SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Products & Prototypes Which Utilize No Pre-Existing Infrastructure To Meet The Indoor Personnel Tracking Needs Of Emergency Responders
- Notice Date
- 11/18/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U. S. Army Materiel Command, RDECOM Acquisition Center - Natick, RDECOM Acquisition Center - Natick, ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-N, Natick Contracting Division (R and BaseOPS), Building 1, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011
- ZIP Code
- 01760-5011
- Solicitation Number
- W911QY09SS0001
- Response Due
- 12/19/2008
- Archive Date
- 2/17/2009
- Point of Contact
- Joni St. Pierre, 508-233-5240<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC), in support of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Directorate for Science and Technology (S&T), is seeking information on available products and prototypes designed to allow indoor tracking of individual emergency responders via devices worn by the individual, displaying the position and tracking information on a command console outside the monitored area and operating without benefit of pre-installed infrastructure, without the presence of indoor equipment beyond that worn by the individual being tracked, and without a prior indoor site survey. The primary interest is in systems that work without the need for additional indoor equipment (so called bread crumb devices) but consideration will also be given to systems that require this. Information received from this RFI will be used to identify potential participants in a multi-day personnel locator demonstration and operational assessment to be conducted in approximately the Feb-Apr 09 timeframe in the greater Boston, MA area. Participants in this evaluation will, through the demonstration of available capabilities, provide input into DHS S&T testing and evaluation for precision location systems for emergency responders and law enforcement personnel. Candidate systems shall provide 3-D position information for multiple emergency responders updated at least every 15 seconds, relative to some fixed point with accuracy of 3 meters or better in an indoor environment and ability to identify floor level using prototype or production system components that are suitable for use in a simulated operational environment. The target user group for these devices is the emergency responder community, including, but not limited to firefighters and law enforcement officers, and all submissions should be suited to their concepts of operation. Systems may make use of support devices placed outside a building if the use of such devices does not cause extended delays in the current emergency responder concept of operations. Likewise, the size, weight, and location of the device worn by the individual being tracked should not encumber their movements or ability to adhere to ordinary operational procedures. This RFI is primarily interested in indoor performance; however, if supported in addition to indoor operation, performance in an outdoor environment is also of interest. During the planned demonstration and assessment, invited participant systems will be evaluated in a variety of building types by emergency responders in realistic responder generated scenarios. Invited participating system developers and evaluators from the first responder community and DHS will have an opportunity to review and comment on the demonstration plan prior to execution. Participant system developers will be responsible for providing system training to the emergency responders involved in the execution of the demonstration. During the demonstration, operation of the system will be limited to the trained emergency responders with limited interaction with system developers. The demonstration and assessment will be closed-door, that is, only the participant, Government representatives, and the Government identified evaluation team (including emergency responder representatives and observers) will be present during demonstration and assessment of each participants system. A public summary report on the overall technological status of precision location systems and the implications of the tests regarding current maturity of such systems will be published but individual systems or the participant entity that submitted them for testing will not be identified with any particular record of performance. Participants will receive responder feedback and performance data for their own system. **Responses to this RFI shall be formatted in accordance with the RFI template file which can be obtained by contacting the technical project officer via email (Mr. Scott Ullery scott.g.ullery@us.army.mil). A document providing limited supplemental information on the test concept under development will also be provided when requesting the RFI template. ** Responses to this RFI must not exceed 10 pages and should address the requests below as well as include a completed requirements and maturity metric table (as provided in the RFI template file available from the technical project officer). Specific information sought includes: (1) A brief description (200 words or less) of the product or prototype system. In addition to the written description this response may include up to 2 pages of pictures and diagrams. (2) Respondents are encouraged but not required to submit a short and informal video of the system in use, demonstrating operation of the system in an indoor environment with the restrictions on numbers of mobile units and infrastructure and site survey support consistent with the criteria listed below; (3) Specific information with regards to conformance to the following minimum criteria: (a) no pre-installed infrastructure or indoor site surveys; (b) position information relative to a fixed point with 3 meter or better accuracy in an indoor environment and resolution of height sufficient to identify building floor, even when using a single indoor mobile unit, with and without breadcrumb devices; (c) capability of tracking at least two mobile units simultaneously; (4) Availability of at least two mobile units and all required supporting equipment such as the command console and any outdoor monitoring equipment in the Feb-Apr 09 timeframe for a full operational capability evaluation (NOTE: The demonstration and assessment for an individual system is expected to take approximately 3 days. Exact test dates for invited participant systems will be determined during the invitation acceptance process) ; (5) Indicate the building types and sizes in which this system has been successfully tested while meeting the requirements of item 3 above; (6) Specify set up time and the process required on arrival to a new site until full operational status has been achieved; (7) Describe the current user interface (pictures or other graphics may be provided); (8) Describe the largest indoor area that can be monitored at a minimum of 3 meter accuracy, also include the number of units used to achieved specified area; (9) If the system were used in an outdoors-only setting describe the largest outdoor area that can be monitored at the stated accuracy, also include the number of units used to achieved specified area; (10) Interest by the respondent in participating in the anticipated demonstration and assessment exercise to take place in the Feb-Apr 09 timeframe and requisite availability of the system and adequate staff to support a multi-day demonstration; (11) A listing of any current users (with points of contact) and under what current concept of operations is the system being used in [identified current users may be contacted by the review panel during identification of potential invitees]; (12) Training requirement (including time and resources required) for emergency responder use of proposed system; and (13) Provide estimate of evaluated system life-cycle cost to include at a minimum unit cost and operational and maintenance per year cost [NOTE: This information will only be used by the Government for research purpose and not be used as a binding quote for product purchasing]. Review of supplied information is being performed for the DHS, S&T Directorate. The DHS S&T Directorate, in partnership with the private sector, national laboratories, universities, and other government agencies, helps push the innovation envelope and drive development and the use of high technology in support of homeland security. The Government will not reimburse any respondent for any information submitted in response to this request for information (RFI). Submission of information is voluntary. Respondents submitting responses should indicate whether they are large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), HUBZone or service disabled veteran owned small business. Large business concerns are not prohibited from responding to this announcement. The information provided in response to this request for information will be used to identify potential invitees to participate in the outlined demonstration and operational assessment. Response to this notice does not guarantee an invitation to participate will be extended to a respondent. Determination as to a respondent system's suitability for consideration and invitation to participate in the planned demonstration and operational assessment will be made by the Government in or about Jan 09 based on the objectives and criteria of this request. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of invitations to participate based on resource limitations. Systems that do not meet the minimum criteria outlined in (3) above will not be considered for invitation unless no respondents meet the stated criteria. The Government will not reimburse any business concern invited to participate in the demonstration and operational assessment for costs associated with such participation. No acquisition will result from this RFI or the follow-on demonstration and assessment. All interested parties are required to respond to this request for information announcement via email no later than 19 December 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST. Email attachments (e.g. RFI response, optional video) larger than 5 MB shall be coordinated with the Government in advance and submitted by internet link (provided via email), or electronic media (e.g. CD, DVD). ** Respondents shall use the RFI response template document (available from the technical project officer contact information below) for each system to be considered **. Responses must include company point of contact, email address, telephone and fax numbers. All interested respondents responding to this RFI shall send their submission via e-mail to Mr. Scott Ullery (scott.g.ullery@us.army.mil) or by mail to the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center, ATTN: AMSRD-NSR-TS-N. All technical questions regarding this RFI should be directed via email to Scott Ullery at scott.g.ullery@us.army.mil.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=28b45381d8f716b1d74595d4c8e82bca&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: RDECOM Natick Soldier RD&E Center ATTN: AMSRD-NSR-TS-N - Natick Soldier RD&E Center, Kansas St. Natick MA<br />
- Zip Code: 01760-5011<br />
- Zip Code: 01760-5011<br />
- Record
- SN01706562-W 20081120/081118221040-28b45381d8f716b1d74595d4c8e82bca (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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