As a member of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), the United States Border Patrol has developed an excellent working relationship with other U.S. law enforcement agencies as well as Canadian law enforcement entities such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Border Services Agency, and various provincial police entities.  This partnership has resulted in the necessity for regular cross border activity of our agents driving government owned vehicles on official business.  In the United States our vehicles are self insured.  Current laws forbid us from self insuring outside of the United States.For this reason the United States Border Patrol is currently exploring the available options for purchasing insurance coverage which would cover our vehicles and drivers during those occasions when driving into Canada is necessary for official duty.  We would require coverage that meets the legal insurance obligations for those Canadian Provinces that border the United States, which are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.  Our current requirements would be coverage for 206 vehicles.  We would need the ability to change vehicles covered as our fleet vehicles are replaced, as well as the ability to add additional vehicles to the policy, if operational requirements dictated. The Office of Field Operations (OFO) requires insurance coverage for vehicles and drivers who travel into Canada for official duty. Insurance coverage is of major concern for the Field Office(s) given that CBP Officers who work at the various ports along the Northern Border are required to enter Canada on a recurring basis.  The OFO Field Offices have multiple land ports of entry along the Northern Border.  CBP Officers are regularly required to enter Canada to meet with Canadian officials, Canadian law enforcement, and Canadian Customs counter parts. Due to irregular geographical borders, CBP Officers must enter Canada to travel between our own ports of entry on a regular basis because of mileage, cost, and time restraints.Although the government issued vehicles are self insured in the United States, current laws forbid from self insuring outside of the United States. As a result, CBP Officers may be placed in situations where they can be held personally liable if involved in an automobile accident in Canada without Canadian liability coverage.Some example of CBP employees traveling to Canada on Official Business are as follows: CBP Officers assigned to the Blaine POE travel to Canada regularly to work at the NEXUS Office located in British Columbia

• The Area Port of Sweetgrass contains the Ports of Chief Mountain, Piegan, Del Bonita, Sweetgrass, Whitlash, Wildhorse and Willow Creek.  This encompasses approximately 180 miles of the Canadian Border.  In many instances when traveling from one Port to another, the most direct route is via Canada.  This is due to the location of roads in each country.  In the United States, nearly all the primary and secondary highways are located 40-60 miles south of the actual border, while in Canada in many instances, their highways are located within 10-30 miles of the actual border.  For example, when traveling from the Port of Sweetgrass to the Port of Piegan, the mileage when traveling via the United States is approximately 130 miles, the mileage when traveling via Canada is approximately 90 miles.  This makes a round-trip savings of 80 miles.  In another example, when traveling from the Port of Sweetgrass to the Port of Del Bonita, the mileage when traveling via the United States is approximately 72 miles, the mileage when traveling via Canada is approximately 50 miles.  This makes a round-trip savings of 44 miles.  Lastly, when traveling from the Port of Sweetgrass to the Port of Whitlash, a savings of approximately 25 miles each way for a round-trip savings of 50 miles can be realized. 


• If CBP is able to eliminate on an average of 1 hour of driving, this will equate to many more work hours and increased productivity.


• We have considered the option of renting vehicles for travel to Canada, and buying liability insurance.  Not only would this be a great expenditure but car rental agencies are not always available.  For example in the Port of Sweetgrass the IBET (Integrated Border Enforcement Team) member needs to travel to intelligence meetings with the RCMP in Raymond and the Lethbridge Police Departments.  Based on our location, there are no car rental agencies within 100 miles. 


• There is an ACE ambassador at the Port of Sweetgrass who has been invited to Trade Outreach presentations in Lethbridge and Calgary, Alberta.  In the last instance, our officer was required to travel over 100 miles (one-way) to rent a car, drive back to the border, attend the seminar, and then drive over 100 miles (one-way) to return the vehicle. 


• The SFO Service Ports would like to be able to conduct WHTI outreach in Canada, however, at the present; the inability to use a government vehicle for this purpose is a major factor in our inability to conduct outreach.


• The DFO, Seattle, the Blaine Area Port Director and the Assistant Director of Border Security and Facilitation will be traveling more frequently to Vancouver to attend Olympics planning meetings as the date draws near.


• Import Specialists frequently travel to Canada to conduct importer visits, NAFTA verifications and to participate in outreach opportunities with the trade and commercial carriers.  There are a significant number of importers located quite close to the border, and the city of Winnipeg is only 60 miles directly north of the Service Port office.  As a result of such easy access the Import and Entry Specialists often travel for the day to Canada to conduct mission essential business. 

CBP Officers require coverage that meets the legal insurance obligations for those Canadian Provinces which our CBP Officers regularly visit. In addition, the Field Offices need the ability to change vehicles covered as our fleet vehicles are replaced, as well as the ability to add additional vehicles to the policy, if operational requirements dictated.

THE DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES IS HEREBY EXTENDED TO APRIL 24, 2008. THE DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES IS HEREBY EXTENDED TO CLOSE OF BUSINESS, APRIL 28, 2008. THE DUE DATE FOR BIDS IS HEREBY EXTENDED TO CLOSE OF BUSINESS, MAY 9, 2008.

THE DUE DATE FOR BIDS IS HEREBY EXTENDED TO CLOSE OF BUSINESS, MAY 12, 2008. CBP has executed a firm fixed price contract providing coverage that meets the legal insurance obligations for those Canadian Provinces that border the United States, which are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Resurgens Risk Management provided the lowest quote technically acceptable in accordance with the requirements set forth in the solicitation.



All unsuccessful vendors should note that their final base year and option year quote was higher than the Awardee's quote.