Provision of Intruder Alarms, Fire Alarms and Emergency Lighting

Blackpool Council intends to appoint one contractor to provide inspection, servicing, maintenance, and emergency response for intruder alarms, fire alarms, and emergency lighting across its property portfolio.

Intruder Alarms

The contractor shall:

• Deliver all works in accordance with this specification and to the satisfaction of Blackpool Council or its representative.
• Sustain a working environment for building users fulfilling Blackpool Council's obligations as defined in the lease(s).
• Maintain security alarm and associated equipment to protect the value of Blackpool Council's assets.
• Obtain written approval from Blackpool Council for any deviation from the specification.
• Remove all waste promptly and dispose of it legally, at no extra cost to Blackpool Council, providing Duty of Care documentation when requested.
• Recycle materials wherever practicable.
• Minimise disruption to building occupants.
• Report immediately to Blackpool Council any:

o Defects or hazards (whether within contract scope or not).

o Non compliance with British Standards.

o Discovery of friable asbestos.

o Potential hazards identified.

o Systems left inoperable or disconnected whilst replacement parts obtained.

The contractor is not guaranteed additional works. Where new installations occur, temporary access codes must be used and original codes reinstated upon completion.

Breakdown and Call Out Requirements

• A 24 hour emergency call out service must be provided at all times, including public holidays.
• Attendance must occur within one hour of notification.
• Out of hours call outs must be reported to Property Management the next working day.
• The contractor must provide full details of their emergency call out arrangements.

Please note the successful Contractor is required to produce documentary evidence prior to acceptance of this tender that this facility exists.

Fire Alarm and Emergency Lighting

All installations serviced under this contract shall be maintained in full accordance with BS 7671, BS 5839-, BS 5266 and BS EN 54 (all relevant parts). In line with BS 5839, servicing and repairs must only be undertaken by a company holding UKAS accredited third party certification.

Tendering contractors must:

• Be members of a registered SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) organisation.
• Hold NICEIC, or NAPIT Approved Contractor, categorised for power distribution and control. (this must be held by the organisation and not via a subcontractor)
• Be BAFE registered, or have commenced the BAFE application process by the contract start date, achieving full registration within six months.

Engineers working on 240 V fire alarm components or emergency lighting systems must be qualified electricians holding the 18th Edition Wiring Regulation Qualifications.

Fire alarm servicing shall be carried out strictly in accordance with BS 5839 (all parts) and this specification. Emergency lighting servicing shall comply with BS 5266 (all parts) and this specification. Some requirements within this document exceed the minimum standards of the relevant BS.

Service visits shall take place at six monthly intervals, with no more than six months ±10 days between visits.

At each visit, the entire installation shall be visually inspected. Minor defects shall be rectified immediately; serious defects must be reported to Blackpool Council's Electrical Engineer without delay.

Minimum Requirements for Each Six Monthly Service

• Visual inspection for structural or occupancy changes affecting system design.
• Review of false alarm and fault records; advise the Council's Electrical Engineer of any required actions.
• Check and test batteries and charging equipment, including battery condition.
• Test all control panel functions.
• Test a minimum of 50% of fire alarm devices across multiple zones, ensuring all device types are included. Devices must be rotated so that 100% are tested within 12 months.
• Test signalling devices to ARC(s).
• Replace aspirating system filters (included in service cost).
• Test all fault indication facilities.
• Carry out any additional tests required by the manufacturer or service provider.
• Report all defects immediately to Blackpool Council's Electrical Engineer.
• Record all service details on the service sheet and in the logbook.
• Inspect and Test all sounders and visual alarm devices.
• Issue a servicing certificate as specified later.

Annual Requirements (in addition to the above)

• Thorough inspection and cleaning of all detector heads.
• Alignment and recalibration of beam detectors.
• Replacement of aspirating system filters.
• Testing and adjustment of radio signal strengths.
• Visual inspection of accessible wiring.
• Verification of cause and effect programming.
• Standby power capacity testing.
• Testing of interfaces and ancillary equipment.
• Carry out any additional inspection tests required by the manufacturer or service provider.
• Inspection of specialist equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
• Tightening of all electrical connections where required.
• Issue of a servicing certificate.

General Servicing Requirements

• All sounders must be tested at every visit.
• Test results must be entered in the site logbook, clearly identifying device numbers.
• The contractor must provide Blackpool Council's Electrical Engineer with a list of devices tested within three days of each visit, to dedicated email address.
• The system must be left fully operational and the logbook completed.
• Any malfunction requiring rectification must be reported immediately to the person in charge of the premises so that safeguarding steps can be taken.
• The contractor must provide all necessary access equipment; Council owned access equipment must not be used.
• Faulty equipment identified during servicing must be quoted for in writing within three days, including device ID and repair/replacement cost. Immediate faults can be reported by phone to Blackpool Council's Electrical Engineer.
• Sites may be added or removed from the contract at any time; new sites will be priced on a pro rata basis.
• All new equipment must be open protocol and panel codes set as instructed by Blackpool Council's Electrical Engineer.
• Evidence must be provided where equipment is deemed unrepairable.
• Only equipment approved by the Council's Electrical Engineer may be installed.
• A 24/7/365 callout service must be provided, with response times of 1 hour, 4 hours, same day, 5 days, 10 days, or 1 month, as specified on each order.

Breakdown and Call Out Requirements

• A 24 hour emergency call out service must be provided at all times, including public holidays.
• Attendance must occur within one hour of notification.
• Out of hours call outs must be reported to Property Management the next working day.
• The contractor must provide full details of their emergency call out arrangements.
• All out of hours emergency calls require an in person 1 hour response.
• KPI data must be available to the Council at all times.