAY 2019. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541511. The Size Standard is $27.5 million. The desired period of performance for the services described herein is anticipated to be from 01 JUN 2019 through 31 MAY 2022. The responses to this synopsis will be used to confirm that this is a sole source requirement. This notice is not a Request for Proposals (RFP); it is a market research tool being utilized to determine the availability and adequacy of potential sources prior to awarding the contract. Any information submitted by respondents to this synopsis is strictly voluntary. The Government will not pay for any information that is submitted by respondents to this notice of proposed contract action. Contractors who believe they possess the expertise and experience shall submit technical capabilities in writing to Anthony Salas at anthony.salas@usda.gov. Responses must be received no later than 11:00 a.m. MT 28 MAY 2019. All documentation shall become the property of the Government. Firms responding must indicate the following information: Indicate the business size: small business or disadvantaged business, veteran owned small business or HUB Zone certified, and indicate the appropriate NAICS code. This synopsis neither constitutes a Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. This synopsis should not be construed as commitment by the Government for any purpose other than market research.

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