Protecting Emergency Responders on the Roadway - Equity and Outreach

The Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration (DHS/FEMA/USFA) intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a sole source basis (IAW FAR 6.302) with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA), 315 South 14th Street, Harrisburg, PA  17104-3342

The USFA, in coordination with other organizations, has maintained a program of support, including meeting specialized needs, to enhance safety operations of fire service, EMS Responders and law enforcement.  The proposed action is for services, for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

USFA has worked with the CVVFA in the past to enhance the development of advanced technology and systems that will permit nationwide sharing of lessons learned among transportation, public safety, and emergency personnel enabling them to effectively respond to roadway incidents more effectively and to enhance safety. 

A key focus of this project is to enhance outreach for emergency traffic control personnel and organizational recruitment programs to non­traditional personnel and organizations which may not represent female and minority communities they serve.  This project will study the opportunities and gaps in recruiting and training of disadvantaged populations, enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and how to enhance outreach to potential emergency traffic control personnel and advance organizational (for example fire police) recruitment programs in this area. This project will look at select progressive organizations (fire departments, local governments, volunteer associations and other agencies and organizations) which have developed successful recruitment, retention and other organizational programs, including how they were created/established, successes, challenges/obstacles, and lessons learned.  Recruitment and organizational expansion into the non-traditional communities will enhance not only community equity but add response capability as well.

The findings of this study will be incorporated into educational and outreach efforts, including the ResponderSafety.com web site as well as into national level consensus standards used by the emergency responders, including the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and others involved with the enhancement and/or development of relevant/related standards. This information can become a baseline for all organizations, including law enforcement, fire and EMS to guide their future efforts to ensuring equality and diversity in recruiting and retaining a highly skill diverse workforce for manual traffic control.

In support of this study CVVFA will utilize their proprietary ResponderSafety.com web site during the period of performance of this project.  The ResponderSafety.com web site supports roadway operational safety for the firefighters, EMS, law enforcement officers, and other responders.  The web site also supports the education, training, outreach to, and development of best practices for roadway scene operations and permits nationwide sharing of lessons learned among transportation, public safety and emergency personnel enabling them to effectively respond to roadway incidents.  Upon the completion of this requirement, training materials and best practices will be distributed to state and local law enforcement agencies, fire and EMS departments and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) response agencies.

The contractor must be able to meet the core responsibilities required for this requirement as follows:

• Promote the interests of state and local fire and EMS personnel as well as law enforcement agencies at the national level and use the findings to provide guidance to other agencies in implementing similar programs and technology;
• Gather applicable information from and disseminate information to the law enforcement, fire and EMS departments and organizations nationwide;
• Provide tools, resources, and programs, at the national level regarding roadway operational safety;
• Conduct the study among first responder agencies which have developed successful recruitment, retention and other organizational programs, including how they were created/established, successes, challenges/obstacles, and lessons learned. 
• Provide guidance for other organizations and agencies to implement similar recruitment and retention programs and to assist them in developing standards related to this project. 
• Maintain and update the CVVFA proprietary Respondersafety.com web site.

Requirements:

• Experience and credibility among U.S. law enforcement, fire service and EMS organizations at the national level.
• Existing national level data/study results regarding law enforcement, firefighter and EMS Responders.
• Existing mechanism to deliver outreach on the findings of the research/study.
• Maintain the ResponderSafety.com web site to continue supporting the emergency services community.

Based on the above information, the only organization known which can provide technically acceptable services and maintain the Responder Safety website is the CVVFA.

FEMA determined that the CVVFA is uniquely qualified to perform this work.  This purchase order will be awarded using simplified acquisition procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13.

This notice is NOT a request for quotation (RFQ) for competitive quotes/proposals and no solicitation document exists for this requirement.  However, parties interested in responding to this notice shall submit technical data, including cost, sufficient to determine capability in providing the same services.  All capability statements received by the closing of this notification of this synopsis will be considered by the Government.  A determination by the Government not to compete based on 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. 

Submit email capability statements (using PDF, MS Word, Excel attachments) to Jane Huwig-Leister, Contract Specialist at jane.huwig-leister@fema.dhs.gov.  Statements are due not later than 12:00 p.m. EST on July  27, 2022. 

Primary Point of Contact:  Jane Huwig-Leister

Contracting Office Address:

DHS/FEMA/NETC

Building D, Room 122

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD  21727

Place of Performance:

Nationwide

Classification Code:  B550

NAICS Code:  813920

The Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration (DHS/FEMA/USFA) intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a sole source basis (IAW FAR 6.302) with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA), 315 South 14th Street, Harrisburg, PA  17104-3342

The USFA, in coordination with other organizations, has maintained a program of support, including meeting specialized needs, to enhance safety operations of fire service, EMS Responders and law enforcement.  The proposed action is for services, for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

USFA has worked with the CVVFA in the past to enhance the development of advanced technology and systems that will permit nationwide sharing of lessons learned among transportation, public safety, and emergency personnel enabling them to effectively respond to roadway incidents more effectively and to enhance safety. 

A key focus of this project is to enhance outreach for emergency traffic control personnel and organizational recruitment programs to non­traditional personnel and organizations which may not represent female and minority communities they serve.  This project will study the opportunities and gaps in recruiting and training of disadvantaged populations, enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and how to enhance outreach to potential emergency traffic control personnel and advance organizational (for example fire police) recruitment programs in this area. This project will look at select progressive organizations (fire departments, local governments, volunteer associations and other agencies and organizations) which have developed successful recruitment, retention and other organizational programs, including how they were created/established, successes, challenges/obstacles, and lessons learned.  Recruitment and organizational expansion into the non-traditional communities will enhance not only community equity but add response capability as well.

The findings of this study will be incorporated into educational and outreach efforts, including the ResponderSafety.com web site as well as into national level consensus standards used by the emergency responders, including the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and others involved with the enhancement and/or development of relevant/related standards. This information can become a baseline for all organizations, including law enforcement, fire and EMS to guide their future efforts to ensuring equality and diversity in recruiting and retaining a highly skill diverse workforce for manual traffic control.

In support of this study CVVFA will utilize their proprietary ResponderSafety.com web site during the period of performance of this project.  The ResponderSafety.com web site supports roadway operational safety for the firefighters, EMS, law enforcement officers, and other responders.  The web site also supports the education, training, outreach to, and development of best practices for roadway scene operations and permits nationwide sharing of lessons learned among transportation, public safety and emergency personnel enabling them to effectively respond to roadway incidents.  Upon the completion of this requirement, training materials and best practices will be distributed to state and local law enforcement agencies, fire and EMS departments and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) response agencies.

The contractor must be able to meet the core responsibilities required for this requirement as follows:

• Promote the interests of state and local fire and EMS personnel as well as law enforcement agencies at the national level and use the findings to provide guidance to other agencies in implementing similar programs and technology;
• Gather applicable information from and disseminate information to the law enforcement, fire and EMS departments and organizations nationwide;
• Provide tools, resources, and programs, at the national level regarding roadway operational safety;
• Conduct the study among first responder agencies which have developed successful recruitment, retention and other organizational programs, including how they were created/established, successes, challenges/obstacles, and lessons learned. 
• Provide guidance for other organizations and agencies to implement similar recruitment and retention programs and to assist them in developing standards related to this project. 
• Maintain and update the CVVFA proprietary Respondersafety.com web site.

Requirements:

• Experience and credibility among U.S. law enforcement, fire service and EMS organizations at the national level.
• Existing national level data/study results regarding law enforcement, firefighter and EMS Responders.
• Existing mechanism to deliver outreach on the findings of the research/study.
• Maintain the ResponderSafety.com web site to continue supporting the emergency services community.

Based on the above information, the only organization known which can provide technically acceptable services and maintain the Responder Safety website is the CVVFA.

FEMA determined that the CVVFA is uniquely qualified to perform this work.  This purchase order will be awarded using simplified acquisition procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13.

This notice is NOT a request for quotation (RFQ) for competitive quotes/proposals and no solicitation document exists for this requirement.  However, parties interested in responding to this notice shall submit technical data, including cost, sufficient to determine capability in providing the same services.  All capability statements received by the closing of this notification of this synopsis will be considered by the Government.  A determination by the Government not to compete based on 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. 

Submit email capability statements (using PDF, MS Word, Excel attachments) to Jane Huwig-Leister, Contract Specialist at jane.huwig-leister@fema.dhs.gov.  Statements are due not later than 12:00 p.m. EST on July  25, 2022. 

Primary Point of Contact:  Jane Huwig-Leister

Contracting Office Address:

DHS/FEMA/NETC

Building D, Room 122

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD  21727

Place of Performance:

Nationwide

Classification Code:  B550

NAICS Code:  813920