Life Safety Upgrades Project

Forsyth County is requesting proposals on a Life Safety Upgrades Project involving replacement of fire alarm control panels, detectors, and related equipment, with sealed bids due November 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at City Hall in Winston-Salem. Attendance at a mandatory pre-bid conference on October 21, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Forsyth County LEDC is required.

The scope includes replacement of one Notifier NFS62-640 primary fire alarm control panel and 15 additional notifiers, along with 1,363 smoke and heat detectors, 171 horn strobes, and 179 pull stations. All existing equipment has reached end-of-life and requires replacement to maintain building safety. Acceptable manufacturers are Notifier (Honeywell), Simplex, Johnson Controls, Micron, and Fire Alarm, with Notifier specified as the primary manufacturer for panels, detectors, and pull stations.

The contractor must provide one-year warranty on parts and labor, with five-year warranty required on all non-preventive maintenance parts. The contractor assumes responsibility for all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, insurance, disposal of existing equipment, site restoration, as-built documentation, and system testing. Construction duration is 60 calendar days from Notice to Proceed, with liquidated damages of $250 per calendar day for failure to meet the deadline.

A 5% bid guarantee is required; since the project exceeds $300,000, performance and payment bonds equal to 100% of the contract amount are required within 10 days of award. The contractor must maintain workers' compensation insurance per North Carolina statutory limits, commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, and business automobile liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per accident. North Carolina sales and use taxes are excluded from bid price and will be added separately. For projects over $100,000, retainage is limited to 5% per periodic payment until 50% project completion, with no further retainage if performance is satisfactory. Technical questions are due by 2:00 p.m. on October 27, 2026. The anticipated Notice of Award is mid-November 2026, with Notice to Proceed expected in late January.