Inactive

Title of Procurement: Clear Align Camera Suite Purchase in support of Customs and Border Protection’s Northern Border Deployment Nature of Procurement: Action An award is anticipated under single sour... Title of Procurement: Clear Align Camera Suite Purchase in support of Customs and Border Protection’s Northern Border Deployment Nature of Procurement: Action An award is anticipated under single source procedures for the acquisition of (9ea) VZ-1200 camera suites. The following list identifies the Clear Align single source proprietary items, which make up the VZ1200HD-2000 suite. Nomenclature / Part Number Continuous Zoom 100-1200mm HD IR Payload f/4.0, 3-5um Z1200HD-4.0-MW IEC Pan-Tilt System with quick release payload hardware M7-WW-IP-K001 24V to 48V Power Supply 94020-02 Bore sighted High Def CCTV – Fujinon SX800, 40x Optical Zoom, 1.25x Digital Zoom, Visible Camera 94010-01 Description of Supplies/Services: The FAA is purchasing (9) Model VZ-1200HD-2000 systems. Clear Align, is the only responsible source for procurement of this required equipment. Authority: Authority for single source procurement is provided by AMS policy section 3.2.2.4. Rationale Supporting Use of a Single Source: The FAA posted a market survey on November 18, 2021 to determine if there were any other commercial sources available to provide the specific equipment or like equipment that is being procured. There were 9 respondents to the survey which closed on 12/10/2021. The FAA engineering team conducted a detailed analysis of the market survey responses. The team determined that each vendor provided their specific model of cameras which they felt would meet the survey’s requirements. There was only one vendor “Clear Align” whose cameras meet the exact specifications requested by the FAA. The current towers where this equipment will be installed have been fitted with Clear Align equipment and proprietary software. If the FAA tried to use another model camera suggested by the respondents, they would need to be tested, approved and configured to work with the existing Clear Align components/software. Clear Align would directly need to integrate any new model cameras electrically, mechanically and operationally (SW/HW) into their equipment. It is anticipated that it would take 6-12 months before any camera, outside of a Clear Align model, would be approved and ready for deployment. There would also be a significant cost for engineering support in order for this integration to be conducted. In addition, introducing additional cameras would require a level of engineering support to track cameras to individual sites, maintain site specific configuration (instead of a system configuration), provide additional removal and replacement procedures for the new cameras, and require additional periodic procedures on running Non Uniformity Correction (NUC) on the IR cameras. These new cameras will also require an additional repair agreement/contract with the camera manufacturer. Based on the market survey results and the FAA’s analysis, it’s in the best interest of the FAA to pursue this equipment through a single source. Clear Align has been determined to be the Government’s most advantageous source for this procurement. Other factors: + Impact. There is an immediate requirement for these (9ea) new camera suites. The Customs and Border Protection has identified an immediate deployment need for the Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS) towers on the U.S. Northern Border. Further delay in procuring this equipment will affect CBP’s ability to monitor this area. Also, with the upcoming boating season, it’s vital that these systems be deployed and ready for operation prior to May 30, 2022. + Specialized Expertise. For the above-mentioned proprietary parts, Clear Align is the only company that has access to proprietary technical documentation Level 3 Engineering Drawings. The Level 3 Engineering Drawings are a collection of product engineering data related to the design and manufacture of an item or system. + Standardization. The Remote Video Surveillance System Upgrade (RVSS-U) has been completed for multiple United States Border Patrol (USBP) Station Areas of Responsibility (AoR) in Arizona and includes surveillance and communication equipment on 71 towers. The anticipation is that the Northern Border RVSS system is to be standardized with similar technology on the Southern Border. By utilizing the Clear Align VZ-1200 cameras, the maintenance of the assets will remain with the same vendor and through the same processes for repairs and spares. There will be a future effort for the modification of the existing contract that will enable the Government to leverage off the contract for additional units and maintenance. + Time Constraints. There has been an effort to procure towers (120’) for deployment in the field. These towers are projected to be ready for deployment in the next 2-3 months. As part of this procurement, some of the camera suites systems will be placed on the new towers. Clear Align has the capability of being able to provide some of the 9 camera suites within 2-4 months, thus meeting the approximate deployment date of the towers. It is imperative that surveillance coverage is operational as soon as possible as there is currently no coverage in the area. + Patents, Proprietary Data, and Unique Items. As the Original Equipment Manufacturer, Clear Align is the only known source that controls the proprietary data and other information to construct, integrate, test and repair these systems Market Analysis The FAA conducted a market analysis on November 18 – December 12, 2021. There were 9 responses. None of these, except Clear Align, could meet all of the mandatory systems specifications.