Dynamic Testing of Seat and Restraint Combinations for Use in the Ambulance Patient Compartment.

Amendment 1 changes the proposals DUE date to August 6, 2010, 2pm local time from July 23, 2010. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a requirement for Dynamic Testing of Seat and Restraint Combinations for Use in the Ambulance Patient Compartment. Together, NIOSH and the NTEA are continuing to investigate opportunities to improve the structural integrity of the patient compartment, seating systems, the patient litter, and equipment location and mounting utilizing existing NIOSH data. To that end, NIOSH, the NTEA-AMD, and its members have developed an SAE "Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice for Occupant Restraint and Equipment Mounting Integrity - Frontal Impact System-Level Ambulance Patient Compartment" to characterize the response of an ambulance when subjected to a full frontal crash into a barrier at 30 mph. This proposed document has been approved for further development by SAE and is now in its final revision with a vote to approve and accept as final expected this spring. It should be noted that while this is a standard requirement for all passenger vehicles weighing less than 8,500 lbs (in accordance with Federal Vehicle Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), virtually all U.S. ambulances operate above this weight and are, therefore, largely exempt from this requirement. Likewise, the partners seek to develop a companion "SAE Recommended Practice" to characterize an ambulance's response in a side impact event. Unfortunately, the team has been unable to identify a dataset in the public domain suitable for use in the development of such a standard. Therefore, a request for proposal was developed and posted in January 2010 to complete this work. A total of four (4) side impact tests will be performed. The resulting dataset will be used to support a well considered and defensible SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice for Occupant Restraint and Equipment Mounting Integrity - Side Impact System-Level Ambulance Patient Compartment (proposed). The testing is expected to be conducted in the spring of 2010, with the development of the proposed SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice for Side Impact Testing expected to be completed and approved by SAE in late fall 2010. The project team is also now completing development of a new AMD standard, "AMD STANDARD 026 - Proposed - SEAT, SEAT MOUNT AND OCCUPANT RESTRAINT DYNAMIC TEST." This newly proposed AMD standard establishes minimum requirements for testing of all patient compartment designated seating positions, seat mounting systems, and associated occupant restraints when installed per seat and restraint manufacturer's information. This is expected to be performed as a type test. The Contractor selected under this Request for Proposal will utilize the testing practices described in the two SAE Recommended Practices described in above, to conduct dynamic testing of Emergency Worker Seating Systems (any unique combination of a seat, seat mounting system, restraint system and seat adjusters which could be used as a designated seating position) in accordance with the proposed AMD Standard 026. Project Objectives This contract will evaluate seating and restraint systems, supplied by a variety of seat and restraint manufacturers. Seating systems will be single standalone seats (captain chair), as well as, bench seats, each using a variety of worker restraint types and styles. At the completion of this testing program the Contractor will have created a dataset which will: 1. Qualify the logic described in the proposed AMD 026 standard for the development of seated and restrained occupant head paths or "stay out zones" during dynamic events. 2. Demonstrated the ability of seat and restraint manufacturers to construct a variety of seat and restraint options that allow a belted worker to meet all FMVSS biomechanical limits, as proposed in the draft AMD 026 standard, while undergoing "crash-like" loading defined in each of the SAE Recommended Practices (front and side impacts). 3. Provide the data necessary for AMD and its partners to describe each seat and restraint combination and seat attitude - a function of "stay-out-zone" calculations and Anthropometric Test Device (ATD) response data (biomechanical data) - to perhaps reduce the number of dynamic tests required for the qualification of each seat and restraint combination. Example - does the data indicate AMD 026 should require seat and restraint manufacturers utilize only the higher frontal pulse for all designs regardless of seat attitude with respect to the impact direction? 4. Provide baseline data on current bench seats equipped with both Type 1 and Type 2 belts with wall and seat cushion included. This requirement is being solicited on an unrestricted basis as full and open competition. The CDC expects a single award cost plus fixed fee with a period of performance of eighteen (18) months. The complete solicitation document, and reference material, if applicable, will be available for downloading at www.fedbizops.gov on or about May 14, 2010 and proposals will be due on or about June 15, 2010. No verbal or written requests for copies will be accepted. It is the responsibility of perspective offerors to stay abreast of additional postings regarding this solicitation at the FedBizOpps internet site.