REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) REGARDING LOW ENERGY MOBILE IMAGING SYSTEM (LE-MIS)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) REGARDING LOW ENERGY MOBILE IMAGING SYSTEM (LE-MIS) (May 7, 2009) 1. DESCRIPTION. The goal of this RFI is to identify Low Energy Mobile Imaging Systems (LE-MIS) that meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) requirements. The primary purpose of the LE-MIS is to inspect vehicles for illegal contraband including narcotics and terrorist weapons. To facilitate the movement of vehicles through the various ports of entry a non-intrusive inspection system is desired. 2. NOTICE. This announcement will be open for fifteen (15) days. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. CBP may seek proposals in the near future and will not accept unsolicited proposals at this time. This notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Participation does not imply any obligation on the part of the Government. Responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice; all costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at responder expense. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFP if issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) Web site. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information. Proprietary information will be protected to the greatest extent provided by law. The interested vendor should indicate if they are a large business, small business, 8(a) vendor, and/or if they are located in a Hubzone. They should also provide their DUNS number and TAX ID number. Any questions concerning this RFI or its accompanying documents must be submitted via e-mail CBP.Conveyancesecuritydevice@dhs.gov 3. INFORMATION: CBP is interested in obtaining LE-MIS offered as existing commercial products. This NII LE-MIS must contain the following requirements: Operating Requirements 1) Be able to operate within land border, seaport and airport environments. 2) Be able to operate in temperatures ranging from -30'C to 50'C (-22'F to 122 - F), withstand wind speeds of up to 40 mph, and operate 24 hours per day 7 days per week, 365 days per year without the need for additional structures (canopies, buildings). 3) Be able to operate in either a mobile or stationary mode 4) Operate in an area no wider than 20 feet wide (including target width) 5) Be able to discriminate between organic and inorganic material 6) Contain the capability to copy stored files to a flash drive, CD or DVD 7) Be capable of capturing and storing scanned images 8) Be capable of exported scanned images as a tif or jpg file 9) Detect both gamma rays and neutrons. Detection notification shall be integrated into the detection software Specifically: a. Gamma Detection i. Smallest level detected shall be 40 micro-R ii. Smallest source detectable is 100 micro-Ci of Cs-137 at a distance of 1 meter and a scan speed of .5 kph. b. Neutron Detection i. Smallest neutron flux detected .04 neutrons/second/cm2 ii. Smallest source detectable shall be Am-241/Be or Cf-252 at a distance of 2 meters at scan speed of .5 kph. 10) The system shall be based upon x-ray or gamma energies and shall have a material discrimination capability that can highlight low density and high density materials. Systems that generate quality images of organic material even when such substances are hidden in complex environments are preferred. 11) Operate using either shore power or an onboard power system independent of shore connections. 12) The system shall use an LCD display of at least 15. Vehicle Requirements 1) Have room for at least 4 (1 driver and 3 passengers). 2) Rugged chassis 3) On board power systems and vehicle shall utilize the same fuel type 4) No special driver requirements beyond a standard state driver's license shall be required to drive the vehicle on local, state roads (i.e.: no commercial driver's license shall be required). 5) Be able to operate in tight confines Imaging Requirements 1) Resolution of 7mm at a distance of up to 4.5 meters 2) Penetration - image ten (10) pounds of organic materials to a depth of 6mm (.24 inches) in steel equivalent density at a distance of five feet 3) Be able to manipulate images using image analysis tools to include and not be limited to the following: sharpen, different color pallets, zoom, contrast, etc. 4) Scan size shall show the entire target (length and height) 5) Detect both gamma rays and neutrons. Detection notification shall be integrated into the detection software. Specifically: a. Gamma Detection i. Smallest level detected shall be 40 micro-R ii. Smallest source detectable is 100 micro-Ci of Cs-137 at a distance of 1 meter and a scan speed of .5 kph. b. Neutron Detection i. Smallest neutron flux detected .04 neutrons/second/cm2 ii. Smallest source detectable shall be Am-241/Be or Cf-252 at a distance of 2 meters at scan speed of .5 kph. As prescribed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.209-c, the following clause has been inserted into this RFI. 52.215-3 - Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes. As prescribed in 15.209(c), insert the following provision: Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) a. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. b. Although - proposal and - offeror are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. c. This solicitation is issued for the purpose of identifying whether currently available Low Energy Imaging Mobile Systems meet Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) requirements. In addition, only one submittal per Low Energy Imaging Mobile Systems will be accepted. All documents are to be provided on company letterhead and limited to a total package size of no more than one hundred pages. All submittals are to be written in English and provided in MS Word format using Times New Roman font at 12 point. All packages submitted electronically or by electronic media must be free of any computer virus. If a virus is found, the package will be destroyed. Please submit a cover letter that includes the company's name and address, with business and technical contact information to include e-mail, fax, telephone, and Web page (if applicable). The cover letter should include a synopsis stating the concept and a brief description of the system. The cover letter should not exceed two pages, and is not included as part of the 100 page limit. In order for a submission package to be considered complete, it must be received by the closing date and include the following: (1) A cover page which should include the company name and address, with business and technical contact information to include e-mail, fax, telephone, and Web page (if applicable). (2) Identification of any existing or former (past 5 years) Federal Government contracts released in conjunction with the Low Energy Imaging Mobile Systems and/or components to be considered, including agency, agency point of contact, and contract/purchase order number. 6. ADDRESS: Interested vendors shall send their responses to CBP.Conveyancesecuritydevice@dhs.gov. charles.gibbs@associates.dhs.gov anthony.d.harvin@dhs.gov All responses must be received by the closing date.