US Military Contracts for Fire and Emergency Gear

Too Hot to Handle?

Most people think “defense procurement” and think “weapons,” but the truth is that infrastructure and associated services consumes at least as much money. In December 2007 (FY 2008), the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP, now the US Defense Logistics Agency’s Troop Support group) in Philadelphia, PA issued awards by region for “tailored logistics support” involving fire and emergency equipment on behalf of US military installations, other federal agencies and departments, and other approved customers. In practice, all of the contracts below may involve the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, federal civilian agencies, or even state and local governments as end customers.

These FES contracts involved hundreds of millions of dollars over a 2-year base contract, followed by 3 more 1-year options, with FY 2012 as the final option year.

Rapid Fire 2011-11-30: DoD/USSS/DHS Information Sharing Rules

• The US Senate unanimously approved the Combating Military Counterfeits Act (S 1228) as an amendment to the FY12 Appropriations bill. It involves criminal penalties and is part of a broader effort to tighten the military supply chain after the revelation that suspect electronic parts from China had been installed on a variety of military systems. Another approved amendment (S 1025) intends to give the National Guard a seat at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Similar language is already in the House’s version of the bill so this has significant chances of making it through reconciliation, whenever that will finally happen. CJCS Martin Dempsey thinks it’s a bad idea.

• Michele A. Flournoy, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, published DoD procedures on how to share information with the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DoDI 3025.19 PDF).

• The US Government Accountability Office finds there’s too much overlap and not enough coordination between the 5 federal agencies with cybersecurity personnel. That’s what happens when everyone think they’re in charge.