Integrated Pest Management Services for the Veterans Affairs, Black Hills Health Care System located at Hot Springs, Ft Meade and Rapid City South Dakota
THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. A determination to set aside this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered for determining the degree of competition available to make a socio-economic set-aside decision.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this Sources Sought notice. Only written responses will be considered. All responses from responsible sources will be fully considered. Any prospective contractor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for award.
Interested parties are encouraged to furnish information by email only with RESPONSE TO SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SERVICES in the subject line. All documents submitted will not be returned. All interested parties shall submit clear and convincing documentation demonstrating their capabilities to satisfy the requirements listed above to the Contracting Officer, Don Gilbert by email at Donald.Gilbert@va.gov. The capability documentation should include general information and technical background describing in detail the prospective contractor's capabilities and experience that will demonstrate the ability to support these requirements, including proof of training and certification for performing the service listed in the Statement of Work below.
STATEMENT OF WORK
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SERVICES
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The purpose of this contract is to provide Integrated Pest Management Services for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Black Hills Health Care System (BHHCS) located at Hot Springs, Fort Meade, and Rapid City, South Dakota, hereinafter referred to as VA.
LOCATIONS:
Ft Meade VA Medical Center
113 Comanche Road
Fort Meade, SD 57741
Hot Springs VA Medical Center
500 North 5th Street
Hot Springs, SD 57747
Rapid City Community Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC)
3625 5th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Contractor shall adhere to VHA Directive 1850.02 Pest Management Operations and local VA policy FAC-10 Pest Control. The VA is committed to an Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM). IPM is a process for achieving long term, environmentally sound pest suppression using of a variety of technological and management practices. The Contractor shall use control strategies that extend beyond the application of pesticides to include structural and procedural modifications that reduce the food, water, harborage, and access used by pests. This will be achieved through detailed scheduled inspections that result in recommendations for a treatment plan that will be written and presented for approval by the VA COR. The Contractor shall provide all supplies, materials, equipment, labor, supervision, management and transportation to perform all tasks. This will be a one-year contract with four additional option years based on performance. The contractor will be expected to perform to the standards of this contract.
Contractor shall have experience in eradicating a wide variety of pests and rodents including bed bugs, in large hospital settings, multiple campus locations, and out buildings.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE:
Contractor shall assume full responsibility for compliance with all environmental regulations and VHA Handbook 1850.02 dated 4/6/2017, and FAC-10 Pest Control, as they apply to IPM. Contractor shall also perform all work in accordance with the guidelines establish by Federal, State and local ordinances. Contractor will assume full responsibility for clean up in the event any chemical spill is released into the environment accidentally or otherwise, on VA property.
BUILDING INSPECTION:
Contractor will provide a detailed written pest control plan to inspect all areas of the VA facilities for pest infestation and pest prevention measures. At a minimum all food service areas will be inspected monthly, operating rooms (OR), sterile processing and supply (SPS), and pharmacy IV compounding rooms areas will be inspected quarterly, all patient treatment areas semi-annually, and all other areas annually. Any problems identified in between inspections will be handled immediately.
During these inspections the Contractor will;
Determine which IPM measures are appropriate and required
Recommend environmental sanitation practices that restrict or eliminate food, water, or harborage for pests.
Utilize basic methods (caulking, sealing cracks, etc.) for exclusion of pests. In addition, the Contractor will make recommendations that may require action by the VA to achieve adequate pest management.
Select and utilize non-chemical control methods that eliminate, exclude or repel pests, i.e., insect electrocution devices, traps, caulking, air screens, etc.
Select and use the most environmentally sound pesticide(s) to effect control when chemical control methods are necessary.
Determine and implement a course of action if the facilities have issues with cockroaches, ants, carpet beetles, spiders, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, bees, wasps, houseflies, stable flies, blowflies, lice, bedbugs, fleas, scabies, mites, ticks, mosquitoes, scorpions, chiggers, saw tooth grain beetles, red/confused flour beetles, grain moths, house mice, field mice, mice, roof rats, Norway rats, bats, squirrels, gophers moles, skunks, snakes, rabbits, raccoons, pigeons, starlings, sparrows, magpies, and any wood destroying organisms.
Identify, remove and clean any droppings that are known to be a health concern in ceilings, employee work areas, patient areas, or any other public areas. (this does not include barns, and outbuildings not occupied by staff or patients).
Continue to monitor treated areas to insure control measures were adequate.
A detailed written account will be provided each month where any treatment was provided, how much chemical was applied, any traps that were placed and exact locations, and the pest(s) targeted. This information may vary from time to time based on the requirements set by the Federal Guidelines. In addition, a written annual report will be provided with details of what type and quantity of chemicals were applied.
SCHEDULED WORK:
Pest management task shall be coordinated with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to be achieved on an agreed upon time schedule. Understanding that many times the most efficient times to inspect and develop a treatment plan are during slower periods, often after hours. However, whenever possible routinely scheduled work should be performed during normal business hours which are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am until 4:30 pm., excluding holidays.
Contractor will coordinate treatment applications where personnel will be present in advance so that individuals with special health needs can be reasonably accommodated. Whenever pesticides are used in a large-scale application, the Safety Office will be notified in advance also.
EMERGENCY CALL BACK: The Contractor shall respond to any emergent conditions within six hours after receipt of notification by the Contracting Officer or his/her designee and perform Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Services to correct the emergent condition. This call back service shall be accomplished at no additional charge to the Government. Examples of emergent conditions would be, suspected or confirmed bed bugs, or any pest that is affecting working conditions or patient care.
NON-EMERGENT CALLS: Contractor shall report within a mutually agreed upon time with COR for non-scheduled services without additional charge to the Government.
Contract shall provide a method, such as cellular telephone number(s) or email address that is checked often where they can be contacted at any time.
Pest Control Chemical, Materials, and Equipment:
Storage of pest control chemicals, materials, or equipment is prohibited on government property.
Any pest control chemical applied on VA property will have an SDS and a copy of the SDS will be provided to the COR prior to the application of the chemical.
Contractor Staff:
Contractor s staff will be required to provide identification and watch a short training video so that they can receive a VA Contractor s Identification Badge from the VA Police Department. All staff provided by the Contractor will be clean, well groomed, and provide an identifiable uniform that includes a company logo. All contractor staff will be courteous and not engage in any of the following; using profane or degrading language, using any offensive body language, telling any unacceptable jokes or stories, be argumentative, fighting or horseplay, etc. Any contractor staff engaging in any of the above behavior will be asked to leave the facility immediately.
Safety and Security Precautions:
Contractor shall provide employees safety equipment which is required for performance of the contract. The contractor shall also take all required precautions regarding fire and safety policies/procedures within VA. The contractor is responsible for immediately notifying the COR of any existing or potentially unsafe conditions noted or with possibility to develop in any space the contractor is aware of i.e., frayed electrical cord, dripping or seeping of fluids. Contractor shall comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and applicable laws/regulations for the protection of his/her employees. The C&A requirements do not apply, and Security Accreditation Package is not required. The Government shall assume no liability or responsibility for the Contractor s compliance or noncompliance with such requirements.
Don Gilbert
Contracting Officer
