Guard, Food and Local Transportation Services

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to award a sole source contract to Ahtna Technical Services, Inc, 560 E 34th Avenue Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503 for Guard, Food and Local Transportation services at the ICE Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) located at 27991 Buena Vista Blvd., Los Fresnos, Texas 78566. The statutory authority for this non-competitive action is 41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1) as implemented by FAR Subpart 6.302-1 entitled "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." Ahtna Technical Services, Inc currently provides Guard, Food and Local Transportation services at PIDC under ICE contract HSCEDM-08-D-00002 and is the only responsible source capable of providing the continued services without an unacceptable interruption and degradation of service resulting in a significant disruption to mission critical detention services. The requirement for continued Guard, Food and Local Transportation services at PIDC is in the process of being re-competed as a competitive 8(a) small business set-aside on ICE solicitation HSCEDM-14-R-00003. The proposed sole source action will allow ICE to continue operations at PIDC while this re-competition effort is finalized and for the transition to a new competitively-selected Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for the detention, security, control, and well-being of detainees, and is accountable for the detainees' personal possessions. The Contractor furnishes, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, the necessary detention (armed/unarmed) officer services, including management personnel, supervision, manpower, relief officer, uniforms, equipment, and supplies to provide Guard, Food and Local Transportation services supporting a program of temporary residential care of detainees of all nationalities. The re-competition of this requirement will not be awarded in time to allow for continuity of the mission critical services, or the proper transitioning of Contractors. Any lapse in services would jeopardize the safety of detainees and ICE personnel working at the facility. PIDC operates at ICE 2011 Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS 2011) including all optimal provisions; American Correctional Association (ACA) Standards for Adult Local Detention Facilities (ALDF); and Standards Supplement, Standards for Health Services in Jails, National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), and standards supplement and state and local laws on firearms for all locations. ICE has a commitment to its detainee population to maintain operations in accordance with these standards. Only the incumbent has the existing capabilities in place to immediately provide the unique services required at PIDC while maintaining these standards. Additionally, transition costs for a new Contractor are cost prohibitive. It follows that, in order to avoid a lapse in unique, mission critical services and to further avoid substantial duplication of transition costs, ICE must award an interim sole source contract to the only responsible source, Ahtna Technical Services, Inc for a period not to exceed 12 months. This notice of intent is NOT a request for competitive proposals as there is a competitive solicitation concurrently in process under ICE solicitation HSCEDM-14-R-00003.