J and A - Simplex Fire Alarm - Redacted.pdf

Control No: 24-19

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

UL 864 listed Simplex-JCI Fire Alarm System (FAS) Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC), Gen. Greene Ave.

Natick, MA

W912WJ24B0012

1. Contracting Agency:

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

2. Description of Action:

This Justification and Approval (J&A) supports the use of brand name components in an upcoming construction project. The Government will not purchase the components directly, but rather will require that offerors include purchase of materials and labor from Simplex (a subsidiary of Johnson Controls Inc �JCI�) as part of bids submitted in response to a design-bid-build solicitation that will lead to the award of a new firm-fixed-price (FFP) design-bid-build construction contract. Simplex parts are required to extend the existing fire alarm system into the area of work under this contract, and Simplex technicians will be required to reprogram the existing fire alarm control panel. This project is for the Construction of an Unaccompanied Enlisted Housing and Administrative Facility, Building 15 South Wing, located at the Natick Soldier System Center (NSSC), General Greene Ave., Natick, MA. The funding for this acquisition will be Military Construction (MILCON). The construction contract for the new Building 15 South Wing will be a firm-fixed price, Invitation for Bid (IFB) procurement in accordance with FAR Part 14.

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The requiring activity for this project is Natick Soldier Systems Center located at Natick, Massachusetts.

The requirement for this project is an expansion to the existing Simplex 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. In order for a complete and useable fire alarm and mass notification system, which is required by the aforementioned Codes for this Facility, fire alarm devices and appliances to be installed within the area of work under this contract must be able to communicate with the existing fire alarm control panel. That existing fire alarm control panel is a 4100ES, manufactured by Simplex, and it is to remain in use. All fire alarm systems utilize proprietary communications protocols. Devices (such as a smoke detector) that are not manufactured by Simplex cannot communicate to a Simplex panel. In order for the system to operate as intended, all new devices must be compatible with the existing fire alarm control panel.

The estimated cost to furnish and install the requested brand-name requirements for the Building 15 South Wing at the NSSC is estimated at This contract is expected to be awarded in FY 2024 with construction completed in FY 2026.

4. Authority Cited

10 U.S.C. § 3204(a)(1), 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: Building 15 has an existing Simplex 4100ES fire alarm control panel. All new equipment and devices connected to the existing Simplex 4100ES system are required to be listed with the fire alarm system. This means the equipment and devices are required to pass a product test standard to demonstrate to demonstrate that specific performance requirements have been met. This means the devices have to be tested with fire alarm system. The base utilizes an underground fiber fire alarm network to report fire alarm signals to supervising station. The fire alarm system is required to be listed with this system.

Building 15 is required by Code to have a fully functional fire alarm and mass notification system. This system must be capable of detecting the presence of smoke or heat and, upon detection, alert building occupants to begin evacuation of the building while simultaneously alerting the fire department. These systems are required for all buildings of this type and size, but are particularly important in buildings such as this � a Barracks � where occupants may be sleeping during a fire emergency. In order for this system to meet the rigorous requirements of Code, the contract must include the provision of smoke detectors, manual pull stations, duct smoke detectors, waterflow switches, tamper switches, and other such devices. The contract must also include appliances such as strobes and speakers capable of broadcasting the audible voice message throughout the entire building instructing occupants to evacuate.

b. Justification. This project requires the extension of an existing system, and therefore the new materials must be compatible with the existing system. This contract requires the extension of the existing system into the South Wing, the area of work under this Contract.

All fire alarm systems are proprietary. All new equipment and devices connected to the existing Simplex 41000ES system are required to be listed with the fire alarm system. This means the equipment and devices are required to pass a product test standard to demonstrate that specific performance requirements have been met. This means only devices and equipment that have been tested with fire alarm system are allowed to 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. Most of the materials and work to extend this fire alarm system will be performed by the electrical subcontractor, which will be openly competed. Only the devices, appliances, and the programming must be purchased from Simplex. The electrical contractor will install all conduit, raceways, and wiring. The electrical subcontractor will purchase the devices (e.g. smoke detectors, pull stations, etc.)

and appliances (speakers, strobes, text signs) from Simplex, but will self-perform the installation. Once the installation is complete, the Simplex technician will re-program the existing fire alarm panel to accept all the new devices installed under this project, and to function with all of the new appliances. In order for these devices and appliances to function and communicate with the existing fire alarm control panel, they must be provided by the same manufacturer. All new equipment and devices connected to the existing Simplex 41000ES system are required to be listed with the fire alarm system. This means the equipment and devices are required to pass a product test standard to demonstrate that specific performance requirements have been met. Additionally, unlike many other companies, Simplex-JCI does not permit other companies to reprogram their fire alarm control panels. Only technicians currently employed by Simplex-JCI will have access to the passwords required for the reprogramming. The panel must be reprogrammed to accept the new devices and appliances provided under this contract, and Simplex must be contracted for this service.

c. Alternatives. Successful completion of this project cannot be achieved without the specification of these brand name items and services. Alternative products/services are not available that are compatible with the existing fire alarm control panel. Unlike the mechanical controls industry, the fire alarm industry has so far not been pressured to develop non-proprietary or open-source communications protocols and hardware.

Two alternatives were considered. One would be to demolish the entire existing fire alarm system and build a new one to cover not only our 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 sprinkler 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 were two separate fire alarm systems in one building, it is required to make them communicate to each other � and this would, again, require materials and labor provided by Simplex to install the require monitor and control modules that would enable this communication. Additionally, this course of action would introduce an unnecessary level of complexity to the system that might degrade its reliability.

d. Impact. If we do not use the brand name of these items it may give the false impression to the Contractor that they could openly compete this work among many fire alarm vendors, none of whom could extend this system other than Simplex.

Without a fully functional and contiguous fire alarm system in this building, the Government would fail to comply with Code and the occupants of this Barracks would inherit a level of risk to life safety that is unacceptable. Additionally, without a fully functional fire alarm system, the Fire Department may not be notified upon detection of the fire, which will result in a significant delay to their response time during an emergency.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

The intent to sole source the brand name product was published as required by FAR 5.201, on the Government�s System for Award Management website SAM.gov. No responses were received. As stated in paragraph 5 above, the Simplex-JCI Fire Alarm System (FAS) is the only vendor available to ensure compatibility and interoperability with the existing fire alarm system on the Natick campus. The brand name justification and approval will be posted with the solicitation.

d. Actions to Increase Competition:

This J&A is for a brand name product to be supplied in the construction of the Unaccompanied Enlisted Housing and Administrative Facility, Building 15 South Wing. If another potential source emerges, the government will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible. The Simplex-JCI Fire Alarm System (FAS) is available on the open market for purchase by all bidders.

The New England District has been working with Natick SSC to increase competition in fire alarm work for future projects. It has provided technical support to a Department of Public Works Contract, which is currently in construction, to build a new fire alarm signal transmission/receiving system that will no longer rely on products from one manufacturer to communicate to the fire department. Once this project is concluded, future fire alarm work to replace individual building fire alarm systems need not be restricted to Simplex. This increased competition is desired by both the New England District and the requiring authority.

e. Market Research:

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to determine sources for this system was synopsized on October, 13 2023.

The NOI was published for the required 15 days on the SAM.gov website. There were no responses to the NOI.

Decisions leading to this restriction in competition were made collaboratively and with the assistance of subject matter experts with CENAB Fire Protection Regional Center of Expertise (RCX).

The RCX concurred with the designer�s proposal to extend this system as being the best alternative from a technical standpoint, and they assisted with revisions to this document.

The uniquely strict proprietary nature of Simplex fire alarm equipment is well known to the fire protection industry at large, and well understood by our designer and our in-house fire protection