R430--Fire Guard Services for SAVAHCS POP: 09/01/2026 - 08/31/2029

******* The purpose of this amendment is to respond to questions asked regarding this solicitation. Q. Post Relief: Coverage is 24/7/365 with one (1) guard required (Table 1). A. Yes, only one guard per shift is required to cover all 3 floors in building 2 Q. Please confirm that one guard on post covers all three floors of Building 2, and clarify how meal periods and breaks are handled must the contractor provide a relief guard, or do VA Police cover the post? A. One guard covers all three floors of building 2, guard is required to check each floor every hour- for example if the guard completes the check in 15-30 minutes the remaining of the time can take lunch or break schedule. No relief guard is required nor request for VA police to cover. Q. Arizona DPS Licensing: Please clarify whether the required proof is the company's DPS Guard Agency license plus individual guard registration cards, and whether individual guards must be licensed at quote submission or only by the 09/01/2026 start date (personnel are typically hired after award). Please also confirm all guards are unarmed. A. Company DPS Guard Agency License and individual guard registration card. Company is due when the contract is awarded. individuals guard registration card due 09/01/2026. And all guards are unarmed. Q. Arizona DPS Licensing at Submission The Required Submittals section requires proof that the contractor and all personnel performing under the contract possess the required Arizona Department of Public Safety license and states that failure to include the certifications will disqualify the offeror. Is the Government requiring offerors to identify all proposed Fire Guard personnel and submit a copy of each individual's current AZ DPS guard card with the quotation, or will proof of the contractor's AZ DPS agency license together with certification that all assigned personnel will possess the required individual AZ DPS credentials prior to assignment satisfy this requirement? A. Company DPS Guard Agency License and individual guard registration card. Company is due when the contract is awarded. individuals guard registration card due 09/01/2026. Q. Relief and Substitute Personnel Licensing Because the requirement calls for continuous 24-hour-per-day, 7-day-per-week coverage, must every individual who may provide regular, relief, vacation, sick-leave, emergency, or substitute coverage be identified in the quotation and have his or her AZ DPS licensing documentation submitted with the quotation? A. the contractor will provide relief/coverage for any vacation, sick leave, emergency ( no coverage is required for lunch or breaks) and yes, all guards must have AZ DPS licensing documentation. Q. Fire Guard Experience Requirement Section 3(a) references two years of experience and also references successful experience in field supervision, while Section 4 separately establishes a two-year field-supervision requirement for the On-Call Supervisor. Please clarify whether each Fire Guard is required to possess two years of security/law-enforcement experience, two years of field-supervisory experience, or whether the two-year field-supervisory experience requirement applies only to the On-Call Supervisor. A. On- Call Supervisor only Q. Number of Fire Guards Required The coverage schedule identifies one Fire Guard for each 24-hour period, while the SOW requires continuous patrol of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of Building 2. Please confirm that the staffing requirement is one Fire Guard on duty at any given time covering all three floors, rather than one Fire Guard per floor. A. One guard covers all three floors of building 2, guard is required to check each floor every hour- for example if the guard completes the check in 15-30 minutes the remaining of the time can take lunch or break schedule. No relief guard is required nor request for VA police to cover. Q. Patrol / Fire-Watch Frequency Does the Government require Fire Guard patrols or fire-watch rounds at a prescribed interval, such as every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, or will the required patrol frequency and route be established in the VA Standard Operating Procedures provided to the contractor? A. Every 60 minutes Q. Building 2 Patrol Area Please provide, or make available during the site visit, the approximate square footage, floor plans, or other information describing the patrol areas on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of Building 2 so offerors can accurately evaluate the required patrol workload. A. Building 2 1st floor 40,020 sf. Building 2 2nd floor 28,395 SF and Building 2 3rd floor 17,936 SF. Total for all 3 floors 86,351 SF. Q. Fire Protection System / Condition Requiring Fire Guard Services What specific fire-protection system impairment or other condition necessitates the Fire Guard requirement in Building 2 (e.g., fire-alarm impairment, sprinkler impairment, construction activity, renovation, or another condition)? Is that condition anticipated to remain throughout the base period and both option periods? A. Sprinkler pressure and construction/ replacement of the sprinkler Q. Applicable NFPA Standards The requirement references fire-watch coverage in accordance with NFPA 101, while the SOW also requires compliance with the latest edition of NFPA 99. Please clarify whether the Fire Guard services are governed by NFPA 101, NFPA 99, both standards, and/or any additional NFPA standard or local fire code. A. FDA, OSHA, JCAHO, and the latest edition of NFPA-99. Q. Section 9(a) Training Cross-References Section 9(a), Contractor Furnished Training, references training requirements contained in paragraphs 7(c) and 7(b). Please identify the specific training subjects and requirements intended by these references, as the referenced paragraphs appear to address contractor-furnished property and supplies rather than the corresponding training requirements. A. This is in reference to TMS training- username and password will be provided to the contractor Q. Training and Qualification Documentation Required With Quotation Please identify which personnel training certificates, education records, licenses, and other qualification documents must be submitted with the quotation and which may be completed or submitted after award but prior to an employee's assignment to the contract. A. this is the responsibility of the contractor to have their employees meet this requirement in case of an audit or documentation is required during T1 background check Q. Physical and Medical Qualification Documentation Is documentation demonstrating compliance with the individual health and physical-fitness requirements in Section 5 required with the quotation for each proposed Fire Guard, or is such documentation required only after award and prior to assignment? A. Each employee shall meet the physical and mental health standards required to obtain and maintain a license by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Q. Tier 1 Investigation and Transition Period Given the September 1, 2026 commencement date and the requirement that Tier 1 investigations be initiated before personnel commence work, what transition period does the Government anticipate between award and commencement of performance for fingerprinting, submission, and initiation of the required Tier 1 investigations? A. contract will be awarded for 09/01/2026 we understand the start day will be different Q. Reciprocity for Existing Tier 1 Investigations Will the VA recognize reciprocity for proposed personnel who currently possess a favorably adjudicated or previously initiated Tier 1 investigation through another Federal contract, Federal agency, or VA contract, subject to VA verification? A. VA will be completing a new T1 background check unless this clearance is from another VA Q. Additional Services Hourly Rate The Price/Cost Schedule requests monthly unit pricing, while Section 2(c) states that authorized additional services will be compensated at the same per-hour rate charged under the contract. Please specify how the hourly rate for authorized additional services will be calculated from the monthly CLIN price. A. SOW states is required to have a guard 24/7 if an additional guard is required a modification will be required Q. Holiday, Overtime, and Relief Costs Please confirm that the monthly unit price is intended to be fully inclusive of all required 24/7 coverage, including Federal holidays, overtime, vacation/sick relief, and other labor costs necessary to maintain continuous staffing. A. quote should cover 24/7 service Q. Applicable Service Contract Labor Standards Wage Determination Please identify the applicable Department of Labor Service Contract Labor Standards wage determination, revision number, and labor classification or classifications applicable to the Fire Guard personnel and On-Call Supervisor. A. It should be included in the quote Q. On-Call Supervisor Pricing Please confirm whether the required On-Call Supervisor is considered an indirect/overhead…