Helicopter Aerial Videography Survey Services

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), specifically the Office of Resilience & Coastal Protection's Beaches, Inlets and Ports Program, is pursuing a single-source procurement for Coastal Helicopter Aerial Videography/Photography Survey Services through Camera Copters, Inc. (CCI). The contract is designed to provide post-storm aerial survey services for Florida's 27 coastal counties, with a primary focus on capturing high-quality video documentation within 24 hours after a hurricane (category 3 or higher). The services require a specialized helicopter equipped with a 5-axis gyro-stabilized camera system, Sony 4K sensor, and GPS data overlay, operated by a pilot with at least 1,500 hours of command time and 1,000 hours of turbine helicopter experience. Deliverables will include detailed coastal video footage to support damage assessment, recovery planning, and regulatory functions across Florida's 825 miles of coastline. The intended contract term is one year, with a procurement timeline indicating a posting date of May 14, 2025, and a response due date of June 5, 2025. Technical requirements are stringent, necessitating precise flight parameters, specific camera specifications, and comprehensive post-storm documentation capabilities.

The procurement appears to be a non-competitive, single-source contract specifically targeting Camera Copters, Inc. due to their unique capabilities and over 20 years of specialized experience in coastal aerial videography. No specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise provisions are mentioned in the documentation. The estimated contract value is $97,000, representing a targeted budget for the one-year service period. There are no indications of alternative vendors or incumbent contractors being considered for this specialized service. The contract's technical requirements suggest a highly specialized service that likely precludes broad competitive bidding, with CCI being selected based on their extensive technical expertise and proven track record in coastal aerial survey services. The procurement is specifically focused on supporting DEP's critical mission of coastal protection and post-storm assessment, with a narrow scope that appears to justify the single-source selection approach.