Beaufort County | Cooler Tract EMS Station Flagship Facility

Beaufort County is seeking Statements of Qualifications from qualified architectural and engineering firms to provide professional design, planning, permitting, cost estimating, bidding assistance, and construction administration services for the development of a new Emergency Medical Services station at the County-owned Cooler Tract property.

This EMS station is intended to serve as the first flagship County facility developed on the Cooler Tract. The project will establish a high-quality public safety presence on the site and create a strong foundation for future County facility development within the tract.

The proposed EMS station is anticipated to be approximately 20000 square feet and include 6 apparatus bays , staff living quarters, administrative/support spaces, storage, emergency power, site access, parking, stormwater infrastructure, utility connections, and other required building and site improvements.

The County desires a facility that is functional, durable, efficient, future-focused, and representative of the importance of emergency response services within Beaufort County.

Background

Beaufort County has identified the Cooler Tract as a strategic location for future County facility development. The construction of an EMS station as the first flagship building on this tract will support emergency response operations while also helping establish the long-term vision and development character of the property.

The selected firm will work closely with Beaufort County Facilities, EMS leadership, Engineering, Procurement, Planning, Finance, and other appropriate County departments to develop a complete project design that meets operational needs, site requirements, budget expectations, and long-term County goals.

The County is seeking a qualified professional team with demonstrated experience in the planning and design of EMS stations, law enforcement facility, fire-rescue facilities, public safety buildings, government facilities, and site development projects of similar scope and complexity.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 090826
• Department: Facility Management
• Department Head: Jason Bessinger (Interim Facility Management Superintendent)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-08-31T21:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-08-19T18:00:00.000Z — Please email gmurray@bcgov.net for TEAMS invite.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevant EMS, Fire, Public Safety, or Government Facility Experience (30 pts) —

  Requirement:
  Describe the firm’s experience with similar emergency services, public safety, or government facility projects.

  Provide:

  • Examples of similar completed projects
  • Project size, location, client, and completion date
  • Scope of services provided
  • Experience with fire stations, EMS facilities, public safety buildings, or other mission-critical facilities
  • Lessons learned that apply to this project
• Qualifications and Experience of Proposed Project Team (25 pts) —

  Requirement:
  Identify the proposed team and demonstrate their qualifications and experience.

  Provide:

  • Project team organization and roles
  • Resumes of key team members
  • Relevant licenses, certifications, and experience
  • Similar project experience for each key team member
  • Experience working with public safety and government clients
• Understanding of Project Scope, Site, and Operational Needs (15 pts) —

  Requirement:
  Demonstrate an understanding of the project goals, site conditions, and operational requirements.

  Provide:

  • Understanding of project objectives
  • Approach to evaluating operational needs
  • Experience working with emergency response agencies
  • Consideration of site, access, utilities, and community impacts
  • Identification of potential challenges and solutions
• Approach to Programming, Design, Permitting, Resiliency, and Cost Control (15 pts) —

  Requirement:
  Describe the firm’s approach to planning, designing, permitting, and delivering the project within budget.

  Provide:

  • Programming and space planning approach
  • Design process and stakeholder coordination
  • Permitting and regulatory experience
  • Quality control procedures
  • Cost estimating and budget management approach
  • Value engineering and cost-saving strategies
• Experience with Coastal/Hurricane-Resilient Design and Mission-Critical Facilities (15 pts) —

  Requirement:
  Demonstrate experience designing facilities that must remain operational during severe weather or emergencies.

  Provide:

  • Examples of coastal, hurricane, flood-resistant, or resilient projects
  • Experience with emergency power, backup systems, and durable design
  • Approach to protecting critical operations
  • Understanding of resiliency requirements and standards

Submission Requirements

• Firm confirms the proposal is firm for a period of at least 90 days from the closing date for submission of proposal. (required)
• Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary exclusion (required) —

  The contractor certifies, by submission of this qualification statement or acceptance of a contract, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any State, Federal department, or agency.

  It further agrees by submitting this qualification statement that it will include this clause without modification in all lower tier transactions, solicitations, proposals, contracts, and subcontracts. Where the bidder/contractor or any lower tier participant is unable to certify to this statement, it shall attach an explanation to this solicitation/bid.

• Has your company been involved in any litigation within the past five (5) years, arising out of your performance. (required)
• Explain fully any litigation involving performance. (required)
• Non-Segregated Facilities (required) —

  CERTIFICATION BY CONTRACTOR

  Regarding

  NON-SEGREGATED FACILITIES

  The Bidder certifies that he does not, and will not, provide and maintain segregated facilities for his employees at his establishments and, further that he does not, and will not, permit his employees to perform their services at those locations, under his control, where segregated facilities are provided and maintained. Segregated fountains, transportation, parking, entertainment, recreation, ad housing facilities; waiting, rest, wash, dressing, and locker room, and time clock, work, storage, restaurant, and other eating areas which are set apart in fact, or by explicit directive, habit, local custom, or otherwise, based on color, creed, national origin, and race. The Bidder agrees that, except where he has obtained identical certifications from proposed subcontractors for specific time periods, he will obtain identical certifications from proposed subcontractors prior to the award of subcontractors exceeding $10,000.00 which are not exempt from the provisions of the Equal Opportunity clause, and that he will retain such certifications in his files.

  The Bidder agrees that a breach of this certification is a violation of the Equal Opportunity clause in this Contract. The penalty for making false statements is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

• Please upload any relevant certifications and/or licenses
• Qualification Statement (required) —

  To achieve a uniform review process and allow for adequate comparability, the information is to be organized in the manner specified below and the entire package must not exceed 20 double-sided printed pages excluding cover pages. Please include a cover page at the start of each section.

  1. Firm overview and history.
  2. Project team organizational chart.
  3. Resumes of key personnel.
  4. Relevant project experience.
  5. Experience with EMS, fire-rescue, public safety, or government facilities.
  6. Proposed approach to project programming and design.
  7. Proposed approach to budget control and cost estimating.
  8. Proposed approach to schedule management.
  9. Understanding of the Cooler Tract project goals.
  10. References for similar completed projects.
  11. Current workload and ability to meet the County’s schedule.
  12. List any exceptions, qualifications, or exclusions to this RFP
• Will your Pre-Proposal Meeting be Mandatory or Non-Mandatory? (required)
• Will your Pre-Proposal Meeting be In-Person or Online? (required)