This is a Notice of Intent to award a non-competitive contract to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) located at 7852 Walker Drive, Suite 450, Greenbelt, MD 20770. The United States Fire Administration (USFA), in coordination with fire service organizations has maintained a continuous program of support of health and safety of volunteer fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) departments and responders throughout the country. The proposed action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The purpose of the purchase order is to procure services to study firefighter occupational health and safety challenges are occurring in the volunteer fire/EMS service and develop initiatives, programs, and strategies on how on-duty injuries and fatalities may be reduced among volunteer firefighters and EMS responders. This study would also examine health and safety challenges among volunteer wildland firefighters. This study will update past USFA research performed by the NVFC volunteer firefighter health and safety - including the Study of Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service, the Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer Fire Service, the Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer and Small Combination Emergency Service Organizations, as well as other similar initiatives. The NVFC is the only national level organization representing volunteer first responders at all levels - firefighter/responder to organizational leadership. Representing the interests of approximately 25,000 of the nation's 30,000 fire departments, and more than 780,000 firefighters - accounting for nearly 70 percent of the firefighters in the nation, the NVFC is uniquely positioned to identify, understand, and address the challenges and successes faced by volunteer first responders. From legislative initiatives, funding for fire departments, volunteer retention and recruitment, health and safety issues, and reputation management, the NVFC is leading the charge in serving and advocating for volunteers. The NVFC is the only nationally recognized organization whose programs target the interests of the volunteer fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and rescue services at all levels. The NFVC provides a critical communication network, allowing for the sharing of information to and between volunteers and advising them of issues affecting the volunteer fire and emergency services. At a national level, the NVFC serves as the cumulative voice of the volunteer. The NVFC, their staff and members have tremendous experience and credibility among the U.S. fire service for their nearly 38 year history of producing materials, development of outreach programs, and studies in support of the volunteer fire/EMS service, including those involving volunteer firefighter health and safety. NVFC members serve on numerous national-level consensus standards committees dealing with firefighter and EMS responder health and safety. The NVFC has a long history of performing successful complex safety research studies for the volunteer fire service in support of both the USFA and the fire service in general. These studies have resulted in the publication of related texts or manuals and other outreach deliverables. Recent volunteer fire service-related USFA projects that were completed by the NVFC include the Study of Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service, the Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer Fire Service, the Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer and Small Combination Emergency Service Organizations and Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions. Additionally, the NVFC has developed an extensive web based health and safety program - the Behavior, Equipment, Standards and Codes, and Training (BEST) Priorities for Health and Safety which is proprietary to the NVFC and hosted on their web site. This program is targeted toward the volunteer fire service at the national level. The NVFC possesses a unique qualification in that it has recently worked with USFA in successful studies which cover all aspects of volunteer fire/EMS service health and safety. The NVFC is the only national-level organization with a long term history solely focused on the volunteer fire service at all levels, firefighter/responder to organizational leadership, which has produced many successful initiatives supporting that constituency. The NVFC has an existing network of State Fire Directors to obtain information which would support the study of volunteer firefighter and EMS responder health and safety. All of this organizational and staff history related to volunteer firefighter and EMS responder health and safety will benefit this study. The contractor must be able to meet core capabilities required for this requirement as follows: • Expertise in health and safety for local volunteer fire and EMS organizations at the national level; • Promote and provide education and training for volunteer fire and EMS organizations; • Gather applicable information from and disseminate information to the volunteer fire and EMS organizations from the United States Fire Administration (USFA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); • Serve as the voice and advocate for the volunteer fire and EMS organizations at all levels in the national arena and provide tools, resources and programs in health and safety for volunteer fire and EMS departments and responders; • Conduct research, develop training, collect information and distribute that information which has an impact on health and safety for volunteer firefighters and EMS responders, including linkage to and utilization of the NVFC (BEST) Priorities for Health and Safety training program. • Possess a network of State Fire Directors capable of providing information needed to complete this study. • Experience with performance of successful complex health and safety research studies for the volunteer fire service, for both the USFA and the fire service in general; • Existing mechanism to deliver outreach, information, and training targeted toward the more than 20,000 volunteer fire departments in the United States, specifically utilizing the existing NVFC BEST Priorities for Health and Safety web based training program; • Experience with the development and delivery of materials targeted specifically the volunteer fire and EMS services at all levels - firefighter/responder to organizational leadership. This would include Study of Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service, the Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer Fire Service, and the Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer and Small Combination Emergency Service. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined that the NVFC is uniquely qualified to perform this work. This purchase order will be awarded using simplified acquisition procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications demonstrating their ability to provide these services via email to Jane Huwig-Leister no later than 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on May 12, 2014. Email address for receipt of capabilities and qualifications is
[email protected]. Capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination not to compete this proposed procurement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. This Notice of Intent is NOT a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for competitive quotation/proposals. Contracting Office: DHS/FEMA/NETC Building D, Room 122 16825 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Place of Performance: Nationwide Classification Code: B550 NAICS Code: 813920