Council approves $788,572 fire-alarm monitoring contract to tie buildings into single platform

Taylor City Council voted to approve a sole-source contract with NightWatch to install a citywide fire alarm monitoring system that ties all city building alarms into one command platform. Staff said the purchase price is $780,764 with a 1% contingency, producing a not-to-exceed total of $788,572, and that funding will come from TBA capital outlay.

City IT and public-safety staff told the council the system was selected because NightWatch is the authorized vendor for Verkada and the platform integrates with the city's existing security command center, giving dispatchers immediate visibility of alarms across facilities. "NightWatch is a preferred is the authorized vendor for Verkada," a staff member explained during the discussion. Staff also described warranty and licensing terms (three-year sensor warranty and a five-year licensing window) and said annual testing and maintenance will continue as required by the state of Michigan. Council members asked whether the city compared competing vendors and how the sole-source designation was justified; staff said the system ties into existing equipment and that mixed-vendor approaches would cost more and complicate operations.

The council approved the motion by voice vote after brief discussion. The contract approval was presented as part of the regular agenda and described by staff as a lifecycle replacement of end-of-life equipment that would improve response times and interoperability for first responders.