Award will be made using FAR 12.201-1(c) - (c) Method. To promote competition to the maximum extent practicable— (1) Normally, post RFQs in the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE). Use the Standard Form (SF) SF 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Products and Commercial Services; or SF 18, Request for Quotations; or similar agency form or automated format. For acquisitions greater than the SAT, combine the presolicitation notice and the RFQ according to 12.202(b). (2) For acquisitions at or below the SAT, the contracting officer may choose to solicit quotations directly from suppliers. When soliciting directly- (i) Post a presolicitation notice in the GPE according to subpart 5.1, unless an exception in 5.101(b) applies; (ii) Solicit quotations from at least three sources; and (iii) Whenever practicable, solicit quotations from two sources not included in the previous solicitation. Contractor performs the required tasks. Under no circumstances shall the Government direct work or prepare work schedules for individual contractor employees. Coordinate with the COR on briefing objectives. 1.1 Description of Services 1.1.1 The contractor shall provide all qualified/trained personnel, equipment and supplies (except those specified as Government furnished), tools, materials, supervision, transportation, lodging, and services necessary to perform wildfire hazard reduction through prescribed burning and mop-up operations, and related services. The contractor may be delegated responsibility for complete planning and implementation of prescribed burn operations, which includes the Contractor determining when specific burn units are within prescription parameters through field checks of fuel moisture percentages; the Contractor would be providing all required crew members, supervision and making all prescribed burn operational decisions ranging from determining that site specific unit conditions are within approved burn plan parameters, through ignition and holding operations, mop-up and patrol until released by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Supervision for prescribed burning may require a qualified Burn Boss, Firing Boss, and Holding Specialist for the complexity level of each burn. 1.1.2 The contractor shall furnish labor, supervision, transportation, operating supplies (except those specified as Government furnished) to perform work necessary to conduct fire line construction and/or maintenance (mechanical and/or hand line), brushing/lopping/scattering/pruning for vegetation modification in preparation for prescribed burning, fuels pullback, ignition, holding/suppression, snag felling, mop-up and patrol, and fire line and road access repair. The COR will describe the specific objectives of any operational duty, normally during a pre-operational briefing. The Contractor’s employees must meet the standard classifications of positions on prescribed burn projects as defined in the National Wildfire Coordinating Group National Incident Management System: Wildland Fire Qualifications System Guide (PMS 310-1, NFES 1414, October 2018, or latest version) which is available under “Publications” at the following website: https://www.nwcg.gov. 1.1.3 Escape Burn Guidelines and Procedure - If, in the judgment of the COR, a slopover that occurs during ignition or mop-up cannot be contained with the personnel and equipment identified in the Contingency Plan, Element 17 of the Prescribed Fire Plan, the Burn Boss will follow the procedures outlined in the Wildfire Declaration, Element 18 of the Prescribed Fire Plan. Under this condition, the Contractor shall take immediate action to control, suppress, and mop up the escaped fire. The Contractor and crew(s) shall work under the guidance of the Government and continue working until released by the Government. The COR will notify the Rogue River Interagency Dispatch Center. 1.2 Background: Prescribed burning has been shown to reduce the risk of wildland fire and the severity of fires that do occur through the reduction in available fuel loading and changes in fuel composition and structure across the landscape. Project areas are reforestation areas, natural and managed stands of timber woodlands, shrub fields, or grass areas of all ages, size, and species. Fuels will consist of harvest activity slash and natural fuels, live fuels, jackpot fuels, piled fuels and slashed shrubs and trees. Fuel loadings range from less than ½ ton per acre to as high as 100 tons or more per acre. 1.3 Objectives: It is the objective of this contract to provide services to the Forest Service to assist with its prescribed burning program on identified units to reduce fuel loading and/or change the composition and structure of fuels to optimize the treatment of those fuels to the most effective burning period.
