Coast Guard awarded $218,718 for two liquid oxygen tanks at Air Station Kodiak

Air Station Kodiak will get two new liquid oxygen tanks under a $218,718 Coast Guard contract. The purchase order was signed Sept. 9 with Airgas USA, LLC, which the contract record places in Long Beach, California and a Coast Guard notice places in Anchorage, and runs through Dec. 15. Kodiak's fleet includes five HC-130J long-range search planes and six MH-60T helicopters.

The award was made without competitive bidding. A presolicitation notice posted Sept. 4 by the Department of Homeland Security stated: "THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT AND IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES." It identified Airgas based on site surveys and installation assessments already performed, describing two 1,500-gallon Chart-made tanks.

The notice took qualifications from other firms until 1 p.m. Sept. 11, two days after the order was signed. The record lists one offer, no set-aside.

The record does not say whether the tanks replace existing capacity. The notice's stated reasons include maintaining continuity of oxygen storage and distribution.