H399--MEDICAL GAS AND VACUUM TESTING AND INSPECTION SERVICE

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. No Solicitation is currently available. All information contained in this Sources Sought Announcement is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is in no way binding on the Government. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this request. The information requested will be used solely within the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate decision making and will not be disclosed outside of the Government. The determination of a procurement strategy, based upon the comments submitted in response to this Sources Sought Announcement, is solely within the discretion of the Government. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541380, Testing Laboratories, size standard is $19M. Potential Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for an award (See Internet Site https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/). Potential Offerors must also have a current Online Representations and Certification Application on file with SAM. Description of Services VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 975 Kirman Ave., Reno, NV 89502 has a requirement for a contractor to provide the following: 1. General: This is a non-personnel services contract to conduct the medical gas and vacuum testing and inspection service at VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS). The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government. 1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to conduct the medical gas and vacuum testing and inspection service at VASHNCS as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS), except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. 1.2 Background: VASNHCS requires inspections of the medical gas and vacuum system annually and when adding a new line or recertification of a unit that was repaired as per (the most recent and current standards and guidelines) The Joint Commission (TJC) Standards and Guidelines (EC.02.05.09/EP 1-14), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive 7515(1), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 99 2024 Healthcare Facilities Code, and various of other standards and guidelines. 1.3 Objectives: To conduct the inspection, testing, and verification of the medical gas and vacuum system at the VASNHCS. 1.4 Scope: General: Place of work and period of performance: VASNHCS, 975 Kirman Ave, Reno, NV 89502. This will be for the base period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 and subsequent option periods, if exercised: Option Year 1: January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027 Option Year 2: January 1, 2028 through December 31, 2028 Option Year 3: January 1, 2029 through December 31, 2029 Option Year 4: January 1, 2030 through December 31, 2030 Some work may be required to be completed after hours or on a weekend to ensure that patient care will not be affected. NOTE: Per Joint Commission frequency requirements, the inspection must be conducted +/- 30 days from the date of the last inspection recorded. The annual inspection is normally conducted in the month of April each year. The contractor shall provide all management, supervision, labor, parts, material, tools, incidental engineering services, and transportation necessary to perform the annual testing and certification of the medical gas (oxygen, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen), medical air, and medical vacuum systems. The contractor, without additional expense to the Government, shall obtain all licenses, permits, and insurance required to perform the work in this contract. The contractor shall comply with all current, applicable federal, state, and local laws. Evidence of insurance, licenses, and permits shall be provided to the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) before work commences. Scope of work: It is recommended the contractor performs a site visit of the hospital to understand the layout, conditions, and requirements for the inspection/testing. Maintenance and inspection service shall be performed by (as a minimum) journeyman status as recognized by the industry with at least four years experience and certified training (American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) 6020 and 6030) in the inspection, testing, and maintenance of medical gases systems. The contractor shall furnish all tools, equipment, test instruments, cleaning materials, and preventive maintenance parts required. All work shall be performed to meet requirements of NFPA 99, TJC standards (EC.02.05.09/EP1-14), ASSE 6000 Standard, and any other applicable code standards related to medical gas systems. The contractor will certify and test the system annually in accordance with NFPA 99 standards, which includes calibration of all area alarms and affixing a seal, certifying the date of calibration. Work includes, but is not limited to: Testing of medical gas outlets/inlets Bulk liquid systems Manifold systems Pressure gauges Air compressors, including the dental air compressor Automatic pressure switches Shutoff valves Flexible connectors Dew point and CO monitors Moisture removal systems Vacuum systems, including the dental vacuum systems Area and master alarms Gas contamination as defined in ASSE 6000, annex D, D.2.2. Labeling The Department of Veteran s Affairs has an additional requirement regarding the testing of the outlets. VASNHCS currently has 1239 outlets that will need to be tested as required below: Cross connection verification of 10 percent of the existing outlets annually. Testing cannot be repeated on an outlet until all outlets in the hospital have been tested once. Additionally, testing of newly installed outlets must not supersede the testing of existing outlets. VA Directive 7515 requires that 10 percent of outlets be tested for purity. To satisfy this requirement for VASNHCS, a full pipeline purity testing for each medical gas system will be tested to confirm that the entire distribution pipeline system meets the requirements for pipeline purity. The contractor will include the testing results in the report upon completion of the annual inspection and testing service. The contractor will anticipate a possibility of four or more separate instances, in which there were minor modifications done to the system that requires the contractor to recertify the system. Some examples of minor modifications are: capping off sections of the piping system when outlets have been removed; adding outlets for a new patient room. In the event that additional testing is required outside this contract, the contractor shall provide a quote identifying the location and what is required. All costs will be included on this quote to conduct the inspection/testing. If services will not exceed $2,500.00, a purchase order, paid with a government purchase card will be processed. In the event the service will exceed $2,500.00, a separate modification of the contract, once approved by the CO, will be submitted in advance of undertaking such work. The quote/proposal cost shall be broken down by material, parts, labor, travel, etc. At no time, shall work be conducted without a purchase order or if a modification of the contract has been requested, approval of the modification from the CO. Infection Control: Handwashing: The contractor shall wash their hands immediately upon entering a patient room and immediately before exiting a patient room. Washing will be performed with warm water and anti-bacterial soap. Precautionary personal protective equipment (PPE): On occasion, the contractor may need to enter an area with heightened infection control requirements. The contractor will assure the use of appropriate level of PPE for the infection control concern. In the event the appropriate PPE is unclear, the contractor shall seek assistance from the COR or medical staff. Dust: The contractor will take reasonable care not to introduce dust/debris into patient care areas. In the event of an accidental release, the contractor will be required to vacuum the impacted area with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum. After the area has been vacuumed, the contractor will wipe down the impacted area with a moist cloth. Records Provide two copies of the testing documentation (to include a report of discrepancies and recommended repairs) in 3-ring binders and send a copy of the report electronically to the COR and designated representative. The contractor shall ensure that their personnel comply with all VASNHCS policies to include, but is not limited to: Parking in the appropriate/authorized spaces, with special consideration to ensure that they are not parking in veteran/patient spaces. (Parking is only available on the 2nd deck of the two-story parking garage off Belli Drive, the four-story parking garage south of the two-story parking garage, or on the streets surrounding the hospital). No tobacco, vaping, or smoking (not authorized on any part of the hospital property). Contractor personnel must check-in with the VASNHCS Police every day (during the duration of the service) to receive a visitor badge (which is only good for 24 hours). If the contractor(s) are not feeling well, has been around someone who has tested positive for COVID within the seven days prior to service, or is awaiting a COVID test result, immediately contact the COR to reschedule the work. VASNHCS may demand that the contractor remove any person(s) who pose a threat to the health, safety, or security of the hospital, employees, or patients. Security and records management disclaimer: The Certification and Accreditation requirements do not apply as the contractors will not be doing any work in or around any VA computer system. A Security Accreditation Package is not required. Applicability This clause applies to all contractors whose employees create, work with, or otherwise handle Federal records, as defined in Section B, regardless of the medium in which the record exists.   Definitions Federal record as defined in 44 U.S.C. § 3301, includes all recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the United States Government or because of the informational value of data in them.   The term Federal record: includes VA records.  does not include personal materials. applies to records created, received, or maintained by contractors pursuant to the VA contract. may include deliverables and documentation associated with deliverables. Requirements Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.  In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.  In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, the contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.  The VA and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the VA or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the contracting activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, contractor must report to the VA. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230. The contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate CO and/or COR upon the discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to VA control or the contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the CO or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4). The contractor is required to obtain the CO's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and VA s guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information. The contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with VA s policy.  The contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public VA information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.  The contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the FOIA.  The VA owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which the VA shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20. Flowdown of requirements to subcontractors The contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause, its terms and requirements including this paragraph, in all subcontracts under this contract, and require written subcontractor acknowledgment of same.  Violation by a subcontractor of any provision set forth in this clause will be attributed to the contractor. The Government requests that interested parties provide the following capability information to the Contract Specialist, Kulvinder Brar by e-mail at: kulvinder.brar@va.gov by close of business September 26th, 2025: (a) Business Size (Large/Small) (b) Business Socio-Economic Status (SDVOSB, WOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) (c) SAM record (d) Ability and experience with similar projects. (e) List of projects similar in scope. The Government will use this information when determining its business type decision. This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government and no contract will be awarded as a direct result of this Sources Sought announcement.