THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF MARKET RESEARCH. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. The response date has been extended until 24 April 2012. The U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC), National Protection Center is inviting manufacturers to provide information on SUBSISTENCE SYSTEMS. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)Authorized Equipment List (AEL) item number for this equipment is 19GN-00-HSSF (Housing, Subsistence and Sanitation Systems). The requested information will be included in market research to identify systems available in the commercial market that can be used for food service to support emergency response operations. SUBSISTENCE SYSTEMS will be limited to mobile kitchens serving groups of 20 or more with full-service food storage, preparation and cooking capabilities. By providing information in response to this RFI, you agree that the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program may use both the equipment information and any provided images in SAVER outreach. Review of this information is being performed for Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology Directorate. DHS established the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)Program to conduct comparative assessments and validation activities that provide the emergency responder community with information on important products and services. Visit the SAVER Program Web site at https://www.rkb.us/SAVER/ for more information on the SAVER program. All information received will be treated as public knowledge and may be used in SAVER Program documentation; therefore, vendors should not submit proprietary information in response to this RFI. The intent of this market research will be to provide the emergency response community with feedback on the commercially available mobile kitchens that can be used by Emergency Responders. The results of the market research will not yield a determination of what product is best, nor shall NSRDEC or the SAVER Program endorse any product or manufacturer. The preferred format for responses to this RFI are by completing the attached RFI template file. The RFI template file (MS EXCEL) requires the following company information: company name, whether you manufacture or distribute, address, point of contact, telephone, fax, web address, and e-mail address. The template also requests the following information, as applicable, regarding the SUBSISTENCE SYSTEM: 1. Model name, number, and picture of kitchen system 2. Feeding capacity (number of people per hour) 3. Type of food items that could be prepared in this system (i.e. previously prepared food, raw food, etc.) 4. System Cost (Purchase price and projected life cycle cost including maintenance and disposal if applicable) 5. Dimensions (LxWxH in feet during transport and operation) 6. Weight (in lbs. during transport) 7. Expandability/Modularity/ Complex-ability/Stackability 8. Transportation capabilities (towing/airplane/airlift capability, operational during transport) 9. Required inputs for operation (water, electrical, fuel, generator size, batteries, voltage, etc. ) 10. Set Up/Strike Time 11. Required equipment for Set Up/Strike (i.e., fork truck, jacks, etc.) 12. Number of untrained personnel required for set up/strike/operation 13. Number of specialized personnel required (i.e. electrician, HVAC, etc.) 14. Operational temperature range 15. Refrigeration capacity and system coolant (incl. suggested use, meal storage capacity) 16. Environmental control (heating/cooling system type/size) 17. Is the item designed to NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) standards? (also include industry standards and/or unique certifications, including relevant health standards) 18. Additional capabilities (eat-in capability, integrated storage tanks for fuel or water, cold weather kits/insulation, lights, integrated generator, power distribution, potable/non-potable hot/cold water systems, sanitation, ballistic protection, blackout capability, etc). If accessory, specify additional cost. 19. Overall maintenance concept and description of recurring maintenance requirements (include time between refuel and Mean-Time-To Repair)Submittals: Information about a particular brand/product should be submitted in electronic format by 4:00 pm EST on 24 April 2012 by e-mail to Ariana Costa at
contact@example.gov. Please put RFI - Subsistence and Sanitation Systems in the e-mail subject line. Submission may also be sent by mail to: US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center, ATTN: RDNS-ST, Ariana Costa, Kansas St., Natick, MA 01760. Packages must be postmarked by 24 April 2012. All technical questions regarding this RFI should be directed via email to
contact@example.gov. This RFI is for information gathering and planning purposes only, and should not be construed as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or solicitation of an offer. The Government does not intend to award a contract on this basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information solicited. Submission of vendor information constitutes consent to publication of that information in SAVER Program documentation.
