25BA005 Questions Fire Monitoring .xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 31 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Repair Fire Monitoring Solicitation
- Solicitation number
- W50S98-25-B-A005
About this file
This file contains a comprehensive set of questions and clarification requests for a federal fire monitoring repair solicitation issued by the Tennessee Army National Guard. The solicitation (W50S98-25-B-A005) involves replacing fire alarm systems across multiple buildings, with contractors seeking detailed information about project scope, design responsibilities, and technical requirements. Key questions focus on obtaining as-built drawings, confirming building-specific requirements, clarifying design-build responsibilities, and requesting extensions to the bid timeline. Contractors are particularly concerned about the 365-day performance period, which they argue is too aggressive, and are seeking an 18-24 month timeline to accommodate submittal processes, engineering approvals, and phased installations across occupied buildings.
The project involves upgrading fire alarm and mass notification systems in approximately 20-25 buildings, including dormitories, operations centers, and various facility types. Critical technical issues include determining mass notification requirements for specific buildings, confirming existing infrastructure compatibility, establishing central fire alarm receiving systems, and understanding subsystem integration responsibilities. Contractors are requesting additional documentation such as floor plans, device counts, existing system inspection reports, and clarification on code compliance requirements. The government has indicated willingness to extend the bid date to accommodate contractor questions, with the current solicitation suggesting the bid opening will be dynamically adjusted based on question resolution.
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Sheet1
| # | Questions | Answers | |
| 1 | Sheet FA002 indicates buildings 207,405 & 418 as part of the scope but sheet G-002, the drawing list, does not have these listed in the index nor are there plan sheets included with the other sheets. Please provide these sheets if they are to be part of the bid. | ||
| 2 | Sheet FA001, general notes 2,9, 25 & "Mass notification system design criteria" notes 1-8, talks of us doing the project pretty much as a design build project, the plans call to work on the HVAC mechanical systems, fire sprinkler tamper and flow switches, elevators & gas appliances. These are not indicated on the drawings. For us to get quantities for these items we will need asbuilts for all of the buildings ASAP.If asbuilts aren't available we would need to walk each room and roof of each building, if that is the case we would need the bid date pushed out a month. | ||
| 3 | comment; Also I have heard from a handful of fire alarm contractors that 365 days is about a year shorter than what will be needed. I think 730 days for this project is needed and probably still tight. After NTP we can't just start work in the field, the specs mandate that we have to do our own plans, engineering and approvals prior to starting, not work off the bid set drawings, so that is a 4-5 month process before boots on ground. Also we can't do all buildings at once, first we need the central D21 receiving station up and running, (while we demo the couple of buildings that don't get a new system) then we start on a few buildings at a time, these are occupied buildings so some will need careful scheduling and will go slow, ie. dorms, headquarters, 132 Squadron Operations etc. | ||
| 4 | Will the Government please provide a 3-week extension to allow adequate for time to adjust proposals after receiving answers to questions on July 25? | ||
| 5 | Drawings indicate existing conduit, and conductors are to be utilized where possible. This would require the existing FACP’s to be removed before the new FACP is installed and would require as-built drawings to determine pathways of existing conduit. Will the Government please provide all current as-built drawings that annotate the existing infrastructure? | ||
| 6 | According to FA001, general note #11 requires the General Contractor to obtain a printout of the existing fire alarm program to determine any unseen devices. Will the Government please provide a detailed printout of the existing fire alarm system to identify any unseen devices? | ||
| 7 | Some of the drawings indicate text displays are required at all significant exits. Will the Government decide whether the exit text displays are scrolling or unscrolling? | ||
| 8 | Specification 28 31 79, section 1.3.1.b, page 4 indicates Contractor may obtain copies of any as-built fire alarm drawings on record from engineer if available. Will the Government please provide the referenced as-built drawings? | ||
| 9 | Will the Government confirm that there is a clear line of sight between planned antenna locations? | ||
| 10 | Will the Government confirm that all existing conduits are compliant? | ||
| 11 | Will the Government accept proposals that have a 2-year period of performance? | ||
| 12 | Will the Government accept proposals that go beyond a 1-year period of performance? | ||
| 13 | Can we please get copies of the annual inspection and test reports for each building fire alarm system? These should have all fire alarm device counts. | ||
| 14 | Do the drawings show where all duct detectors are required? If not can they please be added? | ||
| 15 | The drawings do not show locations requiring access control maglock override, please add to drawings. | ||
| 16 | Spec page 193 Section 28 31 76 1.3.1 e The building fire alarm mass notification system must capture the building paging - PA system is one is provided. If the existing PA system amp is not compatible with the FMCP for audio output or input it must be capable of being shut down temporarily by the FMCP during announcements. A.The drawings do not show which building require PA sound system override, please provide locations | ||
| 17 | Sheet FA001, General Fire alarm plan Notes item 2 CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL EQUIPMENT, LABOR, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO DESIGN AND PROVIDE A COMPLETE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM REPLACEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE CODES REFERENCED HEREIN FOR EACH BUILDING IN THIS PROJECT. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS REQUIREMENT ARE THE FEW BUILDINGS WHERE THE SYSTEM IS TO BE DEMOLISHED AND NOT REPLACED. A. I want to clarify a concern regarding the assignment of design responsibility. When a full set of engineered drawings and specifications is provided for bidding, it is generally understood that the design responsibility rests with the design professional of record. The note on the drawings (specifically Note 2) appears to place the burden of both design and installation on the contractor. This creates ambiguity, as it conflicts with the typical design-bid-build process where the contractor bids and builds per the engineer’s design, and does not assume design liability unless specifically contracted to provide a design-build service. In this case, if the intent is for the contractor to be responsible for code compliance in terms of coordination and execution—not for the actual system layout or design parameters—then the note may need to be revised for clarity. If, however, the contractor is being asked to provide a performance-based or design-build solution, this should be clearly stated in both the drawings and the contract documents, with roles and responsibilities explicitly defined. For the sake of risk management, project clarity, and fair bidding, I recommend aligning the note with the actual intent of the contract structure. B. Please note, There are several other places in the specifications listed where contractor is listed as responsible for design as well. | ||
| 18 | Drawing FD 100A under scope of work Please show locations where this is required. | ||
| 19 | The specifications in some areas call for existing systems to remain working until new system is functional and approved, but also say limit FA system downtime. Can a list be provided of which building require the system to remain active until the new is in place and approved? And which buildings can be replaced with new and be without fire protection during the replacement? | ||
| 20 | Spec 28 31 76 1.3.2 Qualified Fire Protection Engineer (QFPE) Services of the QFPE must include: Reviewing SD-02, SD-03, and SD-05 submittal packages for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this specification. Construction (shop) drawings and calculations must be prepared by, or prepared under the immediate supervision of, the QFPE. The QFPE must affix their professional engineering stamp with signature to the shop drawings, calculations, and material data sheets, indicating approval prior to submitting the shop drawings to the DFPE. A. Can this be done by a NICET 4 ? Or is a QFPE required? | ||
| 21 | There are buildings that appear in the Technical Exhibit 3 document, but don’t have any supported drawings. Will the Government confirm that the following buildings are in scope? If the buildings are in scope, will the Government please provide As-Built Drawings? | ||
| a. | Bldg. #134 | ||
| b. | Bldg. #207 | ||
| c. | Bldg. #247 | ||
| d. | Bldg. #405 | ||
| e. | Bldg. #418 | ||
| f. | Bldg. #90103 | ||
| 22 | Will the Government confirm it is acceptable to have coordinated downtime during system cutover to reuse existing infrastructure, reduce cost, and streamline the schedule? | ||
| 23 | In the dormitories there are Smoke CO detectors with sounders. Will the Government please confirm these detectors need to be low frequency? | ||
| 24 | Can we get asbuilts for all the buildings being up graded? | ||
| 25 | Request a bid date extension. We need to conduct in each building a review of the existing fire alarm systems to make sure we are getting the correct device counts. | Bid date will be extended-date TBD | |
| 26 | Please confirm if we need to maintain the existing fire alarm system while the new one is being installed. If so we need more time for the overall install for this project. We request a 18 month install. | ||
| Are there any drawings available that show the room names for the following buildings, 90, 100A, 101, 125, 126, 240, 262, 264, 320, 321, 324, 400, 404, 408, 410, 412 & 416? | |||
| Are mechanical as-builts available each building? | |||
| Are there any Fire Alarm or Pre-Action system as-builts for any of the buildings included in this project? | |||
| FA101, Bldg. 101, the scope of work indicates that mass notification is not required, however the drawings are laid out with speaker/strobes and the sequence of operations indicate the system playing a fire alarm and a CO message as if it is mass notification. Does building 101 need to have mass notification or shall it be a standard horn/strobe system? | |||
| The plan provided for Building 125, FA125, appears to not be the correct scale. Can you please confirm if the scale on the provided drawing is correct? If the scale is incorrect, can you please provide a plan that is to the correct scale? | |||
| Can the Site Superintendent, Quality Control Manager (QC) and Safety Manager be the same person, i.e. perform triple hat services? Or, can the QC and Safety Manager be the same person and perform dual hat services? | |||
| Building 240 – There are no LOC’s indicated on provided plans. is this correct or just an oversight and signs need to be placed per UFC requirements? | |||
| Building 242 – Is the entire building classified as explosion proof or is it only the warehouse? | |||
| Building 242 – For clarification, is the existing special fire suppression in the warehouse / hazmat storage room to be locked out and tagged out permanently with no connection to the new fire alarm system? | |||
| Building 242 – Are any LED Mass Notification Text Display Signs necessary in explosion rated area? | |||
| Lisa, Justin, on the FD sheets note #5 calls for reusing conduits and conductors whenever possible to lessen impact to the building. |
I think the only way to do this is to take down the existing system while we are installing the new.
Is this acceptable?
| Is building 100M part of 90100? If not, where is it? | |
| Would it be possible to extend the bid date a couple of weeks to allow for all questions to be answered and additional site visits performed? | Bid date will be extended-date TBD |
| Building 264, the Scope of work and Note-1 call for a MAAP+ fire alarm panel indicating the building does not require mass notification, however, General Note 3 and the NAC devices placed on the drawing scall for speaker/strobes indicating the system should have Mass Notification. Does Building 264 need to have Mass Notification or shall it be a standard horn/strobe system? | |
| Building 323, the Scope of work and Keynote-3 call for a MAAP+ fire alarm panel indicating the building does not require mass notification, however, General Note 3 and the NAC devices placed on the drawing scall for speaker/strobes indicating the system should have Mass Notification. Does Building 323 need to have Mass Notification or shall it be a standard horn/strobe system? | |
| Building 404, FA404 in room 104 and LOC is shown with Keynote 9. There is no Keynote 9 listed on the sheet Keynotes, please clarify what this note is. | |
| Building 412, FA412 – Keynote 4 states to put 177cd strobes in all ADA sleeping areas, can the government provide the quantity of ADA rooms in building 412? | |
| Building 416, FA416 – in room 108 is shown a Keynote 10 symbol, however there is no Keynote 10 listed on the sheet notes. What is Keynote 10? | |
| Bldg. 1812, FA1812 – Sheet Keynote-1 says to provide a MAAP+ fire alarm panel indicating the building does not require Mass Notification, however the drawings and the riser diagram both show speaker/strobes. Please clarify if this building requires Mass Notification or not. | |
| Building 102, FA102, this drawing has spaces indicated as Secure Spaces, but they do not show a Monaco Sub Panel in these spaces as other buildings do. Is it allowable to cross the secure area boundaries in this building with copper / speaker cabling? | |
| The Central receiving system (D-21), please confirm that it will be anticipated to have both Fire Alarm Receiving and Mass Notification functions integrated? | |
| During the site visit, it was discussed where the primary and backup central receiving system will be installed. Please confirm if the installation locations are going to be IAW the project specification for the primary at building 124 (1.2.1 (b)), and the backup still planned to be building 132 (1.2.1 (f)). This would be consistent as it would provide building 132 access to the Mass Notification features of the system. | |
| If the backup receiving system is to be installed in building 132, please confirm installation location(s) within that building. | |
| The training time for maintenance personnel seems to be covered under both 3.6.1 and 3.11.2. Please confirm if this can be combined into one set of training? Or if these are for different personnel to be trained? | |
| Will the government require the contractor to follow UFC guidelines? | |
| Will the government require NICET certified technicians to complete the installation to adhere to UFC guidelines? | |
| Will the government’s maintenance contractor or personnel be responsible for tying in any subsystems connected to the fire alarm systems? (i.e. HVAC, Security, Sound Systems, Access Control, Giant Voice, Sprinkler, Special Hazard, etc.) This would alleviate any concerns about subsystem warranties and liability. | |
| If the contractor will be responsible for system tie in, can the government provide a list of subsystems per building that will need to be tied into the fire alarm? | |
| Will the facilities need to be brought up to current code requirements? | |
| Will the facilities need to have mass notification installed? | |
| In order to provide an accurate bid package, contractors will need to have drawings of the current fire alarm installation. Can the government provide drawings? | |
| If no drawings are available, can the government provide CADD drawings of the building floor plans? | |
| Can the most current FULL fire alarm inspection report be provided for each building? The reports should have counts of the devices on each fire alarm. | |
| During the site visit it was mentioned that a secondary site visit would be scheduled for contractors to conduct a more detailed inspection of the buildings. Can the government provide a date and time for the next site visit? | |
| During the site visit, multiple trouble conditions were noted on the fire alarm systems. Will the trouble conditions be rectified prior to the installation of the new systems? If we are to utilize existing circuits and/or devices, this would add to the cost to troubleshoot and repair. | |
| Will there be any locations that will need fiber connections? | |
| Will connecting to ADHOC be required? | |
| If connection to ADHOC is required will the contractor be responsible for the tie-in or will the ADHOC maintenance contractor be responsible? | |
| Are there any SCIFs that will need to have devices installed in? | |
| If there are SCIF’s, can the government provide the locations and number of fire alarm devices in each (including initiating and notification devices)? | |
| Currently the conduit is not painted red for the fire alarm. Will the government require any new conduit to be painted red in color? | |
| The solicitation states a period of performance of 365 days. This is extremely aggressive. The submittal process and material lead time could be as much as 6 months. Can the government agree to an alternate period of performance of 18-24 months? | |
| The due date is 6 days after the submission of the questions for clarification. This does not give the contractor enough time to dissect the answers once the government has posted the responses. Can the government provide a 3-week extension to the due date once the responses to all the questions are posted? This will give the contractors time to provide a more competitive bid package and time to mail the package in. |
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