JA 03 - Fire Alarm System (Redacted).pdf

CUI/SP-PROCURE//FED ONLY Control No. 25-14

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Johnson Controls Inc. Fire Alarm System Components Power Generation Microgrid, Cape Cod Space Force Station (CCSFS), Bourne, MA Solicitation No. W912WJ26RA003

1. Contracting Activity:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New England District (NAE) 696 Virginia Road Concord, MA 01742

2. Description of Action:

Approval is requested for use of brand name items in an upcoming acquisition. The requested item is the Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) fire alarm system.

This project is a Cape Cod Space Force Station (CCSFS) requirement for continued operation. USACE is the servicing agency authorized under the Chiefs Economy Act, 10 U.S.C. § 3036, and thus responsible for the acquisition and administration of a new construction contract to construct a microgrid intended to replace the aging power generation plant and associated infrastructure with all new electrical systems and backup power assets at the Cape Cod Space Force Station in Bourne, MA. This Justification and Approval (J&A) covers only the portion of the acquisition which is brand-name or particular to one manufacturer. The use of such brand name description is essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company. The brand-name item will be MILCON funded.

This J&A supports the use of brand name components in an upcoming firm-fixed-price construction project funded with procurement appropriations. The Government will not purchase the components directly but rather will require that offerors include the provision and installation of these brand name components as part of proposals submitted in response to a competitive solicitation that will lead to the award of a new construction contract.

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The requirement is an expansion to the existing Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) fire alarm system to provide coverage to the area of work under this contract and to meet code requirements established in Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-600-01 Fire Protection Engineering for Facilities and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72 Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. The estimated cost of the requested brand-name requirement for the fire alarm components for the CCSFS Power Generation Microgrid project is

. This will be a one-time purchase.

The planned acquisition strategy for the construction contract will be an unrestricted, Best Value Trade-off solicitation, competed under FAR Part 15. The contract for this procurement is expected to be awarded in FY2026 with construction completed in FY2030, with a total estimated construction cost of

4. Authority Cited:

10 U.S.C. § 3204(a)(1), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(c), Application for Brand Name Descriptions. In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c), the Contracting Officer will specify that all offerors be required to procure only the cited brand-name product.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

a. Background:

In order for a complete and useable fire alarm, which is required by the Codes for this facility, the fire alarm equipment and devices to be installed within the area of work under this contract must be able to communicate with the existing fire alarm control panel and fire alarm reporting system. The existing fire alarm control panels located in Buildings 2 and 4 are JCI IFC-640, manufactured by JCI, and they will remain in use. The existing JCI system utilizes proprietary communications protocols. In order for the system to operate as intended, the new Fire Alarm Control Unit, Net Work Communication Modules, pull stations, smoke detectors, motioning modules, control modules, and relay modules must be compatible with the existing fire alarm control panels and are required to meet UFC and military standards.

b. Justification:

This project requires the connection and extension of an existing system, and therefore the new materials must be compatible with the existing system. The existing JCI fire alarm system is proprietary. All new equipment connected to the existing JCI system is required to be “listed with” the fire alarm system, meaning the equipment and devices are required to pass a product test standard to demonstrate that specific performance requirements have been met. Only devices and equipment that have been tested with the fire alarm system are allowed to be utilized.

In order for a fire alarm control panel to “talk to” or communicate with a smoke detector or pull station, they must speak the same language. This “language” is the communication protocol. The panel communicates to every single device in the system multiple times per minute, asking for status updates. This is called “polling.”

The communication, in other words, is two-way. The panel polls each device at regular intervals and each device answers back. If a device detects a fire, it sends a special message and then the panel initiates all the appliances (speakers and strobes) throughout the building and signals the fire department.

All components must be purchased from JCI. The contractor will be required to purchase the equipment and devices from JCI to include Fire Alarm Control Unit and Network Communication Modules, smoke detectors, pull stations, and relay, controls, & monitor modules. Once the installation is complete, a JCI technician will re-program the existing fire alarm panel to accept all the new devices installed under this project to function with all the new appliances. In order for the equipment and devices to function and communicate with the existing fire alarm control panel, they must be provided by the same manufacturer.

JCI does not permit other companies to reprogram its fire alarm control panels. Only technicians currently employed by JCI will have access to the passwords required for the reprogramming. The panel must be reprogrammed to accept the new equipment and devices provided under this contract and JCI must be contracted for this service.

For the reasons stated above, FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), Only One Responsible Source, is the appropriate authority for this procurement with application of FAR 6.302-1(c)(1), Application for brand-name descriptions, as only JCI’s fire alarm system will meet the Government's requirements.

c. Alternatives:

There is no viable alternative that meet the complex mission requirements.

As described above, alternative products are not available that are compatible with the existing fire alarm control panel. Two alternatives were considered. One would be to demolish the entire existing fire alarm system and build a new one to cover not only this contract’s area of work but the entire building. This would be unnecessarily costly and would require the demolition of existing equipment that was recently installed and currently in good working order. This alternative could double the cost of the fire alarm work.

The second alternative would be to construct a stand-alone fire alarm system that only provides coverage within the area of work. This would violate Code because if a fire were detected, only the occupants located in that wing would be notified, while Code requires that we alert all building occupants so that they may evacuate the building safely. If there are two separate fire alarm systems in one building, it is required to make them communicate to each other. Additionally, this course of action would introduce an unnecessary level of complexity to the system that might degrade its reliability.

d. Impact:

If the J&A is not approved, the new fire detection and alarm equipment for the existing facility will not be connected to the existing fire detection and alarm system.

This outcome is not acceptable as it would compromise the ability for the fire station to monitor and respond to emergencies. If the J&A is not approved, the safety of the people in the building will be at risk. During an emergency, any delays, confusion, or inefficiencies in receiving or monitoring the fire alarms may result in injury and loss of life.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

a. Effective Competition: A sources sought notice for the entire contract work was posted to SAM.gov on 03 October 2024. Fourteen (14) contractors responded to the notice. Seven responses came from small businesses and five came from Joint Venture teams with large business support. Based on these responses, the NAE evaluation team determined that adequate competition existed and that unrestricted competition using a best-value trade-off process was appropriate for this solicitation. It was determined that no small business respondent had the capability and bonding capacity to meet the contract requirements.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to sole source these items to determine potential sources for this system was posted on 12 June 2025. The NOI was published for the required 15 days on the SAM.gov website. No responses were received.

b. Subcontracting Competition: Subcontracting opportunities for this fire detection and alarm equipment will be limited since the Prime Contractor is expected to order the products directly from the manufacturer and coordinate delivery to the work site. However, it is expected there are other areas of work that allow ample competitive subcontracting opportunities.

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

Based on the information in the above paragraphs, increasing competition for this action is not feasible. The brand-name requirement for this system does not preclude a wide range of contractors from submitting a proposal on this procurement.

8. Market Research:

Market research was conducted in May 2025 upon completion of the 65% design submittal and it was confirmed that no other fire alarm equipment and devices would meet the project requirements. The Project Delivery Team performed market research, screening available technologies, vendor options, and system compatibility to find solutions that may potentially integrate with the existing fire alarm system. The review concluded that no other alternatives are available, and only the existing fire alarm system manufacturer can be used to ensure proper operation and reliably. The market research determined that Johnson Controls, Inc. is the only brand available to ensure continuity and safety throughout the work area at Cape Cod Space Force Station. See Section 9 (Interested Sources).

9. Interested Sources:

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to determine sources for this system was posted on 12 June 2025. The NOI was published for the required 15 days on the SAM.gov website. There were no responses to the NOI.

This Justification and Approval will be sent with the solicitation.

10. Other Facts: