Announcements

Safety Alert

Please select the link below to see important safety information related to non-specification fire shelters. Please share this information widely within the contracting community.

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee, Safety Warning: 23-001 Non-Specification Fire Shelters

"Generic" Solicitations Information

Contracting Officers may be issuing "generic" solicitations, which are designed to solicit for various local equipment and services not listed on the National Solicitation Plan for I-BPAs, but may be identified on the Method of Hire (MOH) chart located in the NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902. An example of a generic solicitation might be "Short School Type Bus." Vendors can use the "Generic" resource group in the vendor application to add their resources that do not fall into any of the standard resource groups into the vendor application. Vendors will follow the same quote submittal process, but will use their generic resources to submit quotes on the "generic" solicitations.

Overview

Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR)

Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) is a web-based Forest Service application designed to administer preseason Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPAs - formerly referred to as Emergency Equipment Rental Agreements or EERAs). The application supports the 2005 USDA-OIG audit findings requiring the Forest Service to implement a more rigorous approach to managing preseason incident agreements.

VIPR has the functionality to solicit, award, and manage preseason I-BPAs, and was implemented nationwide in January of 2009. In future years, VIPR will automate other preseason incident procurements, such as aviation contracts, crew contracts, and mobile shower and food services.

VIPR is designed to front-end load other systems within the business lifecycle of preseason incident procurements, such as IROC (formerly ROSS), I-Suite and the Incident Business System. Electronically sharing pertinent information through to payment of contractors by the Forest Service will reduce errors and speed transactions.

Vendors should become familiar with the requirements and complete preparations to be eligible to be awarded an agreement with the Forest Service. For more information on what vendors need to do, visit the "Being a Vendor" page. Vendors should also watch the SAM.gov web site for the VIPR solicitations to which they want to respond.

For information on the types of equipment the Forest Service has solicited for this year and in future years, vendors should view the National Solicitation Plan for I-BPAs.

To learn more about VIPR, use the links on the left menu or contact the Interagency Incident Applications Helpdesk at 866-224-7677 or https://iiahelpdesk.nwcg.gov/ with questions or suggestion.

When to Use VIPR

If you have equipment under an existing Forest Service agreement or plan to respond to a solicitation to offer equipment, you will use the VIPR Vendor Application.