The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has an interest in obtaining information on products that may prolong the useful life of vehicle batteries in order to reduce the costs associated with their replacement and the environmental impacts from disposal. The Service's mission is to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. The Service has staff located at over 600 individual locations throughout the U.S. including wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, ecological services, migratory bird and law enforcement offices. With a few exceptions, most locations have on-site staff ranging from approximately 5-30 individuals often in very remote locations. The Service's entire fleet is approximately 6,000 vehicles and the above sites usually contain a variety of motor vehicles ranging from sedans, pick-up trucks, heavy duty trucks (transport, dump trucks,) and other heavy duty equipment including backhoes, bulldozers, etc. Due to the location climate and program needs, some vehicles are seasonal and may have extended periods of idle time. Some are garaged or kept under cover, other may be exposed to the elements for long periods of time and the weather conditions the equipment are exposed to vary considerably. Some locations have on-site staff that can perform some maintenance while others rely on service performed by local garages and service stations. While not representative of all sites, the following is a sample listing of vehicles from one site: 1 GMC and 1 Sterling 6x4 transport trucks; 1 GMC 4x2 passenger van; 1 Sterling 6x4 dump truck; 8 8cyl 4x4 SUV/pick-up; 2 6cyl 4x4; 1 8cyl diesel; 2 backhoes and one bulldozer. The Service is interested in identifying products that would be cost effective and efficient and in developing an implementation strategy taking into consideration its geographic and organizational dispersion and fleet composition. Companies who offer products can provide the following information/literature: (1) company information with contact name, phone, e-mail and web site; (2) basic concepts of the technology used (e.g. pulse technology, etc.); (3) description of the process, time, effort and skills needed to install and maintain the products; (4) past experience and references, especially in settings and with vehicles similar to discussed above; (5) costs of the units and any associated products, potential discounts, and warranty information. Information submission and questions may be directed to Pete Langer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Contracting and Facilities Management, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 212, Arlington, VA 22203
[email protected] or 703-358-1901 http://www.fws.gov.