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MISSISISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Request for Proposals (RFP) 07-101

Campus Outdoor Alerting and Public Address System ISSUE DATE: November 8, 2007

ISSUING AGENCY: Office of Procurement and Contracts Mississippi State University 610 McArthur Hall 245 Barr Avenue P.O. Box 5307 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Sealed Proposals subject to the conditions made a part hereof will be received November 29, 2007, at 2:00 PM in the Office of Procurement and Contracts, same address above, for furnishing services described herein. IMPORTANT NOTE: Indicate firm name, and RFP number on the front of each sealed proposal envelope or package. Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Jennifer Mayfield Office of Procurement and Contracts Same address above jmayfield@procurement.msstate.edu 662-325-2550 Note 1: Questions concerning the specifications in this Request for Proposals must be submitted in writing and will be accepted until 2:00 PM on November 26, 2007. A summary of all questions answers will be posted at http://www.procurement.msstate.edu/bids as an addendum located under RFP 07-101. Note 2: It is the offeror's responsibility to assure that all addenda have been reviewed and if need be, signed and returned.

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It is the intent of MSU that the products and services proposed will be significantly similar or exceed the requirements set forth herein. However, if a proposal does not meet all of the requirements, that will be taken into consideration in the final evaluation. The proposals will be evaluated by a team of five individuals. Each proposal will be scored as follows:

Prior Experience 20 pts Proposed Plan 50 pts Price 30 pts

Campus Outdoor Alerting and Public Address System Provide centrally controlled siren system to be used for warning signals and oral announcements to the University Campus. Specifications: The proposed system must achieve a sound pressure level (SPL) of at least 70 dB for voice messages within defined outdoor areas of the campus while limiting sound transmission off campus to the greatest extent possible. The system shall be composed of directional and omni directional speakers of various sizes arranged so as to obtain the desired coverage. Individual speakers or arrays shall not exceed a SPL of 118 dB @ 100ft. Note: See Attachment A for map of proposed voice-message coverage of the system, and Attachment B for proposed mounting sites. System control shall be wireless and transmitted over an existing coordinated and licensed land mobile radio frequency. System control transmissions shall be encrypted and must include features that prevent unauthorized access to the system even with identical equipment. All bidders must supply an acoustic propagation analysis which indicates sound intensity contours at 70dBc and 80dBc dB. Additional propagation analysis for other sound level contours shall be supplied on request. This analysis shall be based on calculations that are obtained using recognized formulas and shall consider topography, speaker mounting height and desired locations per RFP attachment, directionality, sound frequency, local average weather conditions and potential obstructions to the sound path.

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Features: The proposed system shall have the ability to function at various volume levels. Volume shall be adjustable for each individual function and for each element within a function. Volume changes shall be fully programmable and changeable without physical adjustment at the speaker sites. Dual tone generators must be supplied that are capable of being field programmed for tone frequencies between 300 & 1500 Hz. Duration and sweep rate of tones shall be field programmable. Each tone function must further be capable of changing frequency, duration and sweep rates during the generation of that tone pattern, including programmable pauses. All parameters shall be programmable over the air using the control software without requiring a direct connection to the controller. Tone frequencies and durations shall be stable within 1% over normal operating temperatures. To simplify activation in an emergency, it must be possible to program warning scenarios into predefined functions such that a combination of separate functions may be controlled sequentially by the activation of only one command. A minimum of 10 sequential functions must be programmable to enable custom warning scenarios to be developed. Each script must allow the sequencing of siren tones, pauses, digital voice messages and volume changes. Siren tones and digital voice messages shall be stored within individual siren controllers and not transmitted from a central location. Programming software must be provided. Digitally stored voice messages shall be available with a minimum of 480 seconds of voice storage. The system shall also have the capability of Live Public address(Voice) over dedicated microphone located at campus siren activation point utilizing existing encoder Federal Signal SS 2000D and Radio System, or a total replacement of encoder/control Station. Separate volume controls must be available to control Digital Voice volume, live public address volume and siren tone volume. At least one digital voice message shall be field recordable “over the air” using the supplied control software and without the need to replace any chip or other hardware. Standard “.WAV” files shall be recordable as digital voice messages. Hardware and software capable of field recording digital voice messages shall optionally be available to the purchaser, able to be modified without any additional parts. Siren tones shall begin at low volume, increasing to full volume so as to allow anyone working in close proximity an opportunity to take action to

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avoid excessive sound exposure. Output power must begin below (5) watts per amplifier and not reach full output for a minimum of (5) seconds. Amplifiers must be of class D design or equivalent efficiency with a maximum output of 400 watts. Each directional speaker or array shall be supplied by its own amplifier and each amplifier shall be controllable individually so as to facilitate alerting only in specified directions. Amplifier output shall be uniform to within 3dB over the range of 300 to 3000 Hz. Amplifiers must be able to operate for 30 minutes continuously at full power without damage. Amplifiers must be modular and easily replaced without the need to disconnect power or other wiring. The failure of one amplifier shall not effect the operation of the remaining amplifiers. Amplifiers must incorporate protection circuitry against damage caused by short circuit, open circuit and over temperature conditions. This protection circuitry shall reset automatically when the fault is removed. Amplifiers must be able to operate into an open or shorted load without damage. A “quiet test” function must be available to test each amplifier and its associated controls at a frequency above the human hearing range. The status of this test must be encrypted and transmitted to each control point. Each amplifier’s status must be reported individually and include measured output voltage and current. Each controller shall be addressable and controllable utilizing radio communication and RS232 communication and 600 ohm wire-line inputs. These control options must be available simultaneously in order to allow for interface to existing and future types of control and status monitoring systems. Siren Controls shall be certified by U.L. to meet safety standards for fires and shock. The electronics housing shall have a NEMA4 or IP65 rating. The batteries must be in a vented enclosure with a NEMA3 or IP45 rating. Controls shall be battery operated and contain appropriate charging circuitry. Controls shall be modular with component boards that can be replaced with minimal disconnection of any wiring. The battery charger must be separately replaceable from other control components. The battery charger shall have visible indications of operation and completed battery charging. MSU will supply 22 Delco Voyager M24MF batteries for the siren System. Sirens must operate continuously for minimum of (30) minutes using battery power. Chargers shall supply a minimum current of 10 Amps DC and draw a maximum current of 3.5 Amps @120VAC. Chargers shall not be damaged if incorrectly connected to the batteries. Chargers must be certified by UL to meet safety standards for fires and shock. The charger must not cause radio interference.

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Critical siren operating conditions must be monitored and made available to each remote monitoring station. The minimum status conditions to be monitored are: Cabinet Intrusion AC Voltage DC Voltage Battery Charger Tone Generator Amplifiers and Speakers Mode of Operation (Standby, Function 1, etc.) Siren Site Number Type of Siren (Number of Amplifiers and Speakers) Changes in status must be automatically reported to each monitoring station unless the siren is activated. When activated, the siren will only respond when requested to report to minimize traffic in an emergency. A means to check the status of the monitored items must be made available for use at the siren site by service personnel. The system's existing Central Control Station consists of the Federal Commander Digital System (SS 2000D encoder and SFCDWARE package), capable of activating the siren sites individually, in groups, or on an All Call basis. There are three activation points: the campus police dispatcher office, the county 911 Center, and the city Police Department. The new sirens must interface with these encoder/ control stations, or replace them, including the following functions/capabilities: It uses a FSK code format with a minimum of 128 bit encryption. The Status Encoder is capable of receiving status information from the remote sites after any test or emergency activation. It is capable of performing automatic quiet test diagnostics at preset intervals. The status encoder act’s as an interface between the radio communication system and a computer with the Windows XP Professional operating system which will be equipped with a graphical software package that will allow the operator to perform the following functions. A separate modem device to allow interface between the operating software and a radio communications system without the use of an encoder shall be optionally available. System Control Software: System control software shall perform the following functions: -Control the entire system by use of a graphic user interface from the central control point or secondary control points.

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-Display detailed site maps with the siren sites represented by colored icons. -Allow users to add a minimum of 16 map views and add siren site icons to each map. -Report siren status, poll sirens and activate the system from the Map screen. -Provide the ability to activate individual, zone or all sirens within the system. -Provide complete status detail of each siren site by clicking the corresponding colored icon on the map screen. -Program and read from all of the remote sites from the central control point(s) to eliminate the need to visit sites for reprogramming. -Provide 128 bit FSK digital encryption to secure against spurious or mischievous activation. -Provide full status reports on Remote site Parameters, System log entries, Activation records and configuration and RTU status. The software shall include a database configuration to allow the administrator to generate reports based on multiple or a single criteria point. These reports shall be capable of being viewed within the software, printed, or exported for manipulation within a standard database software package such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access. -Provide a minimum of 20 user configurable hot keys for fast and accurate activation -Provide multiple password security to control access to activation, configuration, and hot key control. -Provide a demonstration mode, which eliminates the risk of activation while training, but still allows users to poll the system and/or receive automatic change in status reports. -Provide for at least 20 user configurable events which can be automatically scheduled daily, weekly or monthly. These events allow the user to program automatic monthly activation tests; daily, weekly or monthly quiet tests, and/or other regularly scheduled events.

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-Provide the ability to automatically notify appropriate parties via e-mail in the event of a system problem or failure Installation: It is the University's intent to perform all installation labor; however, the labor portion installation of all proposed equipment shall be bid as an option. Some anticipated locations require poles as shown in Attachment 2; the supply of these shall also be bid as an option. Upon completion of installation a trained representative of its manufacturer shall check all system components and perform system testing. System Support: The bidder shall provide the capability of remotely accessing the system from the bidder’s facility in order to troubleshoot system operation, assist in software system configuration, or for downloading upgraded software. Warranty: The specified equipment shall be covered by a warranty of at least (2) years for parts replacement and (1) year labor for material and manufacturing defects. Warranty shall include on-site service for a period of 1 year from the project completion date. Service shall be performed only by trained technicians. Exceptions: Any exceptions to the above specifications and system description must be detailed in the response to this Request For Proposal, and will be evaluated carefully by the University. References: The Offeror shall provide a list of three references where similar services were provided for state agencies and/or private firms. MSU will contact these references to determine the quality of services rendered; such information will be considered in the evaluation of the bid. The list must include contact person and telephone number.

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Evaluation of Proposals: The Offeror's proposal shall be submitted at the time specified. Designated University staff members shall evaluate the proposals received and will consider the following factors in recommending award to a qualified firm. These factors are not listed in order of import- ance:

Prior Experience 20 pts Proposed Plan 50 pts Price 30 pts

Award Terms: This contract shall be awarded at the discretion of the University based on the capabilities and overall reputation of the Supplier as well as the cost. Acceptance shall be confirmed by the issuance of a purchase order from the University. Taxes: The University is exempt from state sales tax. Payment Terms: Payment will be made within 45 days after material is received and proper invoice is submitted for payment. The Procurement Process: The following is a general description of the process by which a firm will be selected to fulfill this Request for Proposal. 1. Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued to prospective suppliers. 2. A deadline for written questions is set. 3. Proposals – one original and one copy will be received from each Offeror in a sealed envelope or package with the RFP# written on the outside of the envelope. The original shall be signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the firm. Unsigned proposals will not be considered. 4. All proposals must be received by MSU not later than the date and time specified on the cover sheet of this RFP. 5. At that date and time the package containing the proposals from each responding firm will be opened publicly and the name of each offeror. 6. At their option the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in the proposal. 7. Proposal evaluation: The University will review each proposal with regard to the items mentioned above. 8. Offerors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not a request to contract, and the MSU reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers when such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the University.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 07-101 Campus Outdoor Alerting and Public Address System Therefore, in compliance with this Request for Proposals, and subject to all conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees, if this proposal is accepted within 30 days from date of the opening, to furnish the subject services for the costs listed below: BASE PROPOSAL: Provide necessary materials and equipment as described on pages 2 – 7 above: _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ($__________________) Dollars Option 1: Provide necessary labor to install above materials as described on page 6 above and Attachment 2: _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ($__________________) Dollars Option 2: Provide any poles as described on page 6 above and Attachment 2: _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ($__________________) Dollars

Delivery Date: _________________________________