Sudbury seeks design funding for school fire alarms, bidirectional amplifiers and a district HVAC study

Town staff asked the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee on a Zoom meeting to include design funding for replacement fire alarms, emergency lighting and bidirectional amplifier (BDA) radio systems at Sudbury public schools and a separate engineering study of rooftop HVAC systems covering all five schools.

The committee heard that the fire alarm and emergency-lighting design work and BDA design for the district are at the end of their useful life and would require new systems. “The estimate that we have for that work…would be a hundred and $90,000 to do that work,” said Sandra, Town staff, describing two engineering quotes she obtained for fire alarm and BDA design. She told the committee the BDA — a bidirectional amplifier system — “allows for police and fire to be able to communicate during an emergency” and that none of the Sudbury K–8 schools currently have a BDA.

Committee members also reviewed a proposed HVAC capital-improvement engineering study for the five schools. Sandra said the study would produce a detailed existing-conditions summary, conceptual stretch-code–compliant equipment options, electrification opportunities and cost estimates. “The study would include mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and a cost estimator,” she said, and noted a structural engineer might be needed for rooftop load analysis. The cost estimate provided by the vendor was $152,000, which Sandra identified as a firm engineer quote.

Committee members asked procurement questions after staff said the discipline quotes had not been competitively bid. Bill asked whether multiple bids were required; Sandra said she had requested a budget quote rather than soliciting formal bids and that formal procurement would follow if money were provided. “If I were to procure this, then yes,” Sandra said when asked whether bids would be required.

Chandra asked whether results of the HVAC study would feed back into the town’s capital-renewal software; Sandra said the study would be used to populate the town’s capital-renewal program and inform timing and costs for future capital plans. The committee requested follow-up on procurement approach and confirmation of vendor quotes before capital night.

The requests were presented as capital articles in the town manager’s FY2026 budget book; no formal committee vote on funding took place at the meeting.