PME - Gas-Fired Training Buildings

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (the Service) invites engagement from suppliers with experience and capability in developing and delivering gas-fired training buildings. The Service is seeking to retrofit to existing training buildings at our premises located in Plympton Fire Station in Devon and Taunton Fire Station in Somerset.

The purpose of this engagement is to identify organisations with capability, capacity and interest to act either as Principal Contractor (delivering directly or by management of specialist sub-contractors) and/or as specialist sub-contractor(s) within the supply chain. Beyond identification of suppliers, the Service wants to develop its understanding of how the building, gas-rig, electrical, mechanical, controls and commissioning elements could best be brought together.

At this stage, the route to market hasn’t been decided, however the Service is open to a two-stage arrangement that allows the design, specialist input, programme and cost to be developed collaboratively before the main works are agreed.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Service is seeking to adapt its existing training buildings at Plympton and Taunton Fire Stations to create gas-fired facilities for live training scenarios. The intention is to provide realistic, repeatable and instructor-controlled fire scenarios in buildings that are suitable for regular operational training. These are the two sites for which information is currently available. However, there may be an opportunity to include a further site, but its location, condition and requirements have not yet been confirmed and it does not form part of the current detailed scope but may be an option in any potential future procurement process.

The existing buildings will need repairs and alterations before and alongside installation of the gas rigs and associated systems. The final training scenarios, burner layout, gas demand, heat protection, controls and site-specific works are still being developed. Expertise and early input from organisations with experience in specialist gas systems, high-temperature environments, building refurbishment, electrical and mechanical services, controls and systems integration is considered appropriate at this stage to help develop our approach to procurement of this requirement.

The initial two (2) sites need to be commissioned and operational by December 2027.

WHAT THE PROJECT NEEDS TO ACHIEVE

• Convert the two (2) existing training buildings into reliable gas-fired training buildings.
• Provide a range of realistic gas-fire scenarios suitable for live training.
• Make the buildings suitable for repeated heat exposure and regular operational use.
• Repair and improve the existing structure and building fabric where required.
• Provide suitable electrical power, lighting, artificial smoke, ventilation, emergency extraction, monitoring, alarms and controls.
• Provide safe instructor control of the gas rigs and training scenarios.
• Complete coordinated testing, commissioning, instructor familiarisation and handover.
• Provide maintainable systems with appropriate servicing, support and replacement parts.

WHAT THE BUILDINGS ARE EXPECTED TO DO

• Support safe entry, search, hose deployment, casualty handling and instructor intervention.
• Produce repeatable heat, flame and artificial-smoke conditions for breathing apparatus (BA) training.
• Allow individual gas-fire scenarios to be controlled and shut down by instructors.
• Monitor temperatures within the training areas and provide suitable warnings and alarms.
• Protect the concrete, steelwork, roof and other building elements from the confirmed training temperatures.
• Provide suitable normal ventilation and emergency extraction to clear smoke and heat when required.
• Provide lighting and electrical systems that are suitable for the training environment.
• Allow the facilities to be safely inspected, reset, maintained and returned to service after exercises.

MAIN AREAS OF WORK AND EXPERTISE SOUGHT

The following areas of work describe the expected scope in broad terms.

1. PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR AND PROJECT INTEGRATION

• Overall responsibility for coordinating the design and construction across the two (2) confirmed sites, and any further site if later added to the procurement.
• Programme management, design coordination, health and safety duties, management of specialist subcontractors, package interfaces, testing, commissioning and handover.

2. SPECIALIST GAS-RIG DESIGN AND INSTALLATION

• Development of the gas-fire training scenarios and the design and installation of burners or cribs, internal gas distribution, ignition, flame supervision, safety systems, emergency shutdown and rig controls.
• Utility or LPG connection requirements, testing, commissioning, servicing and maintenance support.
• This work could be delivered by a specialist contractor acting as Principal Contractor, by a specialist sub-contractor managed by a Principal Contractor, or by a specialist subcontractor within the wider delivery team.

3. BUILDING SURVEYS, REPAIRS, ALTERATIONS AND HEAT PROTECTION

• Condition surveys and specification of repairs to the existing buildings.
• Concrete repairs, steelwork repairs, roof repairs and associated making good.
• Assessment, specification and installation of refractory linings, heat-resistant protection and other suitable materials needed to protect the buildings for the agreed operating temperatures.

4. ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL CONTROLS AND MONITORING

• Survey, repair, alteration and addition to the existing electrical and mechanical services.
• Power supplies, distribution, specialist lighting, artificial-smoke systems for BA training, repairs and adaptations to existing ventilation, emergency smoke and heat extraction, temperature monitoring, alarms, control panels, communications and system integration.

5. TESTING COMMISSIONING AND ONGOING SUPPORT

• Integrated testing of the building, gas-rig, electrical, ventilation, artificial-smoke, monitoring and alarm systems.
• Representative training trials, instructor and maintainer familiarisation, operating information, servicing, software support, spare parts and planned maintenance.
• The Principal Contractor would be expected to coordinate the overall commissioning and handover, supported by the relevant specialist suppliers/sub-contractors.

DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS THE SERVICE IS OPEN TO EXPLORING

• A Principal Contractor delivering and coordinating the complete project, with suitable specialist designers, suppliers and sub-contractors.
• A building or engineering contractor acting as Principal Contractor and working with an identified specialist gas-rig supplier and other specialist subcontractors.
• A specialist gas-rig contractor acting as Principal Contractor where it has the capability and supply chain to coordinate the building, M&E, controls and commissioning works.
• A specialist gas-rig contractor working under a Principal Contractor as part of an integrated delivery team.
• A two-stage or pre-construction arrangement that allows the Service, Principal Contractor and specialist supply chain to develop the design, programme, risk allocation and cost collaboratively before the main works are agreed.

WHAT THE SERVICE HOPES TO LEARN THROUGH PME

• Identification of suitable organisations with relevant expertise and capability, as well as capacity and an interest in the project.
• An understanding of how the project could be delivered and in what form e.g. through Principal Contractor, specialist sub-contractors or suppliers.
• How the gas rigs, building repairs, heat protection, electrical systems, ventilation, smoke, controls and monitoring should be coordinated.
• What information, surveys and operational decisions are needed before reliable design and pricing can be completed.
• Whether the proposed work packages are sensible and where packages should be combined or separated.
• What delivery times, long-lead items and specialist market constraints the Service needs to consider.
• What ongoing maintenance, servicing and support arrangements are available.

FAIRNESS AND CONFIDENTIALITY

This engagement is intended to help the Service understand the market and develop its future procurement. Participation or non-participation will not advantage or disadvantage an organisation in any later competition. If information is considered commercially sensitive, the organisation should clearly identify it and explain why. The Service may use and share general or anonymised market learning when developing future procurement documents so that no organisation receives an unfair advantage.