THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal or an Invitation for Bid. It is a market research tool being used to determine the availability and adequacy of potential sources for planning purposes only. Responses to this notice will not be considered as offers and will not be accepted to form a binding contract. The costs of preparing and submitting responses to this RFI will not be reimbursed by the Government.
The Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense and Joint Project Manager for Protection are seeking to obtain better knowledge and understanding of industry capabilities regarding systems capable of mitigating the hazards associated with chemical, biological, and radiological contaminated human remains. Specific information is sought on industry solutions that are capable of receipt, tracking, contamination mitigation, and mortuary services of contaminated human remains.
The Contaminated Human Remains Mitigation Systems (CHRMS) will support Mortuary Affairs (MA) activities during major combat operations, stability operations and joint operating concepts. In response to a CBRN event, the MA mission is to set up and operate a processing point where Contaminated Human Remains (CHR) can be brought for the purpose of gathering perishable identification material and executing a process that eliminates or reduces risk of contamination to unprotected personnel. This process includes the collection of personal effects, removal of equipment and clothing, external wash down with warm, soapy water and preparing the remains for the Contaminated Human Remains Transfer Case. The CHRMS will minimize the hazards and allow a safe means to conduct MA operations on CHR. The MA operators will be in full PPE for this process.
The CHRMS is the modernized replacement to the current legacy Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Interim Remain Decontamination System (IRDS). The CHRMS will be deployable, station based and use military standard equipment, components, and parts.
Responses should include all equipment, technology or components and instructions necessary to effectively conduct all phases of mortuary services for chemical, biological, and radiological contaminated human remains.
Proposed systems should include at a minimum the following capabilities:
- Process one contaminated human remain per hour with an objective of two.
- Must allow Soldiers in Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) ensembles through Level-IV to operate within the system.
- Be compatible with MIL-STD power generation and Improved Environmental Control Units (IECU).
- System shall be able to maintain an operational temperature between 60oF and 90oF in MA workspaces.
- Electronics should be hardened to meet MIL-STD-461/464, high altitude electromagnetic pulse and near strike lightning.
- Achieve an operational reliability of 95% to complete a 12 hour mission without an Essential Function Failure (EFF), which is any failure that prevents the system from accomplishing its mission
- Prevent spread of airborne contamination from shelters in the dirty area or warm zone from reaching the cold zone.
- Shall not impose an adverse environmental impact and treat/ neutralize waste by products of the decontamination operations, to include wastewater and solids in the run-off.
- System design shall be modular to allow for the user to support multiple decontamination lanes and increase throughput with additional equipment and trained personnel.
- Capable of continuous operation for a minimum of 30 days with an objective of 60 days after deployment and set up with the expectation of 12 hour work cycles.
- System should be designed to survive decontamination with the objective of being fully decontaminable.
- All components that are not man-portable shall be configured for handling with service standard Material Handling Equipment (MHE).
- System shall be designed to be set up, operated and taken down by personnel within the characteristics of the 5% female and 95% male.
- System shall include means to move remains between stations without having to manually lift or carry the remains.
Additionally, it is expected that the system will be ruggedized to operate in standard military operational temperatures (-25oF 125oF) and to meet military reliability expectations.
This RFI is issued solely for gathering information and does not constitute a solicitation or the issuance thereof. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
It is requested that vendors having systems that they believe would be suitable for contaminated human remains mitigation operations as described herein submit hard copies and/or an electronic copy of any available product data sheets, related brochures, descriptions, price lists, technical/operator manual(s), test reports, associated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), or other documentation as available and deemed appropriate. No telephonic responses will be considered.
Responses should include as much of the following information as available:
- Manufacturer
- Product name
- Estimated unit cost for a complete system
- Product description to include:
- Mitigation technology(ies) and MSDS (if applicable)
- Transportability requirements
- Storage/shipping configuration
- Power source, fuel consumption
- Process flow for remains, soldier equipment, and personal effects
- Footprint of system and support equipment
- Set up and tear down time and procedures (to include number of personnel and equipment)
- Modes of operation (to include temperature settings, mitigation technology)
- Safety features (e.g. emergency shutdown)
- System ability to be mitigated and associated procedures while minimizing risk of the spread of contamination outside of the system as well as the ability to decontaminate the system itself
- System parameters that can be either monitored or controlled
- Operating temperature and/or environmental restrictions
- Specifications of major components (e.g. size, weight, optional or required for system operation)
- Maximization of reusability of the system
- Ability to be relocatable, if possible
- Identification of all consumables for normal system operation
- Manpower requirements to include:
- Number of personnel required to operate system
- Reliability assessment and how determined
- Manufacturer production capability, include maximum and minimum production rates
- Identify if the system is currently being used by commercial industry or government, provide names for examples of users
- Equipment list
- Ability to perform CLS
This RFI is issued solely for gathering information and does not constitute a solicitation or the issuance thereof. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will become Government property and will not be returned. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The information in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding to the Government. The Government has not made a commitment to procure any of the RFI requirements discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.
Interested parties should submit information no later than April 11, 2023 directly to Contaminated Human Remains System Product Manager , 50 Tech Parkway, Suite 301, Stafford, Virginia 22556.
Any questions for clarification may be emailed to gregory.j.gudejko.civ@army.mil no later than April 7, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. EST. Place Contaminated Remains Mitigation System as the Subject of the email. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. An unattributed list of questions and answers will be published at the same web location of this Sources Sought Announcement.
