Purpose:The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Gulf Coast Recovery Office (GCRO) is contemplating making a sole source (FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source) award to the City of Baker, Louisiana for their provision of uninterrupted (continuous 24 hours a day and 7 days a week) emergency fire response and protection services to include the planning, implementation, and day-to-day operation of a first-response call-in system at or around a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) temporary housing facility in Baker, Louisiana. Professional qualifications shall include but not be limited to persons trained at levels consistent with the standards set by both the Louisiana State Fire Marshall's Office and the National Fire Protection Association. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to: (1) ascertain the capability of businesses to meet this requirement, (2) gather data regarding commercial industry interest and ability to meet the government's requirements, and (3) determine the capability of firms or businesses to meet the criteria identified in FAR provision 52.226-3, - residing or doing business primarily in the geographic area identified below. This information will be utilized to help the FEMA with its acquisition strategy. Summary of Work: FEMA is seeking a proven, qualified and appropriately licensed (by Louisiana and the city of Baker, Louisiana) business or firm that can develop, implement and responsibly discharge a large-scale fire protection service plan for a densely populated area. Such services shall include, but not be limited to operating a full-service fire substation at or near FEMA's temporary housing facility in Baker, Louisiana. That facility must be operating on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis, maintain a 24 hour/7 day a week call center, maintain an adequate staff of firefighting personnel for immediate dispatch on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis, and maintain all equipment, materials, and supplemental labor necessary for emergency response on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis. The service provider must be at no more than 15 minutes transportation time from the FEMA temporary housing site in Baker, Louisiana. In addition, the firm or business shall also provide fire prevention and other preventive fire protection services to include, but not be limited to fire compliance inspection services to applicable federal, state, and local fire standards, training programs for residents, on-going training programs, training for any new housing applicants residing at the facility, and reporting and consulting with FEMA officials. Responses to RFI: Format: Responses are limited to a total maximum number of 4 pages. Responses must be submitted in PDF format with a maximum size of 2 MB. Page size must be 8.5 x 11, font must be 12 point or larger, and margins must be at least 1 inch. Both sides of the paper may be used. Each side is counted unless totally blank. Content: Briefly describe your company and Key personnel, business size (in terms of employees, as well as annual revenue) and status, evidence of business type and status, relevant experience with and similar projects of the same nature, size, and complexity (work similar in nature occurring within the last 18 months), and technical competence. Interested firms shall also include 3 customer references for similar projects, and any comments/questions/responses to the attached SOW. Set - Aside Area Information (Included in Content of Response): Contractors must include a narrative response to each of the elements contained in FAR 52.226-3, as follows. Be sure to identify the parish(es) relating to your response for each element. 52.226-3 - Disaster or Emergency Area Representation. As prescribed in 26.203(a), insert the following provision: Disaster or Emergency Area Representation (Aug 2006) (a) Set-aside area. The area covered in this contract is the greater Baker, Louisiana area: (b) Representations. The offeror represents as part of its offer that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a firm residing or primarily doing business in the designated area. (c) Factors to be considered in determining whether a firm resides or primarily does business in the designated area include (1) Location(s) of the firm's permanent office(s) and date any office in the designated area(s) was established; (2) Existing state licenses; (3) Record of past work in the designated area(s) (e.g., how much and for how long); (4) Contractual history the firm has had with subcontractors and/or suppliers in the designated area; (5) Percentage of the firm's gross revenues attributable to work performed in the designated area; (6) Number of permanent employees the firm employs in the designated area; (7) Membership in local and state organizations in the designated area; and (8) Other evidence that establishes the firm resides or primarily does business in the designated area. (d) If the offeror represents it is a firm residing or primarily doing business in the designated disaster area (Louisiana), the offeror shall furnish documentation to support its representation. IMPORTANT - Additional information: We appreciate any/all responses. The information in the responses will be used solely by the Gulf coast Recovery Office (GCRO) as market research, to determine the responsible sources that exist for the satisfaction of the addressed requirements. We will not divulge individual responses to the RFI outside of the GCRO. This is not a commitment on the part of the Government to fully and openly solicit this requirement, award a contract as a result of this notice, or to pay for any information received. No solicitation or RFP will be provided with this announcement. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. RESPONSE DUE DATE & CONTACT INFORMATION: Clarification questions for any information in the RFI must be received via e-mail by 4:00 P.M. CST on April 20, 2007. Final Responses to this RFI must be submitted via email to the Acquisition Gulf Coast Recovery Office NO LATER THAN 2:00 pm CST on April 27, 2007. Clarification questions and Final Responses to this RFI shall be emailed to Joseph Scogin @ joseph.scogin@dhs.gov. The subject line should read: RFI (Fire Protection Services).
