Type 3 Standard Category Turbine Powered Helicopter - John Day

The State of Oregon, specifically the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), is procuring a Type 3 Standard Category Turbine Powered Helicopter for wildfire operations through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The contract is for an exclusive-use helicopter service covering a 75-calendar day mandatory availability period, with potential extension, to support wildfire operations in jurisdictions including Marion County and the City of Salem. The helicopter will be utilized for personnel transportation, bucket work, and cargo movement, with a primary base near John Day, Oregon. Key qualifications include the ability to lift 1,200 pounds at 7,000 feet mean sea level, and mandatory compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United States Forest Service (USFS) standards. Evaluation criteria encompass aircraft performance, pilot qualifications, references, and pricing, with a total possible score of 210 points. The RFP was posted on February 8, 2024, with proposals due on March 11, 2024, and a public opening meeting scheduled via Microsoft Teams at 2:00 PM PST on the same date. The anticipated contract term is a maximum of five years, with an expected award date around March 25, 2024.

No specific small business, minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or emerging small business set-asides were identified in the solicitation documents. The Intent-to-Award (ITA) notice indicates that APEXHELI OREGON, Inc. dba Apex Helicopters received the highest score of 175 out of 175 points, with competing proposals from Elkhorn Aviation, Inc. dba Baker Aircraft (151 points) and Lohman Helicopter, LLC (152 points). Pricing was evaluated as 30% of the total proposal score, though specific contract values were not disclosed in the documents. The successful contractor must provide detailed documentation including insurance, tax identification, and business registry information prior to contract award. While no explicit infrastructure integration requirements were mentioned, the contract stipulates that the helicopter, pilots, mechanics, and equipment must eventually maintain current U.S. Forest Service (USFS) MATOC carding. The contract includes provisions for annual rate increases and potential equitable adjustments for extreme market volatility.