36C25925Q0740 Responses to Questions.docx
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- Solicitation number
- 36C25925Q0740
About this file
This is a Questions and Responses document for Solicitation 36C25925Q0740, addressing clarifications regarding fire alarm and fire suppression systems monitoring, inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair (MITMR) services at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. The document resolves 43 substantive questions spanning facility scope, testing frequencies, device quantities, monitoring requirements, contractor responsibilities, and pricing guidance.
Key clarifications include: the contract covers 29 buildings (excluding future Building 49 but including condemned Building 45), with 17 accounts requiring active monitoring as of contract start; annual testing of supervisory devices occurs in the third quarter, while sprinkler main drain tests are conducted quarterly (all buildings are fed through backflow preventers); the government furnishes existing monitoring accounts and covers phone bills for copper lines, but contractors establishing new accounts for different monitoring services assume those costs; device quantities for non-Joint Commission buildings must be determined by the contractor; the six-year fire damper test (last conducted in 2022) will be reset and performed in the base year with costs distributed across CLINs 0007-4007; standpipe flow tests and sprinkler internal obstruction investigations are within scope for 2030; contractors must furnish lifts and high-access equipment, create ceiling/wall access for damper testing, provide fire watch during impairments, maintain their own Siemens programming licenses, and respond to emergencies within four hours during business hours and two hours after-hours (on-site); the government furnishes existing CAD drawings and will sponsor PIV credentialing for subcontractor technicians; and separate contracts will fund system modernization work beyond the base inspection and maintenance services.
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Questions and Responses to Solicitation 36C25925Q0740
1. SOW paragraph 3.1.3.1, EC 02.03.05 EP 1, of the Statement of Work states that the annual testing target for other supervisory initiating devices “will be third quarter of each calendar year,” while the previously issued answers state that annual inspections are due in January of each year and the prior Statement of Work stated January. Which annual testing window governs?
1. Response: The current SOW – third quarter of each calendar year.
1. SOW paragraph 3.1.3.1, EC 02.03.05 EP 9, requires sprinkler main drain tests annually, or quarterly where the sole water source is through a backflow preventer. Which buildings are supplied solely through a backflow preventer and therefore require quarterly main drain testing?
Response: All buildings are fed through back flows. The requirement is quarterly.
1. The Statement of Work states that services are required “for (26) twenty-six campus buildings” and describes the facility as “3 patient care buildings and 23 support buildings,” but the building table in that same document contains twenty-nine numbered rows. How many buildings shall the offeror price?
Response: Twenty-nine
1. In the building table, Building 49 (Police) is annotated “(*future)” with asterisked entries under Fire Alarm, Fire Suppression, and FACP. Will the Government confirm whether Building 49 is to be included in the base year price or excluded from the priced scope? Response: Excluded
1. In the building table, Building 45 (Research) is annotated “(condemned)” yet is shown with both Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression coverage. Will the Government confirm whether Building 45 is included in the priced inspection, testing, and maintenance scope?
Response: Included at this time.
1. Buildings 35 and 37 appear in the building table with Fire Alarm coverage but no FACP. Will the Government identify the fire alarm control panel to which the devices in Buildings 35 and 37 report?
Response: These are local alarms only. They are not currently tied into the redundant loops. There are not currently plans to tie them in either.
1. Building 18 (Emergency Management) is annotated “X – stand alone” under Fire Alarm in the building table. Will the Government confirm whether the Building 18 system is included in the twenty-four hour monitoring required under CLIN 0001?
Response: It is not.
1. Buildings 45, 47, and 48 appear in the building table with Fire Suppression coverage but no FACP. Will the Government identify how the waterflow and valve tamper devices in those buildings are monitored?
Response: Building 45 is tied to building 2 FACP; building 47 is tied to building 3 FACP; and building 48 is tied to building 14 FACP.
1. The Monitoring paragraph of SOW Section 3.1 requires monitoring of “a minimum of seventeen (17) individual accounts,” and the building table shows exactly seventeen buildings with a FACP, one of which is the “future” Building 49. How many accounts require active monitoring as of the contract start date?
Response: Seventeen
1. Will the Government confirm whether the existing monitoring communicators, transmitters, and communication pathways at each building are Government-furnished, or whether the contractor is required to furnish that equipment under CLIN 0001?
Response: The government has some spares on hand; however, if a device fails, the vendor will acquire replacements at the government’s expense as part of the contract.
1. Will the Government confirm whether the recurring cellular, IP, or telephone line charges supporting the monitoring pathways are Government-furnished, or whether they are to be included in the offeror’s CLIN 0001 monthly price?
Response: The government covers the phone bills for the existing copper lines.
1. Will the Government confirm whether the existing monitoring accounts will be transferred to the awarded contractor, or whether the awarded contractor must establish new accounts at the start of performance?
Response: The existing monitoring accounts are through the existing vendor’s monitoring service. If the awarded contractor utilizes a different monitoring service, they will need to establish new accounts.
1. The Statement of Work cites the TJC Equipment Summary List as providing “complete listings,” but that attachment contains quantities only for Buildings 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 14. Will the Government provide device quantities for the remaining buildings included in the requirement?
Response: The listed buildings are the only ones that are subject to Joint Commission. The awarded contractor will need to determine quantities for the remaining buildings.
1. On the EC.02.03.05 EP3 tab of the TJC Equipment Summary List, Building 3 and Building 5 are shown with identical quantities of 17 heat detectors, 24 manual pull stations, 102 system smoke detectors, and 13 supervisory smoke detectors. Will the Government provide the corrected device quantities for Building 3 and Building 5?
Response: Yes
1. Duct detectors are listed as a required device type in the Statement of Work, and the EC.02.03.05 EP3 tab is titled to include them, but no duct detector quantity appears anywhere in the TJC Equipment Summary List. Will the Government provide the duct detector quantity by building? Josh are you able to respond to this one?
1. Fire alarm control panels are listed as a required device type in the Statement of Work but no panel quantities appear in the TJC Equipment Summary List. Will the Government provide a list of fire alarm control panels by building, including make and model?
Response: Was asked and answered in the first Q&A.
1. Sprinklers are listed as a required device type in the Statement of Work but no sprinkler quantity appears in the TJC Equipment Summary List. Will the Government provide the sprinkler quantity by building?
Response: Was asked and answered in the first Q&A.
1. Dry systems and pre-action systems are listed as required device types in the Statement of Work, and the EC.02.03.05 EP9 tab of the TJC Equipment Summary List identifies only wet sprinkler systems. Will the Government provide the quantity and location of all dry and pre-action systems?
Response: We currently only have wet systems. There is one dry type system and it is the exterior covered section of Building 8.
1. The EC.02.03.05 EP12 tab of the TJC Equipment Summary List identifies the buildings tested but provides no quantities. Will the Government provide the number of standpipe risers and hose valves by building?
Response: Building 14 has one. Building 1 has three.
1. The previously issued answers state that there are “two each” kitchen hoods in Buildings 5 and 8, while the EC.02.03.05 EP13 tab of the TJC Equipment Summary List identifies one system in Building 5 and two systems in Building 8. Will the Government provide the correct number of kitchen hood suppression systems by building?
Response: Building 5 has one, building 8 has two.
1. The VA SLCHCS Fire and Smoke Damper List contains dampers only for Buildings 1, 3, and 14. Will the Government provide a damper inventory for the remaining buildings included in this requirement?
Response: A current inventory is not avaible at this time
1. The “Inspection Testing Maintenance and Repair (Fire Alarm System)” paragraph Statement of Work states that “all fire dampers shall be physically tested”, SOW paragraph 3.1.3.1, EC 02.03.05 EP 18, establishes a six-year frequency. What contract year are they due?
Response: We would like to reset the frequency of testing and do them in the base year. The last time dampers were tested was 2022 and the data is very poor. Additionally, we have added a few dampers in that time (due for the 1 year after install date) and so we would like them to all be on the same frequency.
1. The Price/Cost Schedule contains no line item for the six-year damper test. Under which CLIN shall the offeror price the six-year damper test?
Response: Since it is a six-year test and maybe adjust to set all test for the same year, this can be billed under CLINS, 0007, 1007,2007,3007 and 4007
1. The previously issued answers state that dampers in the new Interventional Radiology and Emergency Department suites are due in 2026, which precedes the November 1, 2026 contract start date. Will the Government confirm whether those dampers will be tested before this contract starts or whether that testing becomes the awarded contractor’s responsibility?
Response: The dampers should be covered under the current bridge contract.
1. The Statement of Work requires testing of damper “motor, linkage, and dampers,” while the attached damper list identifies 459 of 460 dampers as static fire dampers without motors. Will the Government provide the quantity of motorized, dynamic, or combination fire and smoke dampers included in this requirement?
Response: See attachment. Building Fire Damper locations for 1, 14, 3. Drawings do not discriminate between fire damper type.
26. Will the Government confirm whether the contractor or the Government is responsible for creating and restoring ceiling, wall, and ductwork access required to physically test dampers?
Response: Contractor
27. The Price/Cost Schedule contains no line item for the five-year standpipe flow test, which the previously issued answers stated next in approximately September 2030. Under which CLIN shall the offeror price the five-year standpipe flow test?
Response: CLINs 0007,1007,2007,3007,4007
28. SOW Section 2 requires performance in accordance with NFPA 25, which requires a five-year internal obstruction investigation of sprinkler piping. Will the Government confirm whether the five-year internal obstruction investigation is within the priced scope of this requirement and which year is this to be performed?
Response: Compliance with NFPA 25 requirements is within scope. 2030
29. NFPA 25 requires weekly or monthly no-flow (churn) testing of fire pumps, but the Price/Cost Schedule provides only quarterly, semi-annual, and annual testing line items. Will the Government confirm whether weekly or monthly fire pump no-flow testing is the contractor’s responsibility and will a separate line item be created to provide pricing? Response: Weekly/monthly churn tests are conducted in-house by the VA.
30. The Price/Cost Schedule contains no line item for as-built drawings or Fire Protection Engineer review. Under which CLIN shall the offeror price the as-built drawing deliverable?
Response: No new built-in drawing have to be provided.
31. Will the Government furnish the existing facility CAD drawings to the awarded contractor as Government-furnished information?
Response: Yes
32. SOW Section 2 requires the contractor to identify obsolete fire panels and devices and to quote their modernization. Will the Government confirm that all such modernization work is performed only under separately funded contract modifications?
Response: There will be a separate contract for system modernization.
33. SOW Section 2 identifies a Main Desigo Server and a Fire System Server, including programming, software, and licensing, among the known upgrades. Will the Government confirm whether those server upgrades are intended to be funded from the annual CLIN 0007 allowance or by separate modification?
Response: There will be a separate contract for system modernization.
34. Will the Government confirm whether the hourly rates offered under CLINs 0005 and 0006 are to include travel time to and from the facility, or is travel time separately billable?
Response: Government will not pay for travel.
35. Will the Government confirm whether a single blended hourly rate is required under CLINs 0005 and 0006, or whether separate rates may be proposed by labor category (Sprinkler technician vs Fire Alarm Technician)?
Response: One rate per CLIN.
36. Will the Government sponsor PIV credentialing for subcontractor technicians performing work under this contract?
Response: Yes
37. The Unscheduled Maintenance paragraph of the Statement of Work establishes a two-hour response time for after-hours emergency calls but establishes no response time for an emergency occurring during normal business hours. What response time applies to an emergency occurring between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday?
Response: Four hours
38. Will the Government confirm whether the two-hour after-hours response requirement is satisfied by telephone acknowledgment or requires physical arrival on site?
Response: On-site
39. The Statement of Work lists kitchen hoods among the devices requiring inspection, testing, and maintenance, and the previously issued answers state that the hoods in Buildings 5 and 8 “need to be cleaned and inspected twice a year.” Will the Government confirm whether NFPA 96 kitchen exhaust hood and duct cleaning is within the priced scope of this requirement? Cleaning is required quarterly, while the suppression system inspection and testing is required semi-annually.
Response: Compliance with NFPA 96 is within scope.
40. Will the Government confirm whether the contractor or the Government is responsible for providing fire watch during system impairments caused by scheduled inspection and testing?
Response: The contractor.
41. Will the Government confirm whether lifts, scaffolding, or other high-access equipment required to reach devices at height are Government-furnished, or whether the contractor must furnish them?
Response: Contractor furnished.
42. The Statement of Work requires software upgrades to be performed using the Password of the Day controlled by VA Salt Lake City. Will the Government confirm whether the contractor must hold its own Siemens programming software license, or whether Government-furnished software access will be provided?
Response: The contractor must hold its own Siemens programming license.
43. Will the Government confirm the current Siemens Desigo and Cerberus software version in service at VA Salt Lake City as of the Amendment 0004 issuance?
Response: Panels which are 14.1 or higher, Desigo
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