REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - -HANDHELD THERMAL IMAGING TOOLS AND DEVICES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT APPLICATIONS

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center - Charleston (SSC-CH), Code 70 Intelligence and Information Warfare Systems Engineering Department and Code 741 Advanced Law Enforcement Technology Branch, is seeking information on all available commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) - HANDHELD THERMAL IMAGING SYSTEMS for Law Enforcement Applications. The systems are designed to display images of objects varying temperatures and typically have increased magnification and covert capability for use in outdoor environments and/or larger area indoor applications. Features such as temperature measurement, battery powered, wireless transmission, storage of images, and various lens focal lengths are of interest. No products that are undergoing research and development will be accepted. SSC-CH is only interested in information on handheld thermal imaging devices that are currently available to the emergency responder community. These devices are specifically designated for covert surveillance and search and rescue operations. Information on hardware options, software for interfacing with a computer, power requirements, interoperability specifications, and wireless capability are particularly desired. Various federal, state, local, and tribal government and law enforcement agencies, military disaster control personnel, and area disaster/emergency response personnel will potentially use these devices in a multitude of applications. Determination as to information suitability will be made by SSC-CH based on the objectives of this request. The purpose of this announcement is to begin evaluation of handheld thermal imaging technologies for emergency response professionals from an end user perspective with insight into the capabilities and limitations of the various tools, systems, and devices. An unclassified user ready reference will be disseminated to federal, state, local and tribal government agencies and follow-on comparative assessments of the tools and devices may result from the COTS data provided. Review of this information is being performed for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Preparedness Directorate, Office of Grants and Training, (G&T), Systems Support Division. G&T is responsible for enhancing the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to respond to, and mitigate the consequences of, incidents of domestic terrorism, particularly those involving weapons of mass destruction, through coordinated training, equipment acquisition, technical assistance, and support for federal, state, and local exercises. The System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program assists emergency responders in performing their duties. Visit the SAVER Program web site at http://saver.tamu.edu for more information on the SAVER Program. All information received will be treated as public knowledge; therefore, vendors should not submit proprietary information in response to this Request for Information (RFI). By providing this informaiton, the vendor agrees that it may be used in the production of the Thermal Imaging Market Survey Report or Assessment Report and subsequently published. Specific informaiton sought includes: A general description of the handheld thermal imaging system and setup constraints. Cost, to include purchase price and expected life cycle operation, warranty, and repair costs. Night/day applications/limitations. Technical specificaitons including resolution, magnification and field of view, distortion, weather resistance, power type/life, camera/camcorder adaptable, size weight, operating temperature, automatic brightness control, bright source protection. A listing of current users (with point of contact or organizations that have placed orders for the system, device, or technology. Specific recommended training techniques for the devices use in the field. Application specific testimonials and recommendations for appropriate usage. The name and phone number/e-mail address of the individual that potential users should contact for more information on the hardware or application. Websites or brochures with diagrams, drawings, and graphics that would assist the user in understanding the tool, device, or system are requested. This announcement is for information gathering purposes only. Submittals: Respondents are required to complete the attachded product summary template document (HTI_product_summary.doc) for each product and submit electronically via CD, diskette, Internet link, or e-mail. Respondents are welcomed to provide additional information in the form of product brochures, press releases, technical specification sheets, independent assessment results, reprints of trade journal articles, etc, although electronic media are preferred (CD, diskette, or internet link). Please provide 3 copies of any printed material. Technical Point of Contact: Daniel Heater +1 (555) 000-0000, e-mail: contact@example.gov. Responses to this RFI should be mailed to: SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, ATTN Code 741DH, P.O. Box 190022, N. Charleston, SC 29412-9022. This RFI is for market research 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 the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information solicited. E-mail your non-technical questions to the Contract Specialist at contact@example.gov.