Determination and Findings IAW FAR RFO 12.102(a) and FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b) & Award Notice

CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE — SOLE SOURCE

USCG Sector San Diego Fire Protection & Hangar Fire System Certification

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

• Document Type: Award Notice (with Justification)

• Notice ID / Solicitation Number: 37250PR260000091

• Requisition / Purchase Request Number: 37250PR260000112

• Contract Award Number: 70Z03726PLALB0062

• Awardee: Porges Electrical Group, Inc.

• Total Contract Value: $69,972.96

2. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

1. The requesting agency is the United States Coast Guard (USCG), specifically Base Los Angeles/Long Beach, acting on behalf of USCG Air Station & Sector San Diego and the CG Moorings at Ballast Point.
   • Action Type: Sole Source Acquisition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)
   • Contractor/Manufacturer Name: Porges Electrical Group Inc.
   • Project Name: Comprehensive Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Services of Fire Protection and Alarm Systems at USCG Air Station, Sector San Diego, and Ballast Point Moorings.
   • Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP)
2. Description of ServiceS
   • The contractor must provide all certified labor, materials, equipment, proprietary diagnostic tools, travel, and supervision required to perform recurring monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual inspection, testing, certification, and emergency repair services for fire alarm, detection, and special hazard fire suppression systems
3. Major Systems and Equipment Inventory
   • Fire Alarm & Detection Systems: Six (6) Fire Alarm Control Panels (networked proprietary panels manufactured by Silent Knight and Harrington Signal Inc.), 2 Remote Annunciators, 190 Smoke Detectors, 17 Heat Detectors, and over 170 horn/strobe notification appliances.
   • Special Hazard Suppression Systems:

     • Six (6) Ansul IND-X Dry Chemical systems protecting critical waterfront HAZMAT and flammable storage lockers.

     • Two (2) FM-200 clean agent systems protecting high-value assets and electronic communications (JHOC OPCEN & COMCEN in Bldg F).

     • Two (2) Chemguard C2 Foam Systems protecting active aviation hangars (Hangar #1/Bldg H and Hangar #2/Bldg I).

     • One (1) R-102 Wet Chemical system with Range Guard and Gaylord Hood protecting the Sector Galley (Bldg B).

   • Water-Based Sprinkler Systems: Five (5) independent "wet" and "dry" (pre-action) Fire Main Sprinkler Systems connected to base city water lines, including 6 risers, flow/tamper switches, and electronic pre-action monitoring systems.

   • Portable Fire Extinguishers: Inspection, testing, maintenance, and hydrostatic certification of approximately 143 portable extinguishers (ranging from 2.5 lb to 150 lb wheeled flight-line units).

4. Mission Criticality & Regulatory Mandates:

   These services are directly critical to safeguarding military personnel and multi-million-dollar national security assets (including active MH-60T Jayhawk rescue helicopters)

   • FAA & Hangar Certifications: Under Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 139 Subpart D § 139.319 and § 139.321, active airfield facilities and maintenance hangars must maintain certified, fully operational fire-fighting and deluge suppression systems.

   • NFPA Compliance: System testing and certification must be executed in strict compliance with federal laws, including NFPA 409 (Standard on Aircraft Hangars), NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code), and NFPA 25 (Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems).

3. SPECIFIC FINDINGS

In accordance with RFO 12.102(a), the acquisition is valued at or below the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), and competition is restricted because only Porges Electrical Group Inc. is technically qualified and reasonably available to meet the Coast Guard's requirements.

Basis for the Decision:

1. Proprietary Hardware and Software Access: The base-wide fire alarm network is powered by proprietary control systems manufactured by Silent Knight and Harrington Signal Inc. Restricting these diagnostic panels to non-certified personnel introduces catastrophic system failure and accidental agent discharge risks. Troubleshooting, programming modifications, and firmware updates must be performed exclusively by factory-certified technicians possessing active credentials from Silent Knight and Harrington Signal.

2. Market Research and Evaluation of Alternate Source Proposals: The USCG conducted extensive market research, including issuing notice to local vendors and publishing Sources Sought RFI notice 37250PR260000091 on SAM.gov from August 14, 2026 to August 21, 2026. The responses received conclusively prove that no other local vendor is qualified:

   • BHPE LLC: Submitted an entirely unresponsive, automated marketing template that failed to list Unique Entity ID (UEI) credentials, failed to demonstrate technical capability, and declined to answer mandatory qualification or fixed-pricing questions.

   • The Hiller Companies, LLC (HCI): Submitted a pricing proposal of $34,970.00 on August 21, 2026, which was determined to be technically unacceptable and non-responsive due to the following critical deficiencies:

     1. Lack of Mandatory Certifications: While Hiller submitted standard California Contractor State Licenses (CSLB Classifications C-16, C-10, C-61/D-64), their package contained zero evidence of the mandatory technician certifications from Silent Knight or Harrington Signal Inc. to program and service the proprietary alarm control panels.

     2. Deficient and Non-Compliant Testing Scope: Hiller's proposal explicitly stated: "For the Foam Systems, pricing is based on a sample during testing. A flow test will not be conducted." Excluding physical flow testing directly violates NFPA 409 and FAA 14 CFR Part 139 hangar certification regulations. A foam discharge system cannot be certified as operational without a validated flow/discharge test, meaning Hiller’s proposed scope would leave the USCG in violation of FAA directives.

     3. Severe Under-Pricing Risk: Hiller's total annual price of $34,970.00 is abnormally low and mathematically unfeasible for the intensive scope of work (servicing over 143 extinguishers, 190 detectors, 5 sprinkler risers, 2 foam deluge systems, and providing 24/7 priority emergency response). This pricing structure indicates they failed to scope the mandatory certified labor rates and manufacturer parts, presenting an extreme risk of contract default or failure to perform.

3. Porges Electrical Group Inc. Capabilities: Porges Electrical Group Inc. is the only local contractor who provided verified, active manufacturer certifications from Silent Knight and Harrington Signal Inc. and committed to the mandatory next-business-day (24-hour) emergency mobilization window. Porges fully priced the required NFPA-compliant flow testing of the hangar foam systems to guarantee uninterrupted FAA compliance.