J--Services For Vascular Diagnostic Lab Flo 2100-Sx2 Models For The North Texas Health Care System

This is a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only Solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number 36C25720Q0034 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular. SOLICITATION NOTICE OF TIERED EVALUATIONS This procurement is set-aside based on an order of priority as established in 38 U.S.C. 8127. TIERED EVALUATIONS INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS: This solicitation is being issued as a tiered evaluation for SDVOSB concerns, or in the alternative, a tiered evaluation for VOSB concerns, or in the alternative, a set-aside for other small business concerns with HUBZone small business concerns and 8(a) participants having priority. If award

cannot be made, the solicitation will be cancelled, and the requirement resolicited. In order to be eligible for award under SDVOSB or VOSB concerns in accordance with the authority of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) an offeror must be certified/verified in VetBiz (www.vip.vetbiz.gov), and small for the applicable NAICS code at the time of the quote submission and at the time of award. Status as a qualified SDVOSB concern is under the authority of 38 CFR Part 74 and in accordance with the VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Part 819. Eligibility determination is performed by the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE). Only qualified offerors may submit bids. NAICS Code: 811219 and Size Standard is $20.5M. Introduction: A Firm Fixed Price award will be made to the lowest priced quote which conforms to the requirements within this solicitation and represents the best price to the Government. Description of Services: The contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, and other items necessary to provide on-site support and depot level repair services for vascular diagnostic Lab Flo 2100-Sx2 models for the North Texas Health Care System. Place(s) of Performance: Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216-7167 Fort Worth VA Clinic 2201 Southeast Loop 820 Fort Worth, TX 76119-5863 Type of Contract: A Firm Fixed Price Period of Performance: November 1, 2019 October 31, 2020 The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (OCT 2018) 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (JUL 2016) 52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984) 852.209-70 Organizational Conflicts of Interest (JAN 2008) 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers (JAN 2008) FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (OCT 2018) Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (OCT 2018) addenda to FAR 52.212-4 attached 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018) 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013) 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising (MAY 2008) 852.219-10 VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (JUL 2016) (DEVIATION) 852.219-11 VA Notice of Total Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (JUL 2016) (DEVIATION) 852.219-74 Limitations on Subcontracting Monitoring and Compliance (JUL 2018) (DEVIATION) (a) This solicitation includes VAAR 852.219-10, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set- Aside, VAAR 852.219-11, VA Notice of Total Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside and FAR 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. (b) Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation is subject to the limitation on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR 125.6. The Contractor is advised that in performing contract administration functions, the Contracting Officer may use the services of a support contractor(s) retained by VA to assist in assessing the Contractor s compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirements specified in the clause. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to Contractor s offices where the Contractor s business records or other proprietary data are retained and to review such business records regarding the Contractor s compliance with this requirement. (c) All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement to ensure the Contractor s business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the Contracting Officer in assessing the Contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. (d) Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the Contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, Obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The Contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the Contracting Officer to assess the Contractor s compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirement. 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (NOV 2018) 852.237-70 Contractor Responsibilities (APR 1984) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders (JAN 2019) The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation & First-Tier Subcontract Awards (OCT 2018) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements 52.209-6, Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (OCT 2015) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (NOV 2011) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (NOV 2011) 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (JUL 2013) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUNE 2003) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (SEPT 2016) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (OCT 2015) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUL 2014) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (FEB 2016) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (JAN 2019) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUNE 2008) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.242-5, Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (JAN 2017) 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018) 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) 52.222-55, Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (DEC 2015) 52.222-62, Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017) 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 60 days. (End of Clause) Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government s best interests, the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. This includes options under FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, which applies to this solicitation. Evaluation of options under FAR 52.217-8 will be accomplished by using the prices offered for the last option period to determine the price for a 6-month option period, which will be added to the base and other option years to arrive at the total price. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (End of Addendum) 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications And Video Surveillance Services Or Equipment. Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Aug 2019)      (a) Definitions. As used in this provision      Covered telecommunications equipment or services , Critical technology , and Substantial or essential component have the meanings provided in clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.      (b) Prohibition. Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Contractors are not prohibited from providing           (1) A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or           (2) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.      (c) Representation. The Offeror represents that      It will, will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract or other contractual instrument resulting from this solicitation.      (d) Disclosures. If the Offeror has responded affirmatively to the representation in paragraph (c) of this provision, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer           (1) All covered telecommunications equipment and services offered (include brand; model number, such as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable);           (2) Explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications equipment and services and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b) of this provision;           (3) For services, the entity providing the covered telecommunications services (include entity name, unique entity identifier, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, if known); and           (4) For equipment, the entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment (include entity name, unique entity identifier, CAGE code, and whether the entity was the OEM or a distributor, if known). (End of Clause) 52.204-25 Prohibition On Contracting For Certain Telecommunications And Video Surveillance Services Or Equipment. Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Aug 2019)      (a) Definitions. As used in this clause      Covered foreign country means The People s Republic of China.      Covered telecommunications equipment or services means           (1) Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities);           (2) For the purpose of public safety, security of Government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities);           (3) Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment; or           (4) Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country.      Critical technology means           (1) Defense articles or defense services included on the United States Munitions List set forth in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations under subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations;           (2) Items included on the Commerce Control List set forth in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export Administration Regulations under subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, and controlled-                (i) Pursuant to multilateral regimes, including for reasons relating to national security, chemical and biological weapons proliferation, nuclear nonproliferation, or missile technology; or                (ii) For reasons relating to regional stability or surreptitious listening;           (3) Specially designed and prepared nuclear equipment, parts and components, materials, software, and technology covered by part 810 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to assistance to foreign atomic energy activities);           (4) Nuclear facilities, equipment, and material covered by part 110 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to export and import of nuclear equipment and material);           (5) Select agents and toxins covered by part 331 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, part 121 of title 9 of such Code, or part 73 of title 42 of such Code; or           (6) Emerging and foundational technologies controlled pursuant to section 1758 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4817).      Substantial or essential component means any component necessary for the proper function or performance of a piece of equipment, system, or service.      (b) Prohibition. Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. The Contractor is prohibited from providing to the Government any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, unless an exception at paragraph (c) of this clause applies or the covered telecommunication equipment or services are covered by a waiver described in Federal Acquisition Regulation 4.2104.      (c) Exceptions. This clause does not prohibit contractors from providing           (1) A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or           (2) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.      (d) Reporting requirement. (1) In the event the Contractor identifies covered telecommunications equipment or services used as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, during contract performance, or the Contractor is notified of such by a subcontractor at any tier or by any other source, the Contractor shall report the information in paragraph (d)(2) of this clause to the Contracting Officer, unless elsewhere in this contract are established procedures for reporting the information; in the case of the Department of Defense, the Contractor shall report to the website at https://dibnet.dod.mil. For indefinite delivery contracts, the Contractor shall report to the Contracting Officer for the indefinite delivery contract and the Contracting Officer(s) for any affected order or, in the case of the Department of Defense, identify both the indefinite delivery contract and any affected orders in the report provided at https://dibnet.dod.mil.           (2) The Contractor shall report the following information pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this clause                (i) Within one business day from the date of such identification or notification: the contract number; the order number(s), if applicable; supplier name; supplier unique entity identifier (if known); supplier Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code (if known); brand; model number (original equipment manufacturer number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number); item description; and any readily available information about mitigation actions undertaken or recommended.                (ii) Within 10 business days of submitting the information in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this clause: any further available information about mitigation actions undertaken or recommended. In addition, the Contractor shall describe the efforts it undertook to prevent use or submission of covered telecommunications equipment or services, and any additional efforts that will be incorporated to prevent future use or submission of covered telecommunications equipment or services.      (e) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (e), in all subcontracts and other contractual instruments, including subcontracts for the acquisition of commercial items. (End of Clause) QUOTE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND EVALUATIONS: RFQ QUESTION SUBMISSION: Questions must be received no later than Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 9:00am CST. Email your questions directly to ReginaldD.Hayes@va.gov. The subject line must specify: RFQ 36C25720Q0034 - Questions. There will be no automated email notification of receipt of questions. An amendment/modification to the Solicitation will be posted to FBO answering all questions submitted. EVALUATION OF QUOTES: SUBMISSION OF QUOTE (FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL ITEMS): The Offeror shall submit their quote on company letterhead and shall include unit price, overall total price, name, address, and telephone number of the offeror, firm's DUNS# and ORCA document in SAM at www.sam.gov. Complete copy of 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items, and ORCA document. The offeror shall provide sufficient evidence that they possess adequate resources, capability, experience, responsibility and integrity to meet the technical capabilities to comply with the requirements of the resulting contract. The offeror shall meet the limitation in subcontracting clause. The subcontract o vendor must be similarly situated in the same The offeror shall outline how they will be in agreeance/compliance with the limitations on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR §125.6. Any quotes using subcontractors or teaming partners to perform any part of the work must show the subcontractor or teaming partner to be similarly situated as the prime. A similarly situated subcontractors or teaming partners is a company who has the same size standard and NAICS code as the prime offeror/vendor. Similarly situated entity is a subcontractor that has the same small business program status as the prime contractor. This means that: For a HUBZone requirement, a subcontractor that is a qualified HUBZone small business concern; for a small business set-aside, partial set-aside, or reserve a subcontractor that is a small business concern; for a SDVO small business requirement, a subcontractor that is a self-certified SDVO SBC; for an 8(a) requirement, a subcontractor that is an 8(a) certified Program Participant; for a WOSB or EDWOSB contract, a subcontractor that has complied with the requirements of part 127. In addition to sharing the same small business program status as the prime contractor, a similarly situated entity must also be small for the NAICS code that the prime contractor assigned to the subcontract the subcontractor will perform. Evaluation of quotes will be conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of Quotes. The Government intends to award one contract resulting from this solicitation. The Government will evaluate proposals across three (3) non-price factors and one (1) price factor for a total of four (4) evaluation factors as follows: Technical Proposal Past Performance Certifications/Qualifications for accomplishing repairs and maintenance for the Vascular Diagnostic Lab Flo-Lab 2100-Sx2 Models listed in Statement of Work and authorization to service this equipment on only Pro Vascular Services, Inc letterhead Price Each factor will be rated as Satisfactory on Unsatisfactory . The priority to the Government of each factor is as follows:  Factor One is more important than past performance. Factor Two and Factor Three are more important than price. The combined rating of the non-price factors is more important than price. Then price. Quotes rated as Unsatisfactory in the Technical Proposal factor will be eliminated from further consideration.  Quotes with the highest rated combined non-price (Technical, Past Performance, Certifications/Qualifications) factors will be evaluated against price. Pricing will be evaluated in relation to the discernible value of the combined non-price factors to determine best value.  Quotes must be received no later than Monday, October 28, 2019 9:00am CST. Email your quote directly to ReginaldD.Hayes@va.gov. The subject line must specify: RFQ 36C25720Q0034. There will be no automated email notification of receipt of quotes. All quotes received without requested documentation will not be considered. QUOTE SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN AS FOLLOWS: PRICE/COST SCHEDULE ITEM INFORMATION ITEM NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 0001 12.00 MO ________________ ________________ On-Site Support and Depot Level Repair Services For Vascular Diagnostic Lab Flo-Lab 2100-Sx2 Models. Period of Performance: November 1, 2019 October 31, 20120 GRAND TOTAL __________________ PRICE/COST SCHEDULE (IAW FAR 52.217-8 EXTENSION OF SERVICES) ITEM INFORMATION ITEM NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 1000 6 MO ______________ ________________ On-Site Support and Depot Level Repair Services For Vascular Diagnostic Lab Flo-Lab 2100-Sx2 Models. Period of Performance: November 1, 2019 October 31, 20120 IAW 52.217-8 Extension of Services November 1, 2020 April 30, 2020 TOTAL __________________ STATEMENT OF WORK DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Contractor shall provide all required tools, materials and labor to PM & Repair FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 for on-site support and depot level repair. EQUIPMENT IDENTIFICATION: Model Serial Number Location Manufacturer FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 000003559 Dallas Parks Medical FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 000003558 Dallas Parks Medical FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 000003561 Dallas Parks Medical FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 000003560 Dallas Parks Medical FLO-LAB 2100-SX2 835487 Fort Worth Parks Medical REQUIREMENTS: The contractor shall supply all labor, expertise, parts, and preventative maintenance services. The contractor shall perform all maintenance, repair, and services in accordance with OEM guidelines. The contractor shall be an authorized vendor for the OEM. The contractor shall have full access and authorization to OEM software. The contractor shall warrant all services and repair work. The contractor shall be responsible and incur all freights costs incurred for the shipment of replacement parts. The Contractor shall be responsible for employing technically qualified personnel to perform the work specified in this Statement of Work. The Contractor shall maintain the personnel, organization and administrative control necessary to ensure that the work delivered meets the contract specifications and requirements. The contractor shall maintain a record of all maintenance and repairs. HOURS: The following is a list of U.S. Government holidays. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the proceeding Friday is observed as the holiday; if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the holiday and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. All services and work carried out shall occur off-Site and at the repair depot. HOLIDAY DATE New Year s Day Jan 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday 3rd Monday in Jan President s Day 3rd Monday in Feb Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day 1st Monday in Sep Columbus Day 2nd Monday in Oct Veterans Day Nov 11 Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 DOCUMENTATION: Contractor shall furnish a detailed field service report upon completion of work to Biomedical Staff in the Biomed Department. Payment will not be processed until a properly completed service report is received. The service report shall contain, at a minimum, the following information: Type, model and serial number (s) of all equipment on which maintenance was performed Total time spent performing maintenance. Detailed narrative description of the services required Copies of all test reports Complete list of parts replaced Date and time the repair was completed Cost Estimate of all labor (including travel), parts/supplies, and shipping charges The service report shall itemize every item in the specification. Each item shall state the "as found" condition or values, the "calibrated to" or "adjusted to" values, the factory design tolerances, and a complete description of all work performed concerning the items. Included will be a list of new parts used and recommended future repairs. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Period of performance shall be done in a reasonable time frame (no longer than one 30 days after receipt of order) unless unseen circumstances arise which need to be discussed with Biomed representative. PM of units are DUE IN 2019. Period of Performance: November 1, 2019 October 31, 2020 PLACE(S) OF PERFORMANCE: VA Medical Center Dallas & Depot Repair Center Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216-7167 Fort Worth VA Clinic 2201 Southeast Loop 820 Fort Worth, TX 76119-5863 GOVERNMENT BADGES: The Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or VAMC Representative will coordinate the issuance of required access badges to Contractor personnel. Contractor personnel shall wear laminated identification badges provided by the Government always when performing. Badges shall be worn on the outer garment, attached to the outer shirt or jacket pocket by a button or clip or worn around the neck secured by an appropriate identification card lanyard. Government issued identification badge remains the property of the Government and shall be returned to the issuing office or other designated Government personnel upon transfer of Contractor employees from the contract. CONTRACTOR BADGES (NOT APPLICABLE): All Contractor personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public or Congress that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by Contractor personnel are suitably marked as Contractor products or that Contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. SAFETY/SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and ensure performance is secure while protecting material, equipment, and actor supplies from damage and loss. Government security personnel shall have the express right to inspect for security violations at any time during the term of the contract. All information generated in performance of this contract becomes property of the Government and must be surrendered upon request and/or completion of the contract. The Contractor must protect against the destruction and/or misplacement of all information produced under this contract, unless directed under local policy to destroy. This includes both hard and soft copies of data. The Contractor shall not release any information (including photographs, files, public announcements, statements, denials, or confirmations) on any part of the subject matter of this contract or any phase of any program hereunder without the prior written approval of the COR. CONDUCT OF PERSONNEL: Contractor personnel shall conduct themselves in a professional manner (i.e. timeliness, communication; spoken and written etc.). The Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to remove from the job site any employee working under this contract for reasons of suspected misconduct, a suspected security breach, or suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other incapacitating agent. Contractor employees shall be subject to dismissal from the premises upon determination by the Contracting Officer that such action is necessary in the interests of the Government. The hospital director or designated representative has the authority to bar individuals from the Government facility. The removal from the job site or dismissal from the premises shall not relieve the Contractor of the requirement to provide sufficient personnel to perform the services as required by this performance work statement. The Government shall not reimburse the Contractor for travel and other expenses associated with the removal of personnel. Contractor personnel are not authorized to carry or possess personal weapons to include, but not limited to, firearms and knives with a blade length in excess of three inches, while assigned under this contract. CONTRACTORS ATTIRE AND APPEARANCE: Contractor personnel shall present a professional appearance commensurate with standards delineated for Government civilian personnel acting in similar capacities. The Government reserves the right to review Contractor personnel qualifications. Upon request, resumes shall be provided to the Contracting Officer prior to clearance approval, for review and acceptance by the COR. The intent is verification purpose and not for the Government to become the hiring authority. CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVES: Prior to contract award, the Contracting Officer shall designate a VA Medical Center employee as the COR. All work coordination shall be made through the COR. The Contractor shall be provided a copy of the letter of delegation authorizing the COR at the commencement of the term of the contract. No other person shall be authorized to act in such capacity unless appointed in writing by the Contracting Officer. Information Technology Security Requirements: The contractor, their personnel, and their subcontractors shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information and information system security as delineated in this contract. The contractor shall comply with all Federal laws and regulations the VA has developed when VA sensitive information is accessed, used, stored, generated, transmitted, or exchanged by and between VA and a contractor. The information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance of this contract will be used only for the purposes of performance under this contract. The certification and accreditation requirements do not apply to this requirement and a security accreditation package is not required. SECURITY STATEMENT: Sensitive VA information is contained within the systems covered by this contract. Biomedical Engineering shall perform virus scans on all removable media prior to use on VA medical equipment. This includes all types of removable media, including media (e.g., USB devices, CDs, dongles, etc.) that has been issued by VA, media not issued by VA, and media brought in by vendors or independent service organizations. Within accordance of VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program, September 2007 The Vendor will not transfer any VA information to a location outside the VA and only to VA locations determined by the VA System Administrator. The information in these systems may be covered by the Privacy Act 1974 which contains criminal penalties of abuse of information. During onsite service, the Vendor shall be chaperoned by VA Personnel. However, the vendor shall not be issued a UserID/Password. Non-volatile memory devices, working or non-working, shall NOT be removed from the VA facility until the ISO has certified that the data has been destroyed. For magnetic devices and media, the data destruction will be by degaussing. Other forms of cleansing will be used for non-magnetic media. The vendor will not have remote access to complete the repair(s) and preventive maintenance. RECORDS MANAGEMENT STATEMENT All records (administrative and program specific) created during the period of the contract belong to VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTXHCS) and must be returned to VANTXHCS at the end of the contract or destroyed in accordance to the VHA Record Control Schedule (RCS)10-1. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C Chapter 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract or identified in the RCS 10-1. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver enough technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.]. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under or relating to this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.