JC,
I'd say you are on the right path - scrutinize the contract hard, the ones I've heard about so far don't lend themselves to a great deal of utility. While the guy himself may be a great American, the contract may limit him severely. As such, it may effect your decision on how much important stuff you place upon his shoulders.

Contractors in SFA is something we (the USG) have to get a handle on. Clearly we have capacity and capability issues, but if we are going to fill those gaps with contracts, then the contracts have to be written in such a way that it will be done with the same expectation as if we'd put the appropriate uniformed or GS/FS body to the task. This may make it more expensive, but it will be less expensive then getting it right the first time vs. having to go back and do it again in potentially worse conditions. Contractors can do great things, but the key is in the scope of work, contract management and flexibility in the contract itself to meet new conditions not present when the contract was initially written. When you get the contract, bring in a bunch of uniformed professionals who have done the task to help consider its viability and usefulness.

If we don't get this right, we will do more harm then good I think.

Best, Rob