Purchase of new smoke / carbon monoxide alarms

The Town of Manchester, Office of the Fire Marshal, is seeking bids for ITB #23/24-51 to procure 300 new combination smoke and carbon monoxide battery-powered alarms for local safety initiatives. The procurement specifically requires 10-year sealed battery devices with photoelectric smoke sensors and carbon monoxide sensors, which must be listed by a United States testing company such as UL, FM, or ETL. The bid was released on December 14, 2023, with questions accepted until January 8, 2024, and a final response deadline of January 11, 2024, at 11:00 am. Vendors must submit bids electronically through the Town of Manchester's OpenGov procurement portal, with bids to be opened virtually via a Zoom meeting. Bidders are required to provide their System for Award Management (SAM) registration number and comply with federal and state safety standards, with the Town reserving the right to purchase additional quantities at the bid price for one year after the initial procurement.

The procurement appears to have specific compliance requirements, including a Living Wage Certification form that mandates vendors certify their status as a "Covered Employer" under the Manchester Living Wage Ordinance. Potential bidders may be exempt if they are nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status, employers with fewer than 25 eligible employees, or if the contract value is less than $25,000. The procurement is supported by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which may introduce additional compliance requirements. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the procurement involves 300 alarm units, suggesting a modest but potentially strategic municipal investment in public safety infrastructure. The Town maintains flexibility in the bidding process, explicitly reserving the right to reject any bid and make awards deemed in the best interest of the municipality, which indicates a comprehensive evaluation approach beyond simple price comparison.