ECPS School Safety Communication and Emergency Response Technology RFP.pdf

Edenton-Chowan Public Schools

Request for Proposal

School Safety Communication and Emergency Response Technology

Released on July 6, 2026

School Safety Communication and Emergency Response Technology

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is being released to allow eligible vendors an opportunity to submit a proposal for the School Safety Communication and Emergency Response Technology project.

Edenton-Chowan Public Schools will accept one proposal from each eligible vendor. The submitted proposal must also include experience/qualification and pricing for all hardware, installation and requested services for all Edenton-Chowan Public School locations listed.

Proposals that do not meet the minimum requirements will be rejected without consideration.

Edenton-Chowan Public Schools reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

Request for Proposal Process: Edenton-Chowan PublicSchools expects to undertake the selection process according to the following schedule:

Release of Request For Proposal July 6, 2026 Required Site Visit/Walkthrough starting at District Office (800 N. Oakum Street, Edenton, NC 27932)

July 15, 2026, beginning at 12:00 pm July 16, 2026, beginning at 8:00 am

Questions Due By 12:00 PM – July 29, 2026 Proposals Due By 12:00 PM - August 6, 2026 Vendor Notification for Interview (if necessary) August 10, 2026 Interview Date if necessary August 12, 2026 Anticipated award date August 18, 2026 Installation completion date no later than August 31, 2027

Questions or Comments: Questions must be submittedtohttps://tinyurl.com/5czb57k7.

E-mails and phone calls will not be accepted. Answers to questions, comments, or changes will be posted athttps://tinyurl.com/2z39f978.

Submitting Proposal: Completed proposals must besubmitted, providingtwo copiesin a sealed envelope to:

Edenton-Chowan Public Schools Attn: Aaron Blanchard, Technology Director 800 N. Oakum Street Edenton NC, 27932 Re: Communication and Response Technology

Federal Award Information:

Item Information

Recipient Edenton-Chowan Schools

Awarding Agency U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Program FY25 School Violence Prevention Program

Assistance Listing 16.071 - School Violence Prevention Program

Award Number 15JCOPS-25-GG-01262-SSIX

Page2of11 https://forms.gle/xMPg5PKZfDTdNUgU8 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LHbE3N03HNZvIAqCFsdp0W2ZBKuzHHYLetp38tBZUmo/edit?usp=sharing

The selected firm must understand that all work is contingent upon federal award requirements, availability of funds,Boardapproval,andsuccessfulcontractnegotiation.No costs incurred prior to written authorization by ECPS shall be reimbursable.

Statement of Work:

Edenton-Chowan Public Schools (ECPS) is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide professional services for planning, installation, integration, testing, training, and initial maintenance support for school safety communication and emergency response technology improvements funded through the FY25 COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP).

The selected firm will assist ECPS in implementing technology that improves security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety equipment and emergency communication systems. Proposed solutions must be compatible with ECPS’s existing technology environment at John A. Holmes High School. Although this site is not included in the immediate grant rollout, all proposed solutions for the active project locations must be inherently compatible with it. This ensures a seamless path for future integration, allowing ECPS to easily connect this school and others into a single, cohesive district-wide system at a later date.

Respondents should describe how their proposed system can support future site compatibility, system expansion, interoperability, licensing, network connectivity, user management, alerting, and centralized administration without requiring replacement of the core system being procured through this project.

The project will serve DF Walker Elementary School, White Oak Elementary School, Chowan Middle School, and the Edenton-Chowan Schools District Office. The project is intended to modernize districtwide emergency communication, lockdown notification, intercom, visual alerting, and related network and cabling infrastructure. ECPS seeks a firm with demonstrated experience in K-12 school safety systems, public address and intercom modernization, emergency notification technology, low-voltage installation, structured cabling, school-based technology integration, and compliance with federally funded procurement and implementation requirements.

Specifications:

● Furnish, install, program, integrate, and test approved safety communication equipment, including district-level control center components, visual consoles, PA/intercom/network upgrades, project cabling, speakers, displays, call stations, panic buttons, alarm notification devices, paging horns, and related accessories.

● Coordinate work at DF Walker Elementary School, White Oak Elementary School, Chowan Middle School, and the District Office in a manner that minimizes disruption to school operations.

● Provide commissioning, end-user training, administrative training, system documentation, as-built documentation, warranty information, and maintenance guidance.

● Conduct project kickoff meetings with ECPS leadership, technology staff, facilities staff, school administrators, and law enforcement stakeholders.

● Review existing site conditions and confirm technical requirements for emergency communication, intercom, public address, visual alert, panic/call station, cabling, and network integration components.

● Develop or confirm final system design, installation approach, implementation schedule, equipment submittals, and integration plan for the approved COPS SVPP project scope.

● Provide procurement support documentation needed to confirm cost reasonableness, product compatibility, cooperative purchasing eligibility where applicable, and compliance with federal procurement requirements.

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● Support post-installation troubleshooting and initial maintenance during the warranty or agreed service period.

● Coordinate with ECPS and local emergency response partners as needed to support drill integration, alert testing, and system readiness.

Site Anticipated Project Role

Edenton-Chowan District Office District-level control center and emergency communication coordination infrastructure.

DF Walker Elementary School School-level public address, intercom, visual alert, cabling, panic/call station, and related emergency communication improvements.

White Oak Elementary School School-level public address, intercom, visual alert, cabling, panic/call station, and related emergency communication improvements.

Chowan Middle School School-level public address, intercom, visual alert, cabling, panic/call station, and related emergency communication improvements.

Project Components:

The anticipated project components include, but may not be limited to, the following systems and equipment categories:

Control Center Equipment for District-Wide Emergency Broadband and Mass Communications

District-level emergency control hub, lockdown communication software, server and broadcast licenses, and related workstation components.

Visual Console Systems Administrative visual console packages, alarm modules, relay boards, software, displays, and related devices supporting school-level emergency management.

PA/ITCM/Network Upgrades Public address, intercom, master clock, messaging host, emergency amplification, SIP interface, recording, network switches, patch panels, and rack-mounted system infrastructure.

Project Cabling Structured cabling, J-hooks, Cat6 plenum cabling, shielded plenum cabling, patch cables, and related materials required to connect and power the system.

Speakers and Displays Speakers, message display clocks, wireless clocks, talk-back speakers, surface-mounted boxes, strobes, and visual alert displays.

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Main Office Phone/Console Upgrades Administrative display phones and related phone/console integration for emergency communication.

Emergency Call and Panic Devices Supervised push-to-call stations, volume-controlled call stations, and hardwired panic buttons for real-time emergency reporting.

Alarm Managers and Paging Horns LED strobes, vandal-resistant horns, paging horns, and related alerting devices for visual and audio notification in interior and exterior spaces.

Project Compliance:

The selected firm must perform all work in a manner consistent with the requirements of the FY25 COPS SVPP award, the STOP School Violence Act of 2018, 34 U.S.C. § 10551 et seq., applicable federal regulations, state and local procurement requirements, and ECPS policies.

Respondents should demonstrate familiarity with the following requirements:

● Federal Uniform Guidance procurement standards, including 2 CFR Part 200, as applicable to local educational agencies.

● Full and open competition, cost reasonableness, conflict-of-interest standards, and procurement file documentation.

● Federal debarment and suspension requirements.

● Maintenance of records sufficient to support audit review, federal monitoring, and grant closeout.

● Protection of student privacy, civil rights, and the creation of a safe school climate that does not create a punitive or prison-like atmosphere.

● Compatibility with existing district technology, emergency operations planning, and coordination with law enforcement and first responders.

Cost/Pricing:

ECPS will use the completed Cost/Pricing Proposal Sheet to evaluate cost reasonableness, compare proposals, and support the federal procurement file for the FY25 COPS School Violence Prevention Program.

Respondents must complete the Cost/Pricing Proposal Sheet (Attachment A). Pricing must be itemized and totaled by both site and major cost category, specifically identifying:

● Equipment & materials

● Labor & installation

● Software & licenses

● Training & support

● Recurring costs

● Total

Respondents may utilize eligible, competitively awarded cooperative purchasing contracts permitted under federal procurement standards. If used, respondents must identify these products/services and provide sufficient documentation for ECPS to verify compliance, including:

● Contract number and awarded vendor

● Authorized reseller documentation

● Pricing structure, terms, and conditions

● Confirmation that the procurement was competitively solicited under Federal Uniform

Guidance and COPS grant requirements

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Utilizing a cooperative purchasing mechanism does not waive the respondent’s obligation to demonstrate cost reasonableness and product compatibility, compliance with federal and state procurement regulations, and capacity to perform the work within the project schedule.

Qualification Package Requirements:

Respondents must submit a qualifications package that includes the following information:

● Cover letter signed by an authorized representative of the firm.

● Firm profile, including legal name, office location(s), years in business, ownership structure, and primary contact information.

● Description of experience with K-12 school safety, emergency communication, intercom, public address, visual alert, structured cabling, and low-voltage security systems.

● Project team organization chart, resumes, certifications, and roles of key personnel assigned to this project.

● Relevant project examples, preferably for public school districts or federally funded school safety projects, including scope, project value, timeline, owner contact, and outcomes.

● Description of proposed approach to project design coordination, installation sequencing, training, commissioning, and documentation.

● Description of experience with federal procurement requirements, cooperative purchasing documentation, grant-funded projects, and 2 CFR Part 200 compliance.

● Evidence of licensing, insurance, bonding capacity, manufacturer authorization, reseller authorization, and the ability to perform work in North Carolina.

● Proposed timeline demonstrating ability to support Board approval, procurement, installation, training, and project completion within the federal award period.

● Disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

● References from at least three comparable projects.

Evaluation Criteria:

ECPS will evaluate qualifications packages using criteria that will include the following:

Evaluation Area Points Considerations

Firm Qualifications and Technical Capacity

25 Demonstrated capacity to provide school safety communication systems, intercom/public address modernization, emergency notification technology, visual alert systems, structured cabling, low-voltage installation, integration, training, and support.

Relevant Experience and Past Performance

20 Experience with K-12 school districts, comparable school safety technology projects, emergency communication systems, federally funded projects, successful project completion, references, and prior performance.

Implementation Capacity and Project Approach

20 Ability to complete work across all ECPS sites, manage installation sequencing, minimize disruption to school operations, coordinate testing and training, provide documentation, and complete work within the federal award period.

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Federal Grant Compliance and Documentation Capacity

15 Understanding of COPS SVPP requirements, 2 CFR Part 200 procurement documentation, SAM/debarment requirements, conflict-of-interest disclosure, cooperative purchasing documentation if applicable, records retention, and audit-ready grant files.

Cost Reasonableness and Pricing Documentation Readiness

10 Ability and willingness to provide itemized pricing, unit costs where available, site-level cost detail, warranty and maintenance costs, license/subscription costs, cooperative purchasing documentation if applicable, and other information needed for ECPS to document cost reasonableness before final award. Completeness and clarity of the Cost/Pricing Proposal Sheet; reasonableness of proposed costs by site and component category; separation of base project costs from optional alternates; identification of recurring license, subscription, warranty, and maintenance costs; alignment with the approved COPS SVPP scope; cooperative purchasing documentation if applicable; and overall value to ECPS.

Licensure, Insurance, Certifications, and References

10 Evidence of required licensing, insurance, bonding capacity if applicable, manufacturer or reseller authorization, assigned personnel qualifications, ability to perform work on schedule, and at least three comparable references.

Total 100

Interviews and Selection Process:

ECPS may shortlist firms based on written qualifications and may conduct interviews with selected respondents. ECPS reserves the right to select a firm based solely on written qualifications, conduct interviews, request additional documentation, verify references, negotiate scope and terms with the highest-ranked respondent, or reject any and all submissions if doing so is in the best interest of the district.

Selection under this Request for Proposal does not guarantee award of a contract. Any final agreement is subject to successful negotiation, compliance review, funding availability, and approval by the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education.

Reservation of Rights:

● ECPS reserves the right to accept or reject any or all qualification packages.

● ECPS reserves the right to waive minor irregularities or informalities when doing so is in the best interest of the district.

● ECPS reserves the right to request additional information from any respondent.

● ECPS reserves the right to cancel, amend, or reissue this Request for Proposal.

● All costs incurred by respondents in preparing a submission are the responsibility of the respondent and will not be reimbursed by ECPS.

● All work and purchases are subject to final federal, state, local, and district procurement and grant compliance requirements.

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Required Assurances by Respondent:

By submitting a qualifications package, the respondent certifies that:

● The respondent is able to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and procurement requirements.

● The respondent is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal funds or performing federally funded work.

● The respondent will disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

● The respondent will maintain records necessary for ECPS to support federal monitoring, audit review, and grant closeout.

● The respondent will not begin work or incur reimbursable costs until a written contract or notice to proceed is issued by ECPS.

● The respondent will protect student privacy and avoid any implementation approach that would undermine student civil rights or create a punitive school atmosphere.

● Debarment and Suspension (2 C.F.R. Part 180): Vendors must certify that they (and their principals) are not currently debarred, suspended, or excluded from receiving federal contracts.

● Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352): For bids exceeding $100,000, bidders must certify that they have not used federal funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence federal actions.

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Attachment A: Cost/Pricing Proposal Sheet Respondent Legal Name

Date Submitted

Primary Contact Phone/Email

Cooperative Contract Used, if any

Contract Number

Pricing Valid Through

Total Base Proposal Cost

Site Cost Category Description / Notes Qty Equipment / Materials

Labor / Installation

Software / Licenses

Training / Support

Recurring Costs

Total

District Office District control center Emergency control hub, district-level administration, broadcast/control components, workstations, and related integration.

District Office Software/licensing District-wide communication, lockdown alerting, server, broadcast, I/O interface, administrative access, and licensing costs.

DF Walker Elementary

PA/intercom/network upgrades

Main control assembly, master clock/messaging host, amplifiers, SIP interface, recording, switches, panels, racks, and related infrastructure.

DF Walker Elementary

Cabling and installation materials

Structured cabling, J-hooks, Cat6 plenum cable, shielded cable, patch cables, boxes, mounting materials, and related materials.

DF Walker Elementary

Speakers, displays, and visual alerts

Speakers, message display clocks, integrated strobes, clocks, display devices, mounting hardware, and related components.

DF Walker Elementary

Call stations/ panic/ office console

Emergency call stations, panic/duress devices, main office phones/consoles, alarm managers, paging horns, and related devices.

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White Oak Elementary

PA/intercom/network upgrades

Main control assembly, master clock/messaging host, amplifiers, SIP interface, recording, switches, panels, racks, and related infrastructure.

White Oak Elementary

Cabling and installation materials

Structured cabling, J-hooks, Cat6 plenum cable, shielded cable, patch cables, boxes, mounting materials, and related materials.

White Oak Elementary

Speakers, displays, and visual alerts

Speakers, message display clocks, integrated strobes, clocks, display devices, mounting hardware, and related components.

White Oak Elementary

Call stations / panic / office console

Emergency call stations, panic/duress devices, main office phones/consoles, alarm managers, paging horns, and related devices.

Chowan Middle School

PA/intercom/network upgrades

Main control assembly, master clock/messaging host, amplifiers, SIP interface, recording, switches, panels, racks, and related infrastructure.

Chowan Middle School

Cabling and installation materials

Structured cabling, J-hooks, Cat6 plenum cable, shielded cable, patch cables, boxes, mounting materials, and related materials.

Chowan Middle School

Speakers, displays, and visual alerts

Speakers, message display clocks, integrated strobes, clocks, display devices, mounting hardware, and related components.

Chowan Middle School

Call stations / panic / office console

Emergency call stations, panic/duress devices, main office phones/consoles, alarm managers, paging horns, and related devices.

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All funded sites

Programming, integration, and testing

Programming, configuration, commissioning, system integration, acceptance testing, and verification of full operational readiness.

All funded sites

Training and documentation

End-user training, administrative training, as-built documentation, system documentation, warranty documentation, and closeout materials.

All funded sites

Warranty / initial maintenance

Warranty, initial support, service period, maintenance coverage, response expectations, and any included support costs.

Base Proposal Total

Total of all funded project costs proposed for the approved ECPS COPS SVPP sites.

Respondent Pricing Certification The undersigned certifies that the pricing submitted is complete to the best of the respondent's knowledge, identifies all known recurring costs, and provides sufficient detail for ECPS to evaluate cost reasonableness and federal grant compliance.

Authorized Representative Title

Signature Date

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