EMERGENCY RESPONSE COURSE

1.0 GENERAL 1.1 SCOPE The United States Coast Guard (USCG) National Strike Force (NSF) requires contractor support for instruction of the most current National Fire Academy (NFA) Chemistry for Emergency Response Course. The Contractor will provide a bid for one (1) year base and four (4) optional years. 1.2 BACKGROUND The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, more commonly called the National Contingency Plan (NCP), is the federal government's blueprint for responding to both oil spills and hazardous substance releases. The NCP is the result of our country's efforts to develop a national response capability and promote overall coordination among the hierarchy of responders and contingency plans. The NCP includes a framework for responding to hazardous substance spills as well as oil discharges, in addition to releases at hazardous waste sites requiring emergency removal actions. Within the NCP, the NSF Strike Teams (NSFST) are designated as Special Teams required to maintain the standing ability to support Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Defense predesignated Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSC) for any discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil into a navigable waterway of the U.S., or a release or substantial threat of a release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant into the environment of the U.S. Understanding the basics of chemistry and how it applies to emergency response is fundamental with regards to providing support to FOSC's for both oil discharges and hazardous substance releases. As a part of the NSF qualification process, personnel must successfully demonstrate mastery of the skills and knowledge provided in the NFA Chemistry for Emergency Response Course. 1.3 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS 1.3.1 Instructor Qualifications. The Contractor instructors shall be certified under the National Fire Academy. Proof of current certification shall be submitted with all proposals and bids. 1.3.2 Cost for services. Costs in bid shall include travel and per diem for the instructors. 1.3.3 FAR Subpart 19.7 Small Business Subcontracting Program applies 1.4 CONFLICT OF INTEREST. The Contractor shall not employ any person for work under this contract who is an employee of the United States Government if that employment would, or would appear to cause a conflict of interest. 1.5 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. The primary place of performance will be at the three NSFST's. The Government will provide all classroom facilities. There will be one convening per location annually. The locations of the three NSFST's are: 1. Atlantic Strike Team: Fort Dix, New Jersey 2. Gulf Strike Team: Mobile, Alabama 3. Pacific Strike Team: Novato, California 2.0 GOVERNMENT TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 2.1 COTR-Contracting Officer's Technical Representative 2.2 NSF-National Strike Force 2.3 NSFST- National Strike Force Strike Team 2.4 FOSC-Federal On-Scene Coordinator 2.5 NCP-National Contingency Plan 3.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED RESOURCES & INFORMATION. The Government will provide notice to the Contractor requesting a course convening not less than forty five (45) calendar days in advance. At least two weeks prior to each course convening, the COTR will provide the Contractor with the student roster for each class with the names of students registered for each course. The roster will consist of personnel of varying experience levels. The initial roster may change prior to the course date due to cancellations and substitutions based on operational requirements. 4.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY. The Contractor is ultimately responsible for providing all materials, equipment and services necessary to fulfill the requirements of this task order, except for the Government Furnished Resources specified in PWS 3.0 of this work statement. The Contractor may request the use of Government resources such as projectors or computers for the intended purpose of class instruction. The Government must be notified at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance if any special training equipment is requested by the Contractor for instruction. 5.0 REQUIREMENTS 5.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 5.1.1 Course Currency. The Contractor shall teach the most current approved NFA Chemistry for Emergency Response Course. 5.1.2 Target Audience. The course shall be suitable and adapted to accommodate the learning needs of students with both limited and extensive chemistry and emergency response knowledge. 5.1.3 Course Length. The course shall be ten (10) full days in length, equivalent to eighty (80) hours of training. Each course will have a maximum of thirty (30) students and may have a government COTR in attendance. 5.1.4 Curriculum and Syllabus. 5.1.4.1 The Contractor shall provide a proposed training curriculum and syllabus with all proposals and submitted bids. 5.1.4.2 The Contractor shall submit a final training curriculum and syllabus to the COTR for review and concurrence within thirty (30) days after contract award. 5.1.4.3 The Contractor shall submit any changes to the curriculum to the COTR for review and concurrence not later than thirty (30) days prior to course convening. 5.2 TRAINING MATERIALS. 5.2.1 Course Preparation. The Contractor shall be responsible for setting up the training facility, arranging furniture as necessary, laying out participant materials, and preparing equipment and instructor aids. 5.2.2 Student Materials. The Contractor shall prepare and provide all required student materials (course manuals, workbooks, handouts, quizzes, tests, completion certificates, and course critique forms). 5.3 COURSE EVALUATION 5.3.1 Proposed Evaluation. The Contractor shall provide a proposed course evaluation questionnaire with all submitted proposals and bids. 5.3.2 Evaluation Content. The Contractor shall provide a course evaluation questionnaire to be completed by all participants at the end of each course. The questionnaire shall be directed toward eliciting participants' comments as to the value of the material taught, recommended changes and/or additions, and the quality of the instruction. 5.3.3 Evaluation Consolidated Report. The Contractor shall provide a consolidated report of the evaluation responses with recommendations for course enhancement no later than fifteen (15) days after the course ends to the COTR. 5.4 COURSE CERTIFICATES. The Contractor shall provide a certificate for each participant attesting to the successful completion of the course NLT fifteen (15) days after receipt of payment. 5.5 STUDENT RATIOS. The Contractor shall have two current NFA certified instructors at each convening. There should be no more than fifteen students to one instructor, but at no time will there be less than two qualified instructors regardless of the number of students. 6.0 COSTS. The bid shall include all costs for services for this training including but not limited to those described in Sections 1.3.2, 4.0, and 5.2.2. 7.0 REFERENCE. National Contingency Plan (NCP); Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 300. 8.0 DELIVERABLES. The contractor shall provide the following in their quotation: ITEM DELIVERABLE / EVENT PWS DUE BY 1 Proposed training curriculum, syllabus, and evaluation with submitted bids 5.1 In quote 2 Proof of current instructor certification under the National Fire Academy 1.3 In quote 2 Final training curriculum and syllabus 5.1 30 Days after award 3 Course manuals, handouts, quizzes, tests 5.2 Provide at training to each student 4 Course Evaluation 5.3 NLT 15 days after course completion 5 Course Completion Certificate 5.4 NLT 15 days after receipt of payment 9.0 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. 10.0 BID RESPONSE. Please send all bid proposals to Derrick.L.Cross@uscg.mil or Marvin.O.Ross@uscg.mil The specific performance standards for all deliverables will be described in each Task Order.