C5613144-D, Confined Space Rescue Services

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for Confined Space Rescue Services across 33 state prison institutions and facilities throughout California. The contractor shall provide qualified personnel, specialized equipment, and 24-hour emergency rescue capabilities for permit-required confined spaces including sewage systems, electrical vaults, water tanks, and communication systems. Required services encompass rescue planning, pre-entry operations, entry operations, post-entry operations, compliance meetings, and emergency response availability. Deliverables include hourly labor rates for chief officers/site project leads, rescue lead technicians, and rescue technicians, as well as per-service equipment charges for rescue vehicles, tripods, davit arms, and winches, with overtime compensation at 1.5 times the hourly rate. Contractors must demonstrate extensive qualifications including California State Fire Marshal confined space rescue certification, CPR/AED training, EMT certification, Title 8 compliance training, and maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000, auto liability insurance, environmental liability insurance, and professional liability insurance. Bidders may submit proposals for one or more locations and are not required to bid all locations. Bids are due June 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM with public bid opening on June 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM; optional site walk-throughs are scheduled between May 21 and June 8, 2026; and letters of inquiry must be submitted by June 16, 2026. The resulting master agreement will be effective upon approval through March 31, 2029, with potential extensions for additional years.

The CDCR requires 25 percent small business participation under state law and actively encourages participation from certified small businesses, micro-businesses, and disabled veteran business enterprise (DVBE) entities, offering a five percent small business preference and DVBE incentive of one to five percent. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are specified in the procurement documents. Compensation is structured based on actual services performed according to hourly rates and per-service equipment charges specified in Exhibit B-1, with each location's contract including a 25 percent line item for additional as-needed services; however, the State makes no guarantee that any services will be requested, and the State reserves the right to increase or decrease participating locations throughout the agreement term while maintaining the same rates. Bidders may offer early payment discounts of at least one percent on invoices or a minimum of $50 if paid within 30 days of receipt, which may serve as a tiebreaker in the award determination. The IFB package includes detailed confined space maps (Exhibit A-2) and a comprehensive rate sheet (Exhibit B-1) with 14 groups covering different CDCR facilities to assist bidders in developing accurate proposals and cost estimates. No specific budget range or total contract value is disclosed in the procurement documents.