42 -- Law Enforcement (LE) Tactical Protective Padding

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI). This is not a request for proposals and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is conducting an end-user functionality and efficacy assessment of Law Enforcement (LE) tactical protective padding to validate their employment and effectiveness when used by emergency responders in riot control, demonstration, or other non-routine tactical situations. The CDP is inviting manufacturers to provide information on protective pads providing protection for elbows, knees, neck and shins while conducting tactical law enforcement operations. The DHS Authorized Equipment List (AEL) item number for this equipment is 01LE-02-PRPD. The requested information will be included in the LE tactical protective padding market research, will provide available product information, and will provide support information for the CDP LE tactical protective padding focus group and assessment. By providing information in response to this RFI, you agree that the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responder (SAVER) Program may use both the equipment information and any provided images in SAVER outreach. The intent of the user assessment program will be to provide the emergency response community with feedback on equipment based on utilization in scenarios that replicate, to the maximum extent possible, conditions that will be experienced in incident response. The results of the assessment will not yield a determination of what product is best, nor shall the CDP endorse any product or manufacturer. The assessment will be performed at the CDP by evaluators from the emergency response population, representative of law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions across the US. These evaluators will be actual users of the equipment in the field. The evaluators will be presented with specific scenarios and tasks to be carried out using the equipment as a responder wearing riot control gear in demonstrator control situations. The scenarios will be tailored so that evaluated criteria can be objectively and subjectively assessed by each evaluator. Some of the criteria could include capability, usability, affordability, deployability, and maintainability. If you wish to provide information about your particular brand/product, please provide, in electronic (MS Word) format, your company name, whether you are a manufacturer or a distributor, address, point of contact, telephone, fax, web address and e-mail address. Additionally, please provide any information available such as the adaptability of the equipment in hazardous environments while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), reliability, maintainability, durability, environmental limits, safety reports, latest research, and new developments. Finally, please include cost information such as initial costs, replacement parts, accessory options, and available warranties. Do not send your piece of equipment. Selected equipment will be purchased from distributors/supplies as the equipment is selected for the assessment. Respond by 4:00 p.m. CDST on August 20, 2007 by e-mail to Charlotte.Laughlin@dhs.gov, by fax to 256-847-2323, or by mail to Charlotte Laughlin, Contract Specialist, Center for Domestic Preparedness, P. O. Box 5100, Anniston, AL 36205.