NOTICE OF INTENT - Sole Source Johnson Controls Fire Detection and Alarm for the Chilled Water Plant Replacement and Utility Upgrades Project at the VA West Haven Campus

Under the authority of FAR 6.103-1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to require, on a sole source basis, a brand name requirement for the Johnson Controls systems in the Chilled Water Plant Replacement and Utility Upgrades Project at the VA West Haven Campus.

The existing fire detection and alarm system on the VA West Haven campus is a Simplex-Grinnell (now Johnson Controls) system. All buildings on the VA West Haven campus with a building fire detection and alarm system are network-connected and integrated into the campus-wide Simplex-Grinnell (now Johnson Controls) system. The campus-wide system allows VA West Haven police, facilities, and other safety personnel to remotely monitor, manage, access, and control fire alarm devices for each building on campus connected to the campus-wide system. The new fire alarm system for the chilled water plant will be connected to this existing system. This will allow VA West Haven personnel to monitor this new system extension along with the remainder of the existing campus.  

The Simplex Grinnell (now Johnson Controls) fire detection and alarm system is a network of sensors, pull stations and other devices that provides the required infrastructure to provide patient & staff safety, as required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Joint Commission on healthcare safety. The system’s reliability is achieved by the proprietary nature of the network, which is common in the industry. For the system to work at an acceptable level of performance, fast, reliable communication among devices and annunciation of alarms must happen in seconds. When the new chilled water plant is constructed, the Simplex Grinnell system must be expanded to ensure proper coverage into the new space. This procurement will require the installation of the various equipment, including but not limited, to the following: fire alarm control panel(s), pull stations, wall- or ceiling-mounted strobes, wall- or ceiling-mounted speakers, wall- or ceiling-mounted combination speaker/strobes, monitor modules, control modules, duct smoke detectors with duct housing, sampling tube, and remote test stations, smoke detectors, heat detectors, etc. Device quantities may change as design develops. Part numbers are not included as they have yet to be determined and they may change based on delegated design submittals. As stated above, these devices are proprietary in nature and must be programmed and tested by a Simplex Grinnell employee.

If the Johnson Controls Fire Detection and Alarm devices are not sole sourced, then the fire detection and alarm systems for the new chilled water plant will not be connected to the campus-wide fire detection and alarm system, requiring the installation of a separate standalone system and a separate standalone monitoring station at all locations where this system is monitored. Communications interconnection will provide additional complication and require involvement from multiple system manufacturers to accomplish, if it is even possible. This will add additional complication to all future system modifications.

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS.  It is a market research tool being used to determine the availability of other qualified sources that can meet the requirements identified above and inherent with the referenced Johnson Controls system. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this notice of intent. All responses received within 15 days of the posting of this notice of intent will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government to require the brand name for the Johnson Controls system for the VA West Haven procurement based on this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determine whether to allow alternate system manufacturers.

Submit responses within 15 days of the posting of this notice of intent via email to: tyler.s.maryak@usace.army.mil and CC erin.e.bradley@usace.army.mil (list "W912WJ26X1B67 – JCI Fire Alarm" in the subject line of the email).