Laughlin AFB Fire Alarm System Repair, United States Air Force
Del Rio, TX

IEA provided project management, Division 1 specification preparation, quality control plan development, quality control review, and document/production submittals for the repair of a fire alarm system at the base fire station.

The alarm system was inadequate and outdated, so IEA was tasked with designing a modern and cost-effective system to replace it. The new system had to be addressable, capable of activating the existing suppression system, and provide appropriate notifications to the base Emergency Operations Center and facility personnel. New infrastructure included controls, detectors, pull stations, visual and audible alarms, detection and annunciation panels, transmitters, antennas, and cables.

Base project staff were undecided during the initial design phases whether or not the resulting documents would be used as bridging documents for a design-build contract. This resulted in duplicative efforts for some items such as the Division 1 specification section. A second challenge involved the proprietary monitoring/reporting system the base utilizes and development of a construction cost estimate. Base project staff did not want direct contact between the design team and the proprietary monitoring/reporting system company. Subsequent to discussions on the matter, the construction cost estimate was prepared using generic cost data with acknowledgement of this methodology by the base.