Hanscom, Bedford agreement first for Air Force

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Air Force officials here recently announced that Hanscom Air Force Base and the town of Bedford, Mass., have successfully executed the first Air Force intergovernmental support agreement for services with a local municipality using relatively new authorities as part of an Air Force community partnership initiative.

The five-year Blanket Purchase Agreement with Bedford is for the treatment of base roadways before winter storms. The Public-Public Partnership for Proactive Salt Brine Application Services was signed March 9 and will enable Bedford to treat 18 miles of Hanscom priority-one roads for a fee.

"Mutually supportive partnerships like this are an effective way to reduce base operating and service costs," said Thomas J. Schluckebier, Hanscom's base civil engineer. 

The Hanscom Community Partnership program first met early last year as part of an Air Force initiative to partner base leaders with public- and private-sector community leaders to develop strategies to share capabilities and reduce costs or risk by finding collective value.

This current initiative is an agreement between Hanscom AFB and Bedford with authorities outlined in "10 United States Code § 2336." The law allows for a military installation to enter into an agreement with a "state or local government to provide, receive or share installation-support services if the agreement will serve the best interests of the department by enhancing mission effectiveness or creating efficiencies or economies of scale, including by reducing costs."

"The town of Bedford is pleased to partner with Hanscom Air Force Base to provide a cost-effective method for winter snow and ice control," said Rick Reed, Bedford town manager. "Doing so helps extend the purchasing power of our tax dollars."

Schluckebier points out to reach an agreement, many administrative obstacles had to be overcome throughout the past 13 months.

"A lot of work by my team, Contracting, Bedford and the partnership program went into making this a reality," he said. "One reason we were able to achieve this first-ever intergovernmental support agreement is because we chose something relatively simple. We also got absolutely outstanding support and cooperation from Bedford."

First proposed during a community partnership brainstorming session, CE officials nominated the Bedford Department of Public Works salt brine process as a way to more effectively manage snow and ice removal operations on base.

"Salt brine is applied to roadways up to 72 hours before a winter storm as a way to reduce the overall accumulations on pavement," said Schluckebier, who conducted a business case analysis on whether to purchase the in-house capability or contract it to a municipality. "From an economy of scale perspective, developing our own capability versus using theirs was not cost effective to the Air Force."

When a snow event is expected, and if the conditions are favorable for salt brine effectiveness, base civil engineers will contact Bedford officials to treat designated roads and parking lots on base.

"The use of salt brine before a storm is an effective tool for our snow removal team to keep the base operational," said Frank Perry, CE heavy repair chief. "As an example, with storm after storm hitting the region this winter, the use of this product would have enhanced the snow removal process in clearing roads and parking lots."

Schluckebier said that other bases are exploring similar agreements of their own but for services that are a bit more complex. Hanscom AFB is also exploring additional partnering opportunities.