RFP - Comprehensive Fire Alarm Monitoring, Maintenance, and Life Safety Systems Management for Harris County

Harris County, Texas is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive fire alarm monitoring, maintenance, and life safety systems management across approximately 210 county facilities, with proposals due by February 23, 2026. The procurement seeks a single qualified vendor to provide twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week monitoring services for fire alarm systems that have been modernized to Napco StarLink cellular communication technology, along with turnkey services including installation, repair, alteration, and design of monitoring systems, emergency elevator phone monitoring, system maintenance and repairs, and technical support. The selected vendor must maintain current Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 827 certification for central station alarm services, employ or contract with licensed Fire Alarm Technicians, Alarm Planning Superintendents, and Alarm Monitoring Technicians, and comply with all applicable fire codes and regulations including Texas Department of Insurance requirements and national standards such as NFPA 72, NFPA 70, NFPA 25, and UL 827. Critical qualifications include five or more years of experience managing 200+ facility portfolios, current Texas Department of Insurance Alarm Certificate of Registration and Fire Alarm Licenses, authorized Napco dealer status, and demonstrated financial stability to fund upfront costs before reimbursement. The vendor must provide robust redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities appropriate to the Gulf Coast location, including dual power sources with uninterruptible power supplies, hot backup server mirroring, geographically diverse backup monitoring facilities, and diverse telecommunications routing, along with a physical operational base within reasonable proximity to Harris County. Award criteria are weighted as follows: Management Strategy (35%), Technical Capabilities (30%), Pricing (20%), and Experience (15%), with proposals submitted via Bonfire or hardcopy to 1111 Fannin, 12th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002. The contract includes an initial term with four one-year renewal options based on the same terms and conditions, subject to approval by the Commissioners Court.

No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are specified in the RFP materials, though the documentation indicates that proposed subcontractors must be identified with designations such as Certified HUB/MWBE or Certified Section 3 if applicable. Harris County's minimum wage policy, effective for contracts solicited after October 1, 2025, requires contractors and all subcontractors to pay workers a mandatory minimum wage of $21.65 per hour, adjusted annually based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator, with certain exemptions including sole source contracts, emergency contracts, and goods-only supplier contracts. No incumbent contractor is identified in the RFP materials, indicating this represents a new competitive solicitation. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation with Employers' Liability limits of $1,000,000 per accident, Commercial General Liability with per-occurrence limits of $1,000,000 and general aggregate of $2,000,000, Automobile Liability with combined single limits of $1,000,000, and Umbrella/Excess Liability with limits of $1,000,000, with Harris County named as an additional insured on a primary/non-contributory basis. The RFP document does not specify the total contract value, funding sources, or budget range, with these details likely contained in supplementary materials accessible through the Bonfire Opportunity portal.