Fire Response

the US Forest Service’s VIPR Program

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The Forest Service wildfire response platform is called VIPR –  Virtual Incident Procurement. They accept new applications from vendors typically around February or March. If your application is accepted, then you will be signed up for an I-BPA (Incident Blanket Purchase Agreement) and you may get a call for work if there’s a wildfire that requires your equipment. The likelihood of getting a call depends on whether there are fires near your chosen region and what your ranking is on the Dispatch Priority List. Your ranking on the DPL is determined by how low or high your bid is. Unlike with CAL FIRE, vendors determine their own rates for the USFS (however, quite often these are similar to the set rates that CAL FIRE states)

Getting started

• Apply for our services – we can help with every step!
• Verify that your equipment meets the requirements (see above) and is being solicited this cycle (see below).
• Get registered on the Systems for Award Management (SAM) or make sure your registration is active (this means having a CAGE code for “All Awards”, not just a UEI).
• Set up for your VIPR profile and take the required photos of your equipment.
• Research what you want to bid for your equipment – use the online databases to see what others have priced in the past and determine what it would cost you to participate in a wildfire incident.
• Opportunities are posted on SAM.gov however VIPR is the system used for bid submission and awards. A keyword search on SAM.gov of “VIPR I-BPA” will bring up opportunities currently posted, however keep in mind these are only posted in the winter sometime around February – March and then they close.

Purchasing forecast

Every year the USFS opens different equipment categories for new solicitations, and usually some categories are closed. But starting in 2025 every category will be open in one form or another. That’s because every resource category that is not being solicited at the beginning of its cycle will have an “onboarding” option. This means vendors can get on a solicitation in the middle of the 5-year cycle rather than waiting years for it to re-opened. This new process started in 2023 and is just coming to fruition now.

The Forest Service is scheduled to solicit the following in response to wildland firefighting in 2025:

Note: some equipment for wildfire response efforts is coordinated outside of VIPR. For instance, the At Incident Management Support (AIMS) program is a separate program with a simpler sign-up process you can do here.

The CAL FIRE Hired Equipment Program

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As mentioned, CAL FIRE has a separate process to utilize private wildfire support resources called the Hired Equipment Program. If your application is accepted, then you’ll be signed up for an EERA – an Emergency Equipment Rental Agreement. Like VIPR, they draw on companies to provide their own equipment and personnel for wildfire response efforts, they only open for applications once per year in the winter, and an accepted application is not a guarantee of work.

Unlike VIPR, however, the applications have a set schedule for their due date (due March 31st every year); they work on a three-year cycle instead of five; they do not rotate equipment categories each year; and CAL FIRE determines what they’ll pay for each type of equipment, which excludes the need for you to determine pricing or submit a bid. Generally, CAL FIRE has more restrictive equipment and insurance requirements as well. There are many other differences so it’s best not to think of VIPR and CAL FIRE’s Hired Equipment Program as being too similar. However, vendors can get their equipment on both agencies’ agreements, maximizing their likelihood of getting called for a wildfire job.

Getting started

• Review the CAL FIRE Hired Equipment Program Supplier Participation Manual in detail and verify that your equipment is being solicited, satisfies their requirements, has sufficient insurance, and can generally abide by their program requirements.
• Get your Unique Entity ID (UEI) at SAM.gov: CAL FIRE doesn’t require a completed SAM registration (CAGE code), but they do require you to complete the first step of a SAM registration which is to “validate” your business and receive a UEI.
• Register as a vendor with the California State government at Cal eProcure.
• If you’re eligible, certify as a Small Business (SB) or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) on Cal eProcure. This process required submission of business documentation such as tax returns, etc.
• Reach out to your local Unit’s Hired Equipment Coordinator to coordinate next steps. Don’t go through the process of gathering the documents you’ll need until you speak with them first.
• Working with the local Coordinator, you will gather the documents required for an application for an EERA. See checklist under “More Information” here.

Beyond Emergency Wildfire Response

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For information on how vendors can get involved in wildfire prevention forestry work, or debris cleanup efforts after (usually non-wildland) fires:

• Make sure you’re registered on SAM.gov and opted in for the Disaster Response Registry. Federal agencies often use this to coordinate private contractors for disasters.
• Much debris removal work is contracted through local government, so contractors should  reach out to their counties and cities and inquire about the process.
• The USACE is the one on the federal side who does debris removal. They rely on SAM’s Disaster Response Registry. You can find their contractor website here.
• The CalRecycle program does debris cleanup work on the state level. They have a step-by-step process for how to get involved, starting with prequalification.
• FEMA coordinates emergency response support: vendors should view the FEMA contracting page and submit the Vendor Form here in order to request a capabilities meeting.
• US Forest Service Stewardship Blanket Purchase Agreements: these are for forest maintenance and wildfire prevention efforts. Vendors submit bids in order to get on lists of contractors who get sent unlisted competitive jobs in forestry work. Read more here and talk to your Procurement Specialist for assistance getting started.