SC Fire System Upgrade

The Supreme Court of the United States has a requirement for a contract for Supreme Court Building with a period of performance of a one-year base.

1. PROJECT TITLE

Fire Alarm System Upgrade, SCBG

1. Background

Established as a permanent office in 1876, the Architect is provided permanent authority for the care and maintenance of the United States Capitol based on Section 1811 of Title 2 of the United States Code.  The Architect is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of 18.4 million square feet of buildings and more than 580 acres of land throughout Capitol Hill.  This includes the U.S. Capitol, House and Senate Office Buildings, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), the U.S. Botanic Garden, the Capitol Power Plant, and other facilities.  The Architect also provides professional expertise with regard to the preservation of architectural and artistic elements entrusted to his care and provides recommendations concerning design, construction and maintenance of the facilities and grounds.

The SCOTUS’s existing fire alarm system is an Edwards EST-3 system that has reached the later stages of its service life. The system has two annunciators as well as two FireWorks stations. The EST-3 platform is no longer actively supported to the same extent as newer systems, and replacement parts, software support, and qualified service availability are becoming increasingly limited. For example, one of the existing fire alarm annunciator screens is non‑functional and no longer supported by the manufacturer. Replacement parts are no longer available. To maintain a reliable, code-compliant life safety system and to support long-term operational needs, an upgrade to the Edwards EST-4 fire alarm system is required. The EST-4 platform provides enhanced processing capability, improved system diagnostics, expanded networking and integration options, and ongoing manufacturer support. Upgrading to the EST-4 system will improve overall system performance, ensure continued compliance with applicable codes and standards, and provide a sustainable solution for future facility requirements.

1. Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, and services necessary to upgrade the existing Edwards EST-3 fire alarm system to a fully operational Edwards EST-4 fire alarm system. The work shall include, but is not limited to, furnishing, delivering, installing, programming, testing, and placing into service a complete EST-4 system that complies with all applicable codes, standards, and manufacturer requirements.

The Scope of Work includes the procurement and installation of all required fire alarm system components, including control panels, power supplies, interface modules, network components, and associated hardware. The Contractor shall coordinate removal, replacement, or reuse of existing devices as applicable to ensure full system functionality and compatibility with the EST-4 platform.

Work shall include updates, replacement, or reprogramming of annunciator panels as required to ensure proper operation, system visibility, and compliance with current code and operational requirements. The Contractor shall also integrate, reprogram, or update FireWorks graphical monitoring system, to ensure full compatibility with the new EST-4 system and accurate system representation.

The Contractor shall perform all required testing, including acceptance, to demonstrate that the system functions as designed. All work shall be performed in a manner that minimizes disruption to facility operations and maintains required life safety coverage throughout the duration of the project. The contractor shall also be responsible for training on-site personnel on the new system.

All associated work must be coordinated with the AOC and the Supreme Court Marshal’s Office. This includes but is not restricted to any necessary shutdowns, noise producing work, inspection and testing.

1. Applicable Policies and Standards

The contractor shall comply with the following applicable documents in order to complete the scope of work outlined in the statement of work.

• NFPA70 - NEC – National Electric Code
• NFPA72 – National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
• NFPA101 – Life Safety Code
• IBC - International Building Code
• IFC - International Fire Code
• OSHA CFR 1926
• OSHA CFR 1910

In addition, all work shall comply with manufacturer installation requirements, recommendations, and best practices for the Edwards EST-4 fire alarm system and associated components, including annunciator panels and FireWorks systems.

The contractor shall not deviate from any of the above documents without express written approval from the contracting officer.

1. TASKS
   1. Post Award Site Visit, Existing Conditions and As-Built Drawing Review

The contractor that is awarded this requirement must visit the building to conduct a site visit to review existing conditions, verify system configuration, assess device inventory, evaluate annunciator and FireWorks system requirements, and identify any constraints that may impact installation. The Contractor shall also review all original installation (circa 2004) as‑built drawings and bill of materials provided by the Government; however, it is the Contractor’s responsibility to verify all existing field conditions during the mandatory site walk. Any discrepancies between the drawings and actual site conditions shall be documented and brought to the Government’s attention prior to procurement or installation activities. The Contractor shall coordinate with the AOC to confirm system phasing, access requirements, and operational considerations.

The visit will be coordinated by the PM/COR and CO and will take place within thirty (30) days after contract award.

1. 1. Equipment and Schedule Submittals

The Contractor shall prepare and submit a complete equipment submittal package for review and approval prior to procurement and installation. Submittals shall include manufacturer data cut sheets, system architecture diagrams, network layouts, panel wirings, interface diagrams, annunciator updates, FireWorks system modifications, and any proposed deviations from existing configurations.

A preliminary draft materials list is provided in APPENDIX C solely for reference. This list shall not be considered complete or validated. The Contractor is fully responsible for independently verifying all system requirements, existing field conditions, as‑built drawings, and equipment compatibility before procuring any materials. Any purchases made without prior verification shall be at the Contractor’s own risk, and no additional cost to the Government will be accepted for discrepancies arising from Contractor‑failed validation.

In addition to equipment and technical documentation, the Contractor shall submit a detailed phased work schedule identifying sequencing of work, anticipated system impairments, duration of outages, and areas affected. The phased work schedule shall be designed to minimize fire alarm system impairments and limit outages to the smallest practical area and shortest duration possible.

All submittals, including the phased work schedule, shall be reviewed and approved in writing by the AOC prior to the start of installation activities. No installation work shall begin until written approval is received.

1. 1. Equipment Procurement and Delivery

Upon submittal approval, the Contractor shall procure all required Edwards EST-4 equipment and associated components. The Contractor shall coordinate delivery, staging, and storage of equipment in accordance with site requirements and manufacturer recommendations.

Due to limited storage capacity on-site, the contractor shall ensure that materials are delivered and directly installed. Deliveries must be coordinated to the installation site to avoid congestion and disruption.

All deliveries may be required to undergo prescreening. Deliveries may be rejected unless the vehicles have been processed and x-rayed at the Off-Site Delivery Center (OSDC) located at 4700 Shepherd Parkway SW, Washington, D.C. 20032. The hours of operation are 4:30 AM until 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The facility is closed on all Federal holidays unless specifically noted.

1. 1. System Installation and Configuration

The Contractor shall remove existing EST-3 components as required and install all EST-4 system components in accordance with approved submittals, schedule, manufacturer requirements, and applicable codes. This task includes mounting and wiring of control equipment, power supplies, network components, annunciator panels, and interfaces. The Contractor shall program and configure the system, including any required FireWorks system updates, to ensure full operational functionality.

1. 1. Test Plan Development, Substantial Completion Inspection and Final Acceptance Testing

The Contractor shall develop a detailed fire alarm system test plan outlining testing procedures, sequences, responsibilities, and acceptance criteria. The test plan shall be submitted to the AOC for review and approval prior to the start of testing. Additionally, prior to Final Acceptance Testing, the Contractor shall conduct a Substantial Completion Inspection. All parties shall participate in the inspection and the Contractor shall prepare a punch-list of outstanding work items, and items requiring re-work.

Upon approval of the test plan by the AOC and completion of the Substantial Completion Inspection punch-list items, the Contractor shall conduct final acceptance testing in the presence of the AOC. All deficiencies identified during the final acceptance test shall be corrected by the Contractor and retested accordingly.

1. 1. Documentation and Closeout Submittals

The Contractor shall provide complete system documentation upon completion of testing, including as-built drawings, system programming files, operation and maintenance manuals, manufacturer literature, warranty information, and test reports, in both hard copy and electronic formats as required by the government in Section 6.0.

1. 1. Onsite Training

The Contractor shall provide onsite training for AOC personnel covering system operation, basic troubleshooting, annunciator operation, FireWorks system navigation and routine maintenance.

The Contractor shall compile all training materials used for AOC training into a consolidated Training Documentation Package. This package shall be submitted to the Government and shall include the topics described above.

The Contractor shall also provide onsite training for Supreme Court of the United States Police Department (SCUSPD) first responders on covering system operation, annunciator operation, and FireWorks system navigation.

The Contractor shall compile all training materials used for the SCUSPD training into a consolidated Training Documentation Package. This package shall be submitted to the Government and shall include the topics described above. The SCUSPD’s Training Documentation Package shall be used as a quick reference guide for SCUSPD officers and be left at the Police Operation Center (POC)

1. 1. Final Acceptance and Warranty

Final acceptance shall occur upon successful completion of all tasks outlined in this Statement of Work, including installation, approved testing, documentation submittals, training and completion of all punch-list items. The Contractor shall submit Final Inspection Reports certifying that all work as specified is complete and the project is in conformance with building codes and that all punch-list items are complete.

All newly installed equipment, system components and workmanship shall be warranted for a minimum period of one (1) year from the date of final acceptance.

1. Deliverables and Delivery SChedule 
   1. Kick-Off Meeting

The contractor shall schedule a virtual kick-off meeting within fifteen (15) days after contract award.  The meeting shall include an overview of the project team, scope of work, and next steps.

1. 1. Transition-In Plan

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Project Management Plan

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Weekly Status Report

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Senior Management Status Report

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Architecture Design Diagrams

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Government Furnished Equipment / Property (GFE/GFP) Inventory Report

This section does not apply.

1. 1. Transition-Out Plan

This section does not apply.

Table 1 - Deliverables and Delivery Schedule

Deliverable/Description

Type

Delivery Method(s)

Delivery Date/Frequency

Substantial Completion Inspection Punch-List (5.5)

Document

MS Word or MS Excel and PDF

Within 2 days of Substantial Completion Inspection

Final Document Submittal (5.6)

Document

MS Word and PDF

Within 7 days of final inspection of corresponding elevator

AOC Training Documentation Package (5.7)

Document

PDF pages in a binder

At the day of AOC training

SCUSPD Training Documentation Package (5.7)

Document

PDF pages in a binder

At the day of SCUSPD training

Final Inspection Report (5.8)

Document

MS Word and PDF

Within 2 days of Onsite Training

Kick-Off Meeting (6.1)

Virtual Meeting

Virtual Meeting

15 days after contract award

1. 1. Instructions for Delivery of Deliverables

The contractor shall provide all deliverables via electronic methods, unless directed by the COR to provide hard copies, for review, approval, and appropriate action.  Electronic copies shall be delivered via email attachment to the CO and COR as appropriate.  The electronic copies shall be compatible with Microsoft Office 2010 or other applications as appropriate and mutually agreed to by the parties.  Once created, deliverables and work products are considered the property of the Federal Government.

The deliverables shall be considered final upon receiving Government approval.  The Government shall provide written notification of acceptance or rejection of all deliverables within two days of receipt.  All notifications of rejection will be accompanied with an explanation of the specific deficiencies causing the rejection.  Deliverables must be approved by the CO and COR to be considered “accepted.”

Deliverables shall be deemed acceptable if the document adequately covers all required topics, meets general quality measures, and is professionally prepared in terms of accuracy, clarity, format, and timeliness.  Quality measures, as set forth below, shall be applied to each work product received from the contractor. 

• Accuracy:  Documents shall be accurate in presentation, content, and style;
• Clarity:  Documents shall be clear and concise;
• Format:  Documents shall be transmitted via mutually agreed upon media; and
• Timeliness:  Documents shall be submitted on or before scheduled due date.

1. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLaNCE PLAN (QASP) / QUALITY CONTROL PLAN (QCP)

This section does not apply.

1. Government Furnished Equipment / PROPERTY (GFE/GFP)

This section does not apply.

1. CONTRACT TYPE

The selected contract type is a single-award, firm-fixed-price contract.

The Government will accept progress payment requests; however, all such requests must include copies of purchase receipts, invoices, or other proof of material and equipment procurement. Progress payments will be reviewed and approved by the Government prior to issuance, and incomplete documentation may result in rejection of payment. Advance payments or “deposits” are not approved and will be rejected.

1. Period of Performance

The period of performance for this requirement shall be 360 days from the contract award date.

This requirement will also include an option to extend services to six months, if necessary, in accordance with FAR 52.217-8.

Should unforeseen delays occur, the period of performance may be amended or extended at the Government’s discretion through formal contract modification.

Contractor must also be aware of all scheduled Court or Special Event Days. Planned Court Days are red, blue or green colored dates shown on the anticipated October Term 2025 & 2026 Supreme Court Calendars. Contractors shall do everything in their power to minimize noise-producing work on Panned Court Days and Special Event Days.

All project schedules must be approved in writing by the Government before work can begin. All work must be coordinated to ensure timely completion within the designated seasonal windows.

1. Place of Performance / HOURS OF OPERATIONS

Work under this requirement shall be performed at:

The Supreme Court of the United States

1 First Street, NE, Washington DC 20543

Daily work hours shall be approved by the COR; however, core working hours for the contractor for this requirement shall be outside of normal weekday business hours or weekends. Weeknight work is typically conducted from 10 PM – 6 AM. Any contractor under this contract shall be required to perform work during these hours unless otherwise authorized. Saturday work is typically conducted from 5 AM to 8 PM.

However, the site walk, and kick-off meeting can occur during normal weekday business hours.

Work may be cancelled with no advance notice to accommodate the Courts schedule on weekends.

The Contractor shall provide advance notification to the Government for all noise-creating work activities. Such activities include, but are not limited to, demolition, heavy equipment operation, rigging, drilling, cutting, or any work likely to generate disruptive noise. The Contractor must obtain Government approval prior to initiating any noise-creating tasks. In general, noise-creating work shall only occur before 8:00 AM, unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Government.

1. TELEWORK

This section does not apply.

1. Other Direct Costs (ODC)

Other direct costs are not authorized. Any change orders must be submitted and formally approved prior to any purchases being made.

1. Travel

This section does not apply.

1. KEY Personnel
   1. Program Manager

The Program Manager shall have overall responsibility of the contract activities to include planning, organizing, directing, controlling, staffing and reporting status, deliverables and schedules to the government.  The PM shall be a full-time corporate employee of the prime contractor.

1. 1. Installation Team

The contractor’s installation team shall consist of qualified personnel holding appropriate industry certifications, including NICET Level II (minimum) for fire alarm installation and testing. Team members must be trained and certified by the fire alarm system manufacturer for the Edwards EST-4 platform. Only technicians meeting these qualifications shall perform installation, programming, and system commissioning activities.

1. SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

Key personnel are critical to performance under this requirement.  During the period of performance, key personnel shall only be replaced with people of comparable education and experience levels.  The contractor shall obtain approval from the Government prior to replacement of any key personnel.

No changes in key personnel shall be made unless the contractor can demonstrate that the qualifications of prospective replacement personnel are equal to or better than the qualifications of the key personnel being replaced.  The CO shall be notified in writing of any proposed substitution at least 15 calendar days in advance of the proposed substitution.  Such notification shall include:

•     An explanation of the circumstances necessitating the replacement;

•     A resume of the proposed substitute that outlines their education, and basic and specialized experience; and

•     As requested by the CO or COR, any other information which will enable them to judge, whether or not the contractor is maintaining the same level of high-quality key personnel.

The Government will evaluate key personnel substitutions.  The CO will promptly notify the contractor of their approval or disapproval in writing.  All disapprovals will require submission of another substitution to fill key positions within 15 calendar days from the date the contractor was notified.

Additionally, the contractor shall immediately replace any individual under this statement of work who fails to perform their duties adequately, is chronically absent/late, or conducts themselves in a manner that is inconsistent with AOC policies and practices or engages in practices that are disruptive to the working environment.

1. Personal Services

Personal services are not authorized under this contract.

1. INVOICING

The contractor shall follow the invoicing instructions outlined in clause AOC52.232-1 when submitting invoices.  The AOC will approve or reject an invoice within 30 days.

1. Security

All contractor employees will be required to submit clearance forms and IDs to the Supreme Court of the United States Police Department. Clearance forms will require Personal Identifiable Information (PII) such as names, date of birth, social security numbers, and residence of personnel assigned to visit the site.  All contractor employees may also need to be fingerprinted as part of the clearance process.

If requested by the Government, all contractor employees shall be prepared to submit an E-Verify form and a United States Capitol Police background check form (CP-491) prior to the performance of work.  Contractor employees may also need to complete a contractor badging request form. 

The AOC does not follow certain exceptions as described in the E-Verify federal contractor rule.  Contractors may be required to use E-Verify to verify that all employees working on AOC contracts are authorized to work in the United States.

All contractors working on site shall be required to wear an identification badge and/or contractor sticker at all times.  On site work may be interrupted because of Congressional events, Supreme Court of the United States events, Supreme Court of the United States Police requirements or U. S. Capitol Police requirements. All work to be performed is subject to government interruptions.

Onsite parking is not guaranteed.

1. SAFETY

The contractor shall implement and maintain strict safety protocols throughout the duration of the work effort. All work shall be performed in accordance with all AOC safety policies, applicable OSHA standards, and site-specific safety requirements. The contractor shall require all employees to wear appropriate clothing apparel, including personal protective equipment (PPE), for the assigned tasks.  No sandals or any style of open toe shoes shall be allowed.

The Contractor shall conduct a safety briefing before starting work and provide appropriate PPE to all workers. Any incidents, near misses, or unsafe conditions shall be reported to the Government immediately.

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY / COMPLIANCE

There are no special energy efficiency requirements under this requirement.  The contractor shall minimize energy use while on a government site.

1. SUSTAINABILITY

There are no sustainability considerations or concerns under this requirement.

1. POINTS OF CONTACT

Contracting Officer

TBD at time of award

Contracting Specialist

TBD at time of award

Contracting Officer Representative

Contractor Representative

TBD at time of award

1. APPENDIX A - aCRONYMS

CO                                Contracting Officer

COR                              Contracting Officer’s Representative

CUI                               Controlled Unclassified Information

GFE                              Government Furnished Equipment

MS                                Microsoft

ODC                             Other Direct Costs

O&M                            Operations and Maintenance

POC                              Point of Contact

POP                              Period of Performance

PM                                Project Manager

PPE                               Personal Protective Equipment

SCBG                           Supreme Court Building and Grounds

SOP                              Standard Operating Procedure

1. APPENDIX B – CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

______________________________________ (“Contractor”) shall perform services pursuant to a contract between the Contractor and the Architect of the Capitol, in connection with work related to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Contractor agrees not to disclose, advertise, or otherwise use any confidential information except as necessary for the proper performance of its obligations under the contract. For the purposes of this agreement, “confidential information” shall refer to any information pertaining to the Supreme Court of the United States or its employees that is not publicly available through authorized channels of the Supreme Court. The Contractor further agrees that this obligation of confidentiality shall survive the termination or completion of the contract.

____________________________                            ____________________________

Signature                                                                                 Date

____________________________

Name (Print)

1. APPENDIX C – DRAFT Material lIst

Appendix C has been removed from this Sources Sought notice due to sensitive content. The full appendix will be provided in the final solicitation to qualified contractors.

Instructions for Responding to this RFI:

1) Please provide a response to the following questions from the Government:

a) Would your company be interested in submitting a proposal for this contract in the event that a solicitation is issued?

b) Is your company able to perform this scope of work under its GSA Schedule contract? If so, please provide the applicable GSA Schedule contract number. Additionally, under which SIN is this type of work typically performed? If it falls under multiple SINs, please indicate which ones apply?

c) Please provide NAICS, and PSC.

c) What questions do you have for the Government? (You may either list your questions in the RFI response, or you may email the questions to Donald Fuqua at donald.fuqua@aoc.gov any time if it helps you to provide a better response with the answers known)

d) What is the typical duration of contracts for this type of work? In other words, what period of performance does the Government customarily establish for similar requirements?

e) Please provide examples of contracts from the past three years—either completed or currently ongoing—that involve the same or similar scope of work. For each example, please include the awarded contract dollar amount.

f) Any other information you believe will be of interest to the Government.

Please email responses to Donald Fuqua at donald.fuqua@aoc.gov by noon on April 24, 2023.

Thank you,

Donald Fuqua

Contracting Officer

Architect of the Capitol

Supplies, Services, and Material Management Division (SSMMD)

www.aoc.gov