FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Contract proposals for Western Alaska Village-based Type 2 wildland firefighting hand crews will be sought for the 2021 fire season by about March 26, 2021, according to a pre-solicitation notice published last week by the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS). 

Multiple contractors may be selected to base crews in communities in the Galena Fire Management Zone covering much of Western Alaska for quick response to fires. The official solicitation notice is expected to post at  https://beta.sam.gov/ (Reference 140L0621R0005) around Feb. 25 and give potential contractors 30 days to submit proposals. 

Last year, the BLM AFS awarded three contracts for Type 2 crews based in the Upper Yukon and Tanana Fire Management Zones for quick response to fires within BLM AFS protection areas covering the northern half of the state.  

The contract crew concept intends to meet the need for Type 2 wildland firefighting crews in Alaska and the Lower 48 in response to the changing complexity of managing federal emergency firefighter (EFF) crews, which are hired only as needed. Unlike EFF crews, contracted crews can work outside of fire suppression, such as fuels mitigation and other funded projects. Contract crews may also provide more stable employment than the current EFF program, as well as additional opportunities for Alaska Native Corporations and Alaska tribes to manage their own wildland fire crew program and play a larger role in wildland firefighting in Alaska and the Lower 48.  

The contract crews will adhere to national qualifications for Type 2 hand crews. Assistance in building contract proposals is available through https://www.aptac-us.org/.  

The solicitation process is competitive and open to qualified entities to ensure program success. Contracts may be awarded for Type 2 crews in one or more of the existing BLM EFF crew regions in the Galena Zone depending on the number of qualified offers. For more information regarding the contract solicitation, contact BLM Contracting Officer Theresa Coffenberry at the National Operations Center at (303)236-5437 or tcoffenberry@blm.gov  

###

  contracters, firefighting, hand crews, notice, solicitation