JA ATS Replacement Emergency Redacted

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Justification and Approval (J&A)
For Other Than Full and Open Competition (>SAT)

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 16 (NCO 16), 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750, Houston, TX 77056 Organizational Activity: Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved: This action is an urgent, emergency Design-Build (D/B) acquisition to replace up to three (3) critical Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS) serving the chiller plant in Building B-104 at MEDVAMC. Two ATS are currently failing, and a third shows signs of imminent failure. Because there are no backup ATS units, failure of any one ATS would directly compromise chiller plant operations, interrupt cooling to critical clinical environments, and jeopardize patient care. The Government intends to award a firm-fixed-price D/B contract under Unusual and Compelling Urgency to prevent interruption of critical hospital cooling services and maintain patient safety.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, professional engineering, temporary power planning, and construction required to replace ATS-1 (1000A), ATS-2 (1600A), and ATS-3 (2000A) located in Building B-104. Work includes: replacing feeders from the main breakers to the ATS units and feeders from ATS units to Motor Control Center (MCCs); performing load shedding of three cooling towers from MCC-2 to MCC-3; preparing and executing a temporary power plan ensuring continuous hospital operation throughout ATS replacement; providing ATS units with bypass/isolation capability compatible with Russ Electric RTS-03 series or VA-approved equal; ensuring compatibility with the facility’s JCI Metasys monitoring system; conducting NFPA/NEC-compliant shortcircuit, coordination, arc flash, and load flow studies; updating one-line diagrams; and providing full construction documents, commissioning via an independent third-party

agent, and as-built drawings. The anticipated construction period of performance is up to 180 calendar days.
4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition: ( ) (1) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements per 41 USC §3304(a)(1) as implemented by RFO 6.1031; (X) (2) Unusual and Compelling Urgency per 41 USC §3304(a)(2) as implemented by