Handheld Radios for Wildland Firefighting

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fire Program is procuring handheld radios and related equipment for wildland firefighting operations through this state contract opportunity. The procurement requires six BK BKR9000-T3.5BS portable handheld radios equipped with Tier 3.5, all-band capable hardware featuring 5,000 channels, front and top display, full keypad, black housing, belt clip, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and digital CAI operation with DES and ADP encryption capabilities, supported by a five-year manufacturer warranty. The specification includes base frequency VHF operation at 136-174 MHz with 6-watt transmission and optional 700/800 MHz frequency capability at 3-watt transmission, along with P25 FDMA and TDMA trunking factory installations. Additional deliverables include twelve SURPASS ultra-high-capacity lithium-ion battery packs rated at 4,900 mAh with IP68 rating (two per radio), six desktop two-bay SURPASS chargers (one per radio), six all-band antennas covering 136-174 MHz, 380-520 MHz, and 763-870 MHz frequencies with SMA connectors, and one legacy cloning cable adapter. All equipment must be delivered to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources facility at 11731 State Highway 37, Benton, Illinois 62812. The proposal due date is April 9, 2026, with inquiries directed to Wade Bloemer at 618-322-7732 or wade.bloemer@illinois.gov. Qualified vendors must comply with the State of Illinois Standard Terms and Conditions, including obtaining general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, auto liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation insurance as required by law.

This procurement has been designated as non-Small Business Set-Aside (SBSA) following approval of a waiver by the State of Illinois Chief Procurement Office on March 31, 2026, exempting it from mandatory small business set-aside requirements under CPO Notice #2024.10. The waiver was approved based on pricing considerations, as the single bid received from SBSA-qualified vendors was approximately 200 percent higher than the RFP submitted, resulting in potential savings exceeding $24,000 for the state by pursuing non-SBSA vendors. No incumbent vendor information is provided in the contracting documents. The estimated dollar amount for this procurement is $24,000, classified under NIGP codes 725-74, 725-00, and 726-00. The contract award value represents the state's budgeted range for this equipment procurement, with all work product and intellectual property created under the contract becoming the exclusive property of the State of Illinois. Vendors must maintain comprehensive records for three years following final payment or contract completion, or five years if federal funds are used, and must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including equal opportunity requirements and prevailing wage regulations.