Exemption to Fair Opportunity - Hot Work - USS CHARLESTON

Per CNRMC instruction 9000 Ser C200/110, issued on 22 February 2023, it has been determined that a daily hot work submission limit shall be placed on all surface ship availabilities, limiting the risk potential fire hazards from an overabundance of hot work performed on a surface ship vessel. The Contractor is to provide a representative whose function is to coordinate hot work notification and execution, known as the Hot Work Coordinator, for each Repair Activity (RA) work performed during the contract performance period. Without this hot work requirement, the Lead Maintenance Activity (LMA) will be unable to perform any hot work repairs scheduled to be conducted on the Ships Availability. Causing a severe impact to the ships overall mission readiness. Adding this work item to the existing Delivery Order under BAE is in the best interests of the Government in order to complete the scheduled availability with BAE support services already in place. Introducing another contractor at this stage will create inefficiencies during execution. The ship is already in their DSRA, at BAE shipyard. Opening this requirement for solicitation will result in further delays to the schedule and interfere with current contractor accomplishing the ship alt. Having another contractor or soliciting this work would delay the schedule and affect milestones putting Availability completion due date at risk which in-turn, affects multiple other Naval ship schedules in the fleet. The Contracting Officer reviewed the justification and has determined it to be accurate and complete to the best of his knowledge and has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government is fair and reasonable.