Public_Notice_Mandatory_Pre_Bid_Conference_030-MJ-0225.pdf

This is a public notice of a mandatory pre-bid conference issued by the School Board of Polk County, Florida for RFP #030-MJ-0225, Fire Alarm System Inspection Testing Certification Term Contract. The District is soliciting bids for annual inspection, testing, and certification services for locally monitored non-coded fire alarm systems across 134 district sites, comprising 91 elementary schools, 25 middle schools, 18 high schools, and 14 educational support buildings. The mandatory pre-bid conference was held on December 2, 2024, at 9:00 AM (ET) at the PCPS Purchasing Conference Room, 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow, FL 33830, with remote participation available via Microsoft Teams. Bid submissions were due on December 13, 2024, at 1:00 PM. The initial contract term runs from March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026, with four potential one-year renewal options. The contractor must provide all necessary supervision, labor, materials, supplies, tools, ladders, and test equipment to guarantee 100% compliance with NFPA 72 requirements, with all costs including travel expenses included in the bid submission.

Seven vendors submitted proposals, with pricing ranging from $168,600 to $615,220 and an estimated annual contract value of $210,000. Bidders were required to possess a current Florida electrical contractor license and provide proof of insurance with specified liability limits. The contract was recommended for award to Expert Security Professionals as the primary contractor and Heatwave Fire and Safety LLC as the secondary contractor. The award recommendation was scheduled for presentation to the Superintendent on December 20, 2024, following a public posting period from December 17, 2024, at 4:00 PM through December 20, 2024, at 4:00 PM. Contractors must demonstrate experience with similar fire alarm system inspection projects through detailed references and comply with all NFPA 72 requirements for the existing fire alarm infrastructure, which includes systems from manufacturers such as Notifier, NFS-320, NFS2-640, and FireLite with various monitoring types including local notifiers and dialer alarms.