Solicitation
Upgrade Fire Alarm System Construction 676-22-110
Department of Veterans Affairs · Sol. 36C25226B0014-1
Due in 26 daysSDVOSB
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Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The VA's Great Lakes Acquisition Center wants a service-disabled veteran-owned small business to replace the fire alarm system across the Tomah VA Medical Center campus in Tomah, Wisconsin (project 676-22-110). Work happens in an occupied hospital campus under infection-control rules, and the schedule is 460 calendar days after notice to proceed. This is a sealed-bid solicitation: bids are emailed by 10:00 AM on November 4, 2026.
Watch out for
- Heavy infection-control requirements in an occupied hospital. Work areas need sealed barriers and 24/7 negative air pressure with monitoring, and some areas need hard barriers with anterooms, which adds cost and labor.
1. Barriers must be hard barriers unless temporary to install final barrier.
- Large, complex campus-wide job. The drawing list covers dozens of buildings, attics, crawl spaces and site work, plus a new head end, so a small firm needs strong electrician and fire alarm resources and a lot of cash flow.
Due to the size and requirements for this project it is not possible to provide
- Existing system must stay live during cutover. The old fire alarm must keep working in an occupied medical center until the new one is accepted, which complicates phasing and wiring.
requires the existing fire alarm system to remain active until the new system is
- Full-time safety and quality staff with no standby pay promised. A separate full-time safety officer and quality manager are required, and the VA would not say how long delays or suspensions would be paid; the answer was that suspensions are negotiated when they happen.
None. Every situation and project is different.
- Due date has moved twice and documents keep changing. The bid date went from September 22 to October 20 to November 4, 2026, and Amendment 0003 changed the pre-construction period, so more changes are possible.
** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: 11-04-2026 10:00 CST
- Warranty and 24/7 service terms. The electronic safety spec section (28 05 00) requires a staffed emergency service line and fast response times during the maintenance period, which may add cost after the build.
center shall be staffed 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
- Newly renovated areas still get replaced. Devices in B404 and B406 that were recently renovated must also be replaced, so bidders cannot skip them.
Yes, they need to be replaced with this project.
- Alternates still appear in the documents. RFI answers say alternates are not used and to price the base bid only, but the specs still mention them; bid the base only and acknowledge all amendments.
Bid alternative is not being utilized in this solicitation provide pricing on base
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 12 not read in full.
- S06 - RFI Response A0001 Sep 3 2026.pdf
- S02 - Bid Specifications_20260421.pdf
- 36C25226B0014 0003.docx
- S06 - 36C25226B0014 0002.pdf
- S06 - Low Risk Locations - Upgrade Fire Alarm.pdf
- S06 - High-Highest Risk Locations - Upgrade Fire Alarm.pdf
- S06 - Medium Risk Locations - Upgrade Fire Alarm 02.pdf
- S06 - Site Visit Sign-in Aug 25 27-2026.pdf
- 36C25226B0014 0001.docx
- S02 - PART 3 - FIRE ALARM DEMO PLANS 20260421.pdf
- S02 - PART 6 - FIRE ALARM NEW PLANS 20260421.pdf
- S02 - PART 7 - FIRE ALARM NEW PLANS 20260421.pdf
- S02 - PART 4 - FIRE ALARM DEMO PLANS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - 36C25226B0014.docx: over the file limit for one brief
- S06 - Att 3 RFI Response A0003 Oct 6 2026.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S06 - Att 2 Addendum No1 676-22-110 Upgrade Fire Alarm System 20260929.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S06 - Att 1 Updates to Pages 3 and 11 of SOL 36C25226B0014.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S06 - Infection Control 676-22-110 Upgrade Fire Alarm.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - PART 9 - ELECTRICAL DRAWINGS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - PART 8 - FIRE ALARM NEW ONE-LINE DIAGRAMS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - PART 5 - FIRE ALARM DEMO ONE-LINE DIAGRAMS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - PART 2 - CIVIL DRAWINGS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - PART 1 - GENERAL DRAWINGS 20260421.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02 - Wage Determination WI20260011 Building Mod 1 20260518.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
Full brief
What they want
- Remove old and install new fire alarm devices, wiring and conduit across many campus buildings, following the demolition and new-work drawings
- Provide new head-end equipment sized as specified, including new command center consoles in Buildings 36 and 407 and a server in Building 32, with spare capacity for expansion
- Keep the existing fire alarm working until the new system is installed and operating
- Build and maintain infection-control barriers and negative-air controls (ICRA Class III and IV) in work areas, using HEPA carts where allowed
- Remove existing accessible fire alarm conduit that is not reused
- Replace devices even in recently renovated buildings (B404 and B406)
- Test, commission and provide a 12-month warranty period with software updates and maintenance service
- Meet VA safety and quality-control staffing rules (separate safety officer and quality control manager) and submit pre-construction paperwork
- Contract type
- Sealed bid (invitation for bids) construction contract; price type not stated in the text provided
- Period of performance
- 460 calendar days after notice to proceed per Amendment A0003: pre-construction 60 days (extended from 20) plus VA review, campus work 350 days plus VA review, closeout 10 days plus VA review
- Place of performance
- Tomah VA Medical Center, 500 E Veterans St, Tomah, WI 54660
- How they'll choose
- Sealed bid with a public virtual bid opening; how the winner is picked is not stated in the text provided. Per RFI answers, bidders must price the base bid only (no alternates).
- Offers due
- 10:00 AM local time (10:00 CST) on November 4, 2026; virtual bid opening at 11:30 AM local time the same day
- How to submit
- Email to the Contracting Officer at Lynn.VanderVelde@va.gov AND Ryan.McMillin@va.gov, with subject 36C25226B0014. Bid opening is public on Microsoft Teams.
What to include when you submit
- Put the solicitation number 36C25226B0014 in the email subject line
- Price the base bid only; bid alternatives are not being used
- Acknowledge receipt of Amendments 0001, 0002 and 0003 (by returning the SF 30, on the offer, or by letter or email that cites the solicitation and amendment numbers)
- Site visits are by appointment with the COR only; the scheduled pre-bid visits have already happened
You must have
- Must be a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB); the SAM.gov listing shows an SDVOSB set-aside (NAICS 238210)
- Safety Officer (SSHO) must meet the specification qualifications, be separate from the superintendent and the quality control manager, and hold OSHA 30-hour training plus experience or certification
the SSHO must have the requirements stated in the specifications
- Quality control (CQC) system manager must meet the specification qualifications (construction management degree, 5 years of similar experience, Corps of Engineers/NAVFAC quality management course, and a qualified alternate), be employed by the general contractor and be on site at all times
Yes the CQC System Manger must have the requirements laid out in the
- Must follow VA infection control (ICRA) rules in each work area, including hard barriers and anterooms in the highest-risk areas
1. Barriers must be hard barriers unless temporary to install final barrier.
Not in the notice text
- Estimated contract value or price range, and whether the award goes to the lowest bid
- Bonding, insurance and limitations-on-subcontracting requirements (most of the 970,000-character specification was not provided)
- The three files attached to Amendment 0003 (Updates to Pages 3 and 11 of the solicitation, Addendum No. 1, and RFI Response A0003) were not provided
- The original solicitation form (SF 1442) and its instructions to bidders were not provided
- The wage determination WI20260011 file and the drawing sets Part 1, 2 and 5 were too large to be provided
- The Infection Control spreadsheet listing each building and its class level was not provided
- Which buildings fall in which infection-control risk level, and exact campus work sequence
- Payment terms, liquidated damages and warranty terms beyond the 12-month period
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Key facts
- Response due
- Nov 4, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 7, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 36C25226B0014-1
- Agency
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Office
- 252-Network Contract Office 12 (36C252)
- Set-aside
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)
- NAICS
- 238210
- Product/service code
- Z1DA
- Business type
- Construction & renovation
- Place of performance
- Tomah, WI, 54660
- Contracting contact
- Lynn Vander VeldeLynn.VanderVelde@va.gov414-844-4800
- Versions
- 4 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Amendment A0003 This Amendment 0003 publishes updates, Addendum No. 1 and Responses to RFIs. The period for preconstruction submissions was extended from 20 days to 60 days this change identified in red on the updates to pages 3 and 11 of SOL 36C25226B0014. ……..End of Amendment A0003…….. See attached document: S06 - Att 1 Updates to Pages 3 and 11 of SOL 36C25226B0014. See attached document: S06 - Att 2 Addendum No1 676-22-110 Upgrade Fire Alarm System 20260929. See attached document: S06 - Att 3 RFI Response A0003 Oct 6 2026.
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