NIGP 41558: Refrigerators and Cooling Equipment, Laboratory, Specialized: Explosion-Proof, Ultra-Low Temperature, etc.

NIGP 41558 Refrigerators and Cooling Equipment, Laboratory, Specialized: Explosion-Proof, Ultra-Low Temperature, Etc., an Item code, covers specialized refrigeration and cooling equipment that state and local governments procure for law enforcement evidence storage, correctional health services, public health and forensic laboratories, and water treatment facilities. Recent solicitations show demand for evidence refrigerators and freezers with secure lockers and temperature-monitoring capabilities, medical-grade pharmacy and vaccine refrigeration units with alarm systems and data logging, cooling tower maintenance services at detention facilities, and laboratory gas supply for water quality testing. The issuing bodies span county sheriff departments, city police and forensics operations, state corrections and health agencies, and regional water authorities. The County of Orange, California Sheriff-Coroner issued an IFB in October 2026 for cooling tower maintenance services across detention facilities under a three-year fixed-term contract with mandatory security clearance and emergency response requirements; the Illinois Department of Corrections issued an IFB in May 2026 for 28 countertop medical pharmacy refrigerators with data logging and backup battery capability for statewide correctional facilities; and the City of Austin issued an IFQ in July 2026 for three evidence refrigerators and one freezer with secured non-pass-through lockers for DNA evidence storage at its forensic lab.

Recent activity clusters in California, Illinois, Texas, Florida, and the District of Columbia. The County of Orange, Sheriff-Coroner (California) and the Illinois Department of Corrections represent the most substantial recent buyers, each executing multi-unit or multi-facility procurements with tight delivery deadlines and security or regulatory compliance requirements. A District of Columbia Public Health Lab solicitation posted in July 2026 for laboratory refrigerators and freezers provided no scope detail beyond the deadline. The mix of issuing bodies—county detention systems, state corrections departments, municipal police and forensic labs, and regional water authorities—signals fragmented demand across multiple functional areas rather than concentration at a single agency or jurisdiction type. Set-asides and preferences vary by jurisdiction: the County of Orange applied local small business and disabled veteran certifications; the Illinois Department of Corrections encouraged minority-, women-, disabled-, disadvantaged-, and veteran-owned business participation with a $15 fee per awarded contract supporting minority contractor opportunity initiatives.