Five WAHTS wireless hearing test systems and accessories.

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, NOAA MEDICAL CORP INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH WAHTS INC OUT OF LEBANON, NH TO PURCHASE FIVE WAHTS AUDIO TEST KITS & ACCESSORIES. THIS WILL ALLOW PORTABILITY TO THE SHIPS FOR HEARING TEST AS WELL AS THE CLINICS AND OTHER OFFICE SPACES.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT WAHTS IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF THE WAHTS AUDIOMETRIC HEARING TEST SYSTEM. THE WAHTS IS A TYPE 4 AUDIOMETER WITH MASKING AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED ON BATTERY POWER. THE HEADSET HAS A RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY AND MAY BE CHECKED WITH THE APP ON THE TABLET. TYPICAL USE IS 5 YEARS. THE TABLET HAS THE APP THAT THE PATIENT INTERFACES WITH DURING THE TEST. THE SVANTEK SOUND METER PAIRS WITH THE HEADSET TO PROVIDE SOUND LEVEL READINGS AT ALL TESTED FREQUENCIES IN REAL TIME, SO THE TEST TAKER IS NOTIFIED WHEN THE AMBIENT NOISE BECOMES TOO LOUD TO RUN THE HEARING TEST. THE HEADSET, TABLET, AND SOUND METER CONNECT TO EACH OTHER VIA BLUETOOTH. THE WAHTS MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS (MPANLS) OUTPERFORM OTHER TRANSDUCERS AT 250, 500, AND 1000 HZ, ALLOWING THE SYSTEM TO BE USED IN LOCATIONS WHERE AMBIENT NOISE, IS THE BEST PRODUCT TO MEET OUR MISSION CRITICAL NEED AT A PRICE POINT THAT GIVES THE MOST BENEFIT TO THE GOVERNMENT AT THE BEST PRICE.

NOAA’S REQUIREMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

FIVE WAHTS WIRELESS HEARING TEST SYSTEMS, THAT IS PACKAGED WITH FIVE TABLETS, FIVE SVANTEK SOUND METERS, AND FIVE STURDY PROTECTIVE CASES.

NOAA’S RESEARCH INTO OPTIONS TO FILL THIS NEED DETERMINED THAT THE WAHTS IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

THIS PARTICULAR BRAND NAME IS ESSENTIAL TO THE REQUIREMENT AND MARKET RESEARCH INDICATES SIMILAR PRODUCTS DO NOT MEET OR CANNOT BE MODIFIED TO MEET AGENCY NEEDS. WAHTS IS MADE TO FIT THE STANDARDS FOR BOTH HEARING TESTING AND FIT TESTING. FOR HEARING, IT IS FDA REGISTERED, OSHA- AND ANSI-COMPLIANT. FOR FIT TESTING, WHICH ALLOWS IT TO STAND OUT FROM THE OTHER MARKETABLE OPTIONS, IT IS ALSO OSHA- AND ANSI-COMPLIANT, AS WELL AS APPROVED BY THE DOD. WAHTS WAS BUILT FOR THE MILITARY AND INDUSTRY. THE SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY WIRELESS UNLIKE ITS COUNTERPARTS. AND WHEN WAHTS IS PAIRED WITH THE SVANTEK SOUND METER, THERE CAN BE REAL-TIME MEASUREMENT OF SOUND WHILE THE TEST IS IN PROGRESS, AND THE HEADSET NOTIFIES THE USER WHEN THE AMBIENT NOISE BECOMES TOO LOUD. THE FIT TESTING ASPECT CAN BE USED TO HELP MARINERS FIND THE RIGHT FITTING EARPLUGS TO BETTER PROTECT THEIR HEARING. THE WIRELESS ASPECT HELPS DURING THE HEARING TEST BECAUSE OFTEN THE WIRES BRUSH AGAINST THE USER’S CLOTHING IF THEY MOVE, AND THAT NOISE CAN INTERFERE WITH THE TEST.

MARKET RESEARCH

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO THE AVAILABILITY OF SYSTEMS THAT MEET ALL OF THE MISSION REQUIREMENTS ABOVE WAS CONDUCTED AND NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES WERE FOUND. COMPARABLE PLATFORMS THAT MIGHT BE ALTERED TO CONDUCT THESE MEASUREMENTS WERE NOTED AT FOUR TO SEVEN TIMES THE PRICE OF THIS UNIT AND WOULD NOT MEET THE PROCUREMENT TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT. IN ADDITION, AS STATED ABOVE, THIS PROCUREMENT CONTINUES THE WORK PERFORMED BY THE CENTER FOR COASTAL AND OCEAN MAPPING (CCOM) IN CHARACTERIZING AND VALIDATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS UNIT. THE CONTINUITY OF THIS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE COMPROMISED BY CHANGING THE HARDWARE USED AND SET BACK OUR DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS BY AT LEAST A YEAR. WAHTS HAS NO AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS WHO CAN SELL THIS SYSTEM TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.