BCIT Project Management for Fire Alarms Upgrade Project

Project Value: $420,000

BCIT retained Binnie in July of 2020 to help deliver a fire alarm upgrade for NE23/24/28 and SE16 as part of the campus-wide continuation of the fire panel replacement program and replacement of an aged life safety system to bring the campus to modern standards.  BCIT’s objective was to bring consistency and alignment with campus standards.

Binnie’s role as the Owner’s Representative included managing the Prime Consultant, General and Electrical Contractor. In addition, Binnie ensured BCIT stakeholders (schools and faculty) were engaged in the project and managed and monitored communications throughout the project lifecycle. Binnie’s team worked with BCIT stakeholders to plan and sequence the project so that the contractor could enter all the occupied or locked rooms, which was further compounded by the works being completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Greater coordination was required to reach all the necessary locations and then disinfected.

The project also had secure rooms which required additional coordination with staff to provide access and then ensure that security was onsite during work. These circumstances presented numerous challenges to ensure that the project did not disturb staff. In addition, Binnie worked closely with the team coordinating exam relocations during the project to ensure that there was no cross-over between exams and on-site noise, so understanding and scheduling rearrangements were required.

This project has also been adversely affected by the long lead times caused by the pandemic and world-wide semiconductor shortage, which has extended the completion date. Our Project Managers managed the project by keeping BCIT fully informed at every step. Maintaining communication with staff, faculty, and students have been key to completing this project with minimal disturbance.