USAF Fire Emergency Services Personal Protective Services (FES PPE) Ensemble

Due to technical difficulties with FBO, the last answer to the Q & As is posted below and not in an attachment. Q: There is no definition or measurement provided for Men's standard or large calf size in Attachment 3, section 1.4 or Attachment 5, section 1.4 or in the SOW. As such, how will the government determine if the calf size offered by a supplier is sufficient to meet the needs of the USAF firefighter? According to the study: "Firefighter Body Dimensions for Updating Safety Specifications for Fire Apparatus and Firefighter Protective Equipment" October 2015, includes NIOSH Dataset RD-1007-2015-0, based on 863 male and 86 female subjects, indicate a 99th%ile male calf circumference of 18.3 inches and a 99th%ile female calf size of 17.4 inches. This link takes you to the firefighter anthropometry dataset: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/data/datasets/rd-1007-2015-0/default.html Alternatively, the USAF conducted an AirCrew Sizing Survey (not firefighters) in 2011. The link is: www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA612756. The study results, based on 640 male subjects, indicate a 99th%ile calf circumference of 17.87 inches with a maximum observed value of 18.43 inches. The [REDACTED] firefighting boot that we are proposing exceed the 99th%ile for both men and women's (sizes 7.5 and up) as indicated in the NIOSH study for firefighters. As such, in the absence of a specifically defined dimensional requirement to the contrary, [REDACTED] believes we do not need a separate boot line item/sub-CLIN with a "wider" calf circumference to fit beyond the 99th%ile male and female firefighter population. If for some reason a firefighter did appreciably exceed the 99th%ile calf sizes and requires a wider calf than currently provided by [REDACTED] boot, [REDACTED] will provide the [REDACTED] boot with a custom calf circumference to meet the individual firefighter's size requirements and meet the requirements of this solicitation. Would this be acceptable to the government? A: Yes, this would be acceptable to the government. The documentation that you reference with your question, or similar documentation, must be provided with your proposal as "Substantiating Documentation" in order to validate the technical requirement, as stated, is being met. The offering of a customized boot needs to be part of your customary commercial practices and not simply an offering for the USAF. As for pricing, whether or not there is a price difference for a custom boot versus the standard option, the FES PPE Ensemble Pricing Matrix still must be completed in its entirety and a price must be entered for the "Wide Calf" CLIN 0015AC in order for the matrix to be considered "Complete".