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MEDICAL FACILITY CABLE INSTALLATION SERVICES This is a sources sought notice only and it is not a solicitation announcement. The purpose of this sources sought notice is to gain knowledge of qualified... MEDICAL FACILITY CABLE INSTALLATION SERVICES This is a sources sought notice only and it is not a solicitation announcement. The purpose of this sources sought notice is to gain knowledge of qualified potential contractors and their socio-economic size classification in accordance with NAICS code 238210, Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors. Responses will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After a review of the responses to this sources sought notice, a solicitation announcement may be posted. A response to this sources sought notice is not an adequate reply to a potentially forthcoming solicitation. The Sioux Falls VA Health Care System located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is seeking qualified potential contractors to provide CAT 6 cable installation services. Refer to the attached document titled Cable Installation Services for additional details and information. To respond to this sources sought notice, please complete the attached form titled Response Form to Sources Sought Notice and email the information requested to Curt LaRose, Contracting Officer, at curt.larose@va.gov . The closing date and time of this sources sought notice is February 26, 2021 at 10:00 AM Central Time. This is not a solicitation and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Additionally, a response to this sources sought notice is not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of any forthcoming solicitation. See attached statement of work for details regarding the requirement. Statement of work for Cabling Indefinite Deliverable, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract VA Sioux Falls HEALTH CARE SYSTEM This Statement of Work (SOW) defines the cabling system and subsystem components to include cable, termination hardware, and supporting hardware to install data cabling end to end. The intent of this document is to provide all pertinent information to allow the vendor to provide the labor, supervision, tooling, and miscellaneous mounting hardware and consumables to install a complete system. However, it is the responsibility of the contractor to propose any and all items required for a complete system if not identified in this SOW. The successful Contractor is required to furnish all labor, supervision, tooling, miscellaneous mounting hardware and consumables for each cabling system installed. The Contractor shall maintain current status with the warranting manufacturer, including all training requirements, for the duration of the IDIQ contract. The Contractor shall staff each installation crew with the appropriate number of trained personnel, in accordance with their manufacturer/warranty contract agreement, to support the Warranty requirements. After installation, the Contractor shall submit all documentation to support the warranty in accordance with the manufacturer s warranty requirements, including test results, and to apply for said warranty on behalf of the customer. The system warranty will cover the components and labor associated with the repair/replacement of any failed link as a result of a defective product when a valid warranty claim is submitted within the warranty period. PERFORMANCE: Services for equipment include the following performance metrics: The vendor shall travel to the Sioux Falls V.A. Healthcare Systems in Sioux Falls South Dakota during the Service Agreement period to perform work during our business hours. See Hours of Services section below. All components listed in the contract shall be provided by the contractor and installed including, but not limited to cabling, conduit, testing, programming, unless otherwise noted in each individual CLN task order description. Contractor shall terminate every cable in applicable rack or jack within the room. All work shall be completed at agreed upon timeframe between contractor and SFVAHCS. All work must be performed by a qualified technician. HOURS OF SERVICES: The Contractor shall perform the services as specified herein Monday through Friday with the exception of National Holidays between the hours of 8:00a.m. 4:30p.m. GOVERNMENT NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: The Contractor is not required to provide services on the following national holidays nor shall the Contractor be paid for these holidays: New Year s Day January 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January President s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a legal holiday by the U.S. Government agencies. Also included, would be any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America to be a National Holiday. PARTS: Contractor shall provide original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts/subsystems and software. The contractor shall ensure the government is informed of all safety modifications issued by the OEM, and all optional modifications offered by the OEM are made available to the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS). REPORTING: The Contractor s technician shall report to the Technical Representative s (TR) office (Building #17-Engineering) prior to starting work. The Contractor s technician shall prepare a written service ticket explaining the work for the day, a listing of which parts are to be used. The ticket shall be given to the TR for approval. After repairs to the IT cabling system have been completed, the TR or technical monitor must indicate acceptance of the work by stating acceptance on the repair ticket and by signing the ticket. A signed copy of the properly approved ticket shall accompany the payment invoice. All penetrations of fire rated assemblies shall be fire caulked. Contractor shall note fire stop deficiencies found during their work and include in report summary. Contractor is to prepare an annual report as to the improvements, maintenance, and service and over-all condition of the IT cabling system equipment. Report shall include: all equipment describing repairs and/or corrections made to the IT cabling system. Records of lockout tagout (as applicable) shall be maintained by service technician and listed in service report. BADGES AND PARKING: All Contractor personnel are required to wear identification (I.D.) badges issued by the SFVAHCS Engineering office during the entire time they are on the SFVAHCS grounds. It is the responsibility of the Contractor s personnel to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Parking information is available from the SFVAHCS security office. The SFVAHCS shall not validate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the Contractor s personnel under any circumstance. AUTHORIZED SERVICES: Only those services specified herein are authorized under this contract. Prior to performing any service of a non-contract nature, the Contracting Officer (CO) must be advised of the reasons for this additional work. Only the Contracting Officer may authorize additional services and reimbursement will not be made unless prior authorization has been obtained. CONTRACTOR S RESPONSIBILITIES: The Contractor shall take all precautions necessary to protect against injury or damage during the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for any injury to Contractor s employees as well as for any damage to personal or public property that occurs during the performance of this contract that is caused by contractor s employees fault or negligence. Ensure contractor understands and implements the IT security requirements for system interconnection documents required per the Memorandum of Understanding or Interconnection Agreement (MOU-ISA). The standard operating procedure (SOP) and a template for a MOU-ISA are located on the Information Protection Risk Management (IPRM) Portal and can be provided to the contractor. Ensure contractor understands their participation in IT security requirements for C&A of the VA system to which they connect. Enforce contractor performance (timely submission of deliverables, compliance with personnel screening requirements, and appropriate termination activity as appropriate). Contractor shall participate in preconstruction risk assessment and may be required to provide negative, plastic zipper walls to maintain infection control and patient safety where requested by TR or technical monitor. Cable boxes and open ceiling tiles in patient care or corridors shall be monitored at all times. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL: PERSONNEL ACCEPTANCE: The Government reserves the right to accept or reject Contractor s staff for the rendering of services. Complaints concerning Contract Personnel s performance or conduct shall be dealt with by the Contractor, TR and the final decision made by the Contracting Officer. Location: Sioux Falls, SD VA Health Care System 2501 W. 22nd Street Sioux Falls, SD 57117 TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLING REQUIREMENTS Facilities Description The Data cabling system shall ensure efficient data signal transmission up to latest (250MHz) performance in compliance to ANSI/TIA/EIA/568-B for Category 6A Systems. The system shall ensure efficient operation from patch panels in the telecommunications room to the workstation outlets. System shall be designed and approved for use below raised access floor systems and above drop ceiling spaces. Cabling system is based on home run cabling requirements. Distribution is achieved above or below ceiling or access floor through use of individual 4-pair Category 6A rated plenum cables and components. The cable will distribute telecommunication signals from patch panels and connecting blocks located in the telecommunications room. Horizontal Distribution Subsystem Telecommunications Outlets Each telecommunications outlet (TO) location, unless otherwise noted, shall be provided with two, or four Category 6A plenum UTP cables. Each Category 6A UTP cable shall be terminated on an 8-position, 8-conductor Category 6A UTP Panduit Mini Comm modular jack to the T568B wiring code. The TO faceplates, unless otherwise noted, shall be mounted to single gang boxes, box eliminators, surface mount boxes and/or floor monuments (provided by a 3rd party) as required. Product Specifications RJ45 Category 6A Connectors for Data Circuits All jacks will be Panduit Mini Comm Category 6A modular blue (data) and will meet the Category 6A performance requirements. Modular jacks shall be terminated using an approved Panduit termination tool to eliminate connector damage and promote consistent terminations. The jacks shall be color-coded for both T568A and T568B wiring. Each jack shall be wired to T568B. Wall Faceplates Work area wall outlets shall be constructed utilizing electrical ivory, Standard, single gang, 1, 2, or 4-Port Panduit Mini Comm faceplates, unless for phone, then Panduit phone wall plate will be used. Data outlets shall be loaded with blanks where cables are not installed. Faceplates shall be Panduit part number CFP (1, 2 or 4) EI for electrical ivory or stainless steel. For areas that have stainless or EI contractor shall provide matching to adjacent installations. Telecommunications Outlet Installation All outlets shall be installed in the following manner. Cables shall be coiled in the in-wall or surface-mount boxes if adequate space is present to house the cable coil without exceeding the manufacturer s bend radius In hollow wall installations where box-eliminators are used, excess wire can be stored in the wall No less than 6 and no greater than 12 of slack shall be stored in an in-wall box. Three feet of excess slack shall be neatly coiled and stored in the ceiling above each drop location in addition to slack stored in wall boxes and hollow wall spaces. Wall box shall be installed to match the height of adjacent boxes or 18 on center above finished floor, unless otherwise noted. Surface mounted Panduit shall match color of box and include offset boot to jog around ceiling tile grid. Panduit will be installed from surface mounted boxes up to ceiling grid for each installation. If work replaces an existing cable, Contractor shall completely remove from IT rack to wall outlet. Owner shall note cables identified for replacement in order instructions. In addition, each cable type shall be terminated as indicated below. Cables shall be dressed and terminated in accordance with the recommendations made in the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B document, manufacturer s recommendations and/or best industry practices Pair untwist at the termination shall not exceed 0.25 inch for connecting hardware. Bend radius of the cable in the termination area shall not be less than 4 times the outside diameter of the cable The cable jacket shall be maintained as close as possible to the termination point Horizontal Distribution Cable Product Specifications Horizontal Cabling for Data Circuits Category 6A Cabling: Plenum Horizontal cabling shall be 23 AWG, 4-pair UTP, UL/NEC/NFPA CMP rated, with a plenum-rated jacket. Individual conductors shall be FEP insulated. Cable jacketing shall be lead-free. Cable shall meet the performance requirements to all standard Category 6A performance requirements. Cable shall be safety listed to NFPA 262/UL910. Cable shall be UL Listed for safety, and UL verified for performance as well as be a part of the UL verification program. Horizontal Distribution Cable Installation Cable shall be installed in accordance with manufacturer s recommendations and best industry practices Cable raceways shall not be filled greater than the NEC maximum fill for the particular raceway type Cables shall be installed in continuous lengths from origin to destination (no splices) The cable s minimum bend radius of 4 times the cable diameter and maximum pulling tension of 25 lbs. shall not be exceeded If a J-hook or trapeze system is used to support cable bundles all horizontal cables shall be supported at a maximum of four-foot intervals - at no point shall cable(s) rest on acoustic ceiling grids or panels Cabling shall be supported independently or within existing cable management infrastructure. Do not support cabling to any other conduit, sprinkler line, or HVAC component. Other installations using the aforementioned banned support methods is not clearance to use them for supporting cables installed under this contract. Horizontal distribution cables shall be bundled in groups of not greater than 40 cables (cable bundle quantities in excess of 40 cables may cause deformation of the bottom cables within the bundle) Cable shall be installed above fire-sprinkler and systems and shall not be attached to the system or any ancillary equipment or hardware The cabling system and support hardware shall be installed so that it does not obscure any valves, fire alarm conduit, boxes, or other control devices Cables shall not be attached to ceiling grid or lighting support wires Where light support for drop cable legs is required, the Contractor shall install clips to support the cabling Any cable damaged or exceeding recommended installation parameters during installation shall be replaced by the Contractor prior to final acceptance at no cost to the Owner Cables shall be identified by a self-adhesive label in accordance with the System Documentation Section of this specification Unshielded twisted pair cable shall be installed so that there are no bends less than four times the cables outside diameter (4 X cable O.D.) at any point in the run Cable length from Jack to Jack will not exceed 89.9 Meters/295 Feet. Pulling tension on 4-pair UTP cables shall not exceed 25-pounds for a single cable or cable bundle Horizontal Cross-Connect Installation Copper termination and management hardware shall be installed in the following manner: Cables shall be dressed and terminated in accordance with the recommendations made in the TIA/EIA-568-B document, manufacturer s recommendations and/or best industry practices Pair untwist at the termination shall not exceed 0.25 inch for connecting hardware Bend radius of the cable in the termination area shall not exceed 4 times the outside diameter of the cable Cables shall be neatly bundled and dressed to their respective panels or blocks Each panel or block shall be fed by an individual bundle separated and dressed back to the point of cable entrance into the rack or frame The cable jacket shall be maintained as close as possible to the termination point Each cable shall be clearly labeled on the cable jacket behind the patch panel at a location that can be viewed without removing the bundle support ties Cable labels shall not be obscured from view Cabling System Testing All cables and termination hardware shall be 100% tested for defects in installation and to verify cable performance under installed conditions. All conductors of each installed cable shall be verified useable by the Contractor prior to system acceptance. Any defect in the cabling system installation including but not limited to cable, connectors, feed-through couplers, patch panels, and connector blocks shall be repaired or replaced in order to ensure 100% useable conductors in all installed cables. All cables shall be tested in accordance with this document, the ND&I Contract agreement, and best industry practices. If any of these are in conflict, the Contractor shall be responsible to bring any discrepancies to the attention of the project team for clarification and/or resolution. Written documentation of test results for each cable installed under this contract shall be submitted to Sioux Fall Engineering for their records. Copper Each cable shall be tested for continuity on all pairs and/or conductors. Twisted-pair cables shall be tested for continuity, pair reversals, shorts, and opens plus tests that indicate installed cable performance. These cables shall be tested using a certified Level III or Level IV cable scanner. The copper feed pairs will be tested end to end. Continuity Each twisted pair of every installed cable shall be tested using a green light test set that shows opens, shorts, polarity and pair-reversals. The test shall be recorded as pass/fail as indicated by the test set in accordance with the manufacturers recommended procedures and referenced to the appropriate cable identification number and circuit or pair number. Any faults in the wiring shall be corrected and the cable re-tested prior to final acceptance. Length Each installed cable shall be tested for installed length using a TDR type device. The cables shall be tested from jack to jack. The data cable length will not exceed 89.9 Meters/295 Feet . Cable lengths shall be recorded, referencing the cable identification number and circuit or pair number. For multi-pair cables, the longest pair length shall be recorded as the length for the cable. Performance Verification Copper Category 6A data cabling systems shall be performance verified using an automated test set. This test set shall be a Level III qualified tester approved by the cabling manufacturer. The test shall be permanent link which tests for the following performance parameters: Wire Map Length Insertion Loss Pair-to-Pair Near End Crosstalk (NEXT) Power Sum Near End Crosstalk (PSNEXT Equal Level Far End Crosstalk (ELFEXT) Power Sum Equal Level Far End Crosstalk (PSELFEXT) Return Loss (RL) Propagation Delay Delay Skew Category 6A data cable shall be performance verified using an automated test set. Test results shall be automatically evaluated by the equipment, using the most up-to-date criteria from the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2.1 Standard, and the result shown as pass/fail. Test results shall be printed directly from the test unit or from a download file using an application from the test equipment manufacturer. The test results shall include all tests performed, the expected test result and the actual test result achieved. Each test result will be printed and sent to Sioux Falls Engineering department. Telecommunications Spaces The telecommunication closets shall house racks and required cable routing hardware. Racks shall be placed in a manner that will allow a minimum of 3 feet of clearance from the front and rear mounting surfaces and on one side. If one mounting rail of the rack is placed against a wall, the mounting rail shall be no closer than 6 to the wall to allow room for vertical management. Where there is more than one rack, the racks shall be ganged with vertical management hardware to allow a minimum of 3 feet of clearance from the front and rear mounting surfaces and on one side of the ganged assembly. Installation Specifications Racks shall be installed in the following manner. Rack will have nothing installed below the 15U mark. When insufficient rack space is available, then contactor will install another rack, per customer requirements, and any associated cable management. Racks shall be securely attached to the concrete floor using 3/8 hardware All racks shall be grounded to the telecommunications ground bus bar in accordance with ANSI/TIA/EIA-607-A Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding Standard. Rack mount screws (#12-24) not used for installing patch panels and other hardware shall be bagged and left with the rack upon completion of the installation Rack will be anchored at top to wall or to match others within the same space. Specific equipment Horizontal cabling racks shall be standard EIA 19 wide x 7 tall two post racks. They are to be self-supporting and constructed from 6061-T6 aluminum with a black painted finish. Racks shall be Panduit brand or approval equal. Vertical cable managers shall be designed to install on a standard EIA 19 x 7 telecommunications rack. Vertical wire management style is Panduit part number WMPV45E. There will be one on each side of rack, so if two racks are installed there will be enough space to allow back to back vertical cable management. Fire/SMOKE Stop Systems A fire stop system is comprised of the item or items penetrating the fire-rated structure, the opening in the structure and the materials and assembly used to seal the penetrated structure. Firestop systems comprise an effective block for fire, heat, vapor and a pressurized water stream. All contractor created penetrations through fire-rated building structures (walls and floors) shall be sealed with an appropriate fire stop system. This requirement applies to through penetrations (complete penetration) and membrane penetrations (through one side of a hollow, fire-rated structure). Any penetrating items (i.e., riser slots and sleeves, cables, conduit, cable tray, raceways, etc.) shall be properly fire stopped. Firestop System Installation All fire stop systems shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer s recommendations and shall be completely installed and available for inspection by the local inspection authorities prior to cabling system acceptance. Refer to appendix A for rating locations. Non-Fire wall penetrations All wall, floor, etc. penetrations will have conduit installed with wire end protection on both side. Each tube will be secured to the wall/floor etc. and have filling around conduit to seal any space. Warranty and Services The Contractor shall provide a system warranty covering the installed cabling system against defects in workmanship, components, and performance, and covering follow-on support after project completion. Installation Warranty The Contractor shall warrant the cabling system against defects in workmanship for a period of one year from the date of system acceptance. The warranty shall cover all labor and materials necessary to correct a failed portion of the system and to demonstrate performance within the original installation specifications after repairs are accomplished. This warranty shall be provided at no additional cost to the Owner. Project Management / General The Contractor shall establish a single point of contact (POC) with the Engineering Department who will be responsible for reporting progress and updating the Customer s technical representative with issues that the Owner must address to facilitate the cabling system installation. The Contractor s POC shall provide weekly written reports to the Customer s technical representative detailing progress. Requests for access to limited access or restricted areas shall be made two days prior to the required access. Information critical to the completion of the task or project shall be communicated to the Customer s technical representative as the requirement becomes known. Casual information shall be passed during the scheduled progress report. The Contractor shall maintain the Customer s facility in a neat and orderly manner during the installation of the communications cabling system. The Customer s facilities shall be maintained in broom clean condition at the completion of work each day. At the completion of work in each area, the Contractor will perform a final cleaning of debris prior to moving the installation crew to the next work area. Cabling System Acceptance The Customer s (Engineering department) technical representative will make periodic inspection of the project in progress. One inspection will be performed at the conclusion of cable pulling, prior to closing of the false ceiling, to inspect the method of cable routing and support, and the fire stopping of penetrations. A second inspection will be performed at completion of cable termination to validate that cables were dressed and terminated in accordance with ANSI/TIA/EIA specifications for jacket removal and pair untwist, compliance with Manufacturer s minimum bend radius, and that cable ends are dressed neatly and orderly. Final Inspection Upon completion of the project, the Customer s technical representative will perform a final inspection of the installed cabling system with the Contractor s project foreman. The final inspection will be performed to validate that all cables were installed as defined and that the installation meets the aesthetic expectations of the Customer. Test Verification Upon receipt of the test documentation, the Customer reserves the right to perform spot testing of a representative sample of the cabling system to validate test results provided in the test document. Customer testing will use the same method employed by the Contractor, and minor variations will be allowed to account for differences in test equipment and test variability. If significant discrepancies are found, the Contractor will be notified for resolution. Final Acceptance Completion of the installation and final inspections, receipt of the test, and successful performance of the system will constitute acceptance of the system. Payment for work will only be authorized after this step has been completed. REFERENCES AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. The cabling system described in this specification is derived in part from the recommendations made in industry standard documents. The documents below are incorporated by reference. ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B, Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2-10, Transmission Performance Specification for 4-Pair 100 Augmented Category 6A Cabling ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A, Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A, Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings ANSI/J-STD-607-A, Commercial Building Grounding (Earthing) and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications Building Industries Consulting Services International (BICSI) Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM) current edition National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) 2004 2016 Telecommunications and Special Telecommunications System Design Manual. 2019 Infrastructure Standards for Telecommunications Spaces. Panduit Design and Installation Specification If a conflict exists between applicable documents, then the order in the list above shall dictate the order of precedence in resolving conflicts. This order of precedence shall be maintained unless a lesser order document has been adopted as code by a local, state or federal entity, and is therefore enforceable as law by a local, state or federal inspection agency. If this document and any of the documents listed above are in conflict, then the more stringent requirement shall apply. All documents listed are believed to be the most current releases of the documents; the vendor is responsible to determine and adhere to the most recent release when developing the proposal for installation. Provide IT Cabling Task as described below CLIN # task order Descriptions. Provide 2 cables at VA defined location. Includes all parts and equipment needed to install such as Surface mounted box and Panduit at defined location. Recessed box at defined location. Provide 4 cables at VA defined location. Includes all parts and equipment needed to install such as Surface mounted box and Panduit at defined location. Recessed box at defined location. Provide IT Rack at VA defined location. APPENDICXIES: Sioux Falls VA Life Safety Plans to be provided to contractor upon award.