SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- SPECIAL STUDIES AND ANALYSIS - DEVELOPMENT OF TEST METHODS FOR EVALUATING AIR PURFIYING RESPIRATOR CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS
- Notice Date
- 5/27/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Acquisition and Assistance Field Branch (Pittsburgh), Post Office Box 18070 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236-0070
- ZIP Code
- 15236-0070
- Solicitation Number
- 0000HCCC-2005-21772
- Response Due
- 6/11/2005
- Archive Date
- 6/26/2005
- Description
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory intend to negotiate on a sole source basis with the University of Arizona to develop and validate appropriate, laboratory test methods for evaluating the performance Air Purifying Respirator (APR) cartridges for firefighting operations. Dr. Burgess and the Environmental and Community Health division of the University of Arizona are unique in terms of their history of research with fire departments, and in particular the Phoenix Fire Department, involving occupational exposure to smoke in firefighters, respiratory protection and lung injury. Dr. Burgess completed ground breaking and unique research on the lack of protection provided by standard air purifying respirators against combustion products during the overhaul process of firefighting. Background and Need: The NPPTL provides world, national and Institute leadership for prevention and reduction of occupational disease, injury and death for workers who rely on personal protective technologies (PPT) through partnership, research, service, and communication. The NPPTL mission includes the development of performance criteria, certification standards and guidelines relating to the emergency responder protective ensembles. Representatives from the University of Arizona, 3M, Phoenix Fire Department, NPPTL and MSHA have been involved in discussions regarding use of the Air Purifying Respirators (APR) for use in fire operations. APRs would provide an additional respiratory protection option for structural firefighters involved in overhaul operations, as well as wildland firefighters. Overhaul (non-human) testing could take place in a firefighting training facility, and the Phoenix Fire Department is willing to make their training facility available. Scope of Work: No performance criteria or standards currently exist for evaluating APRs for use in fire operations. The proposed effort will develop and validate appropriate test methods to evaluate so-called ?smoke cartridges? that could provide protection against low to moderate concentrations of products of combustion. APR cartridge performance for two kinds of firefighting operations will be investigated: overhaul operations dealing with the aftermath of structural firefighting, and wildlands firefighting. Detailed technical requirements: For benchmarking purposes, the initial cartridges tested will include one CBRN cartridge (3M) and two multigas cartridges (Scott and 3M). The rationale for the selection of cartridges is that 3M is willing to assist in the testing and that the Scott multigas cartridge was used previously for overhaul in the Phoenix Fire Department. These cartridges will be tested against combustion of combined organic (wood and paper) and synthetic (foam, plastic) materials, prototypical of overhaul operations. Benchmark testing will also be done for the wildland setting, including an N95 respirator (3M) and a carbon loaded N95 respirator (3M). The rationale for selection of these cartridges is that a major concern in this setting is particulate exposure, with a more limited set of vapor phase exposures. These cartridges will be tested against combustion of organic (wood, leaves and grasses) materials Laboratory scale testing will be used to select sampling media and identify analytic techniques to be use in subsequent workplace testing. The laboratory tests will use simple combustion chambers or equivalent technology and materials as described above. Sampling media will include chemical specific media, such as charcoal and silica sorbent tubes. The analytic technique considered most appropriate to identify unknown is gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Analytes of special interest include ultrafine particlulates, methyl isothiocyanate, and oxygen-based free radicals. Upon completion of the laboratory scale tests, validation trails will be conducted at the Phoenix Fire Department Training Center, using structural materials and organic matter prototypical of wildlands firefighting. This announcement is being issued for informational purposes only; requests for quotations are not available. The agency shall consider any response(s) to this announcement describing vendor qualifications and ability to perform this work in determining whether or not to compete this requirement. Responses shall be submitted to Margaret Mooney at the above address and responses must be received within 15 days of the posting of this notice. If any responses are submitted in response to this presolicitation notice and the agency determines to compete this requirement, a RFQ will be issued solely to the responders of this notice. A subsequent presolicitation notice will not be issued. This acquisition is being processed under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.
- Record
- SN00817527-W 20050529/050528093055 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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