diff --git a/src/autora/experiment_runner/experimentation_manager/firebase/__init__.py b/src/autora/experiment_runner/experimentation_manager/firebase/__init__.py
index 80f050d..255374c 100644
--- a/src/autora/experiment_runner/experimentation_manager/firebase/__init__.py
+++ b/src/autora/experiment_runner/experimentation_manager/firebase/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import time
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Optional
 import numpy as np
+import pandas as pd
 import warnings
 
 import firebase_admin
@@ -43,8 +44,10 @@ def _sequence_to_db_object(iterable, save=False):
         warnings.warn('Converting np.int64 to int to store in Firestore, may loose precision')
     if is_float64:
         warnings.warn('Converting np.float64 to float to store in Firestore, may loose precision')
-    return {i: int(t) if isinstance(t, np.integer) else float(t) if isinstance(t, np.floating) else t if isinstance(t,
-                                                                                                                    dict) else json.dumps(
+    return {i: int(t) if isinstance(t, np.integer) else float(t) if isinstance(t,
+                                                                               np.floating) else t if isinstance(
+        t,
+        dict) else json.dumps(
         t) for i, t in enumerate(iterable)}
 
 
@@ -235,7 +238,8 @@ def set_up_experiment_db(
     """
     app, seq_col = _get_collection(collection_name, firebase_credentials)
     condition_dict = _sequence_to_db_object(condition)
-    _set_up_experiment_db(seq_col, condition_dict, doc_out, doc_in, col_observation, col_condition, is_append)
+    _set_up_experiment_db(seq_col, condition_dict, doc_out, doc_in, col_observation, col_condition,
+                          is_append)
     firebase_admin.delete_app(app)
 
 
@@ -276,7 +280,8 @@ def send_conditions(
     _set_meta(seq_col, condition_dict, doc_meta, is_append)
 
     # setup db for conditions and observations
-    _set_up_experiment_db(seq_col, condition_dict, doc_out, doc_in, col_observation, col_condition, is_append)
+    _set_up_experiment_db(seq_col, condition_dict, doc_out, doc_in, col_observation, col_condition,
+                          is_append)
 
     firebase_admin.delete_app(app)
 
@@ -319,7 +324,8 @@ def get_observations(collection_name: str,
 
 
 def check_firebase_status(
-        collection_name: str, firebase_credentials: dict, time_out: int, pids_aborted: list = []
+        collection_name: str, firebase_credentials: dict, time_out: Optional[int] = None,
+        pids_aborted: list = []
 ) -> str:
     """
     check the status of the condition
@@ -337,7 +343,6 @@ def check_firebase_status(
             (2) finished -> collection of observations is finished
             (3) unavailable -> all conditions are running, recruitment should be paused
     """
-
     if not firebase_admin._apps:
         cred = credentials.Certificate(firebase_credentials)
         app = firebase_admin.initialize_app(cred)
@@ -362,9 +367,7 @@ def check_firebase_status(
                 is_aborted = False
                 if "pId" in value:
                     is_aborted = value['pId'] in pids_aborted
-                # check weather the started condition has timed out, if so, reset start_time and
-                # set available True
-                if time_from_started > time_out or is_aborted:
+                if is_aborted:
                     doc_ref_meta.update({key: {"start_time": None, "finished": False, "pId": None}})
                     available = True
                 else:
@@ -377,3 +380,6 @@ def check_firebase_status(
         return "finished"
     # if all start_times are set, but there is no data for all of them, pause the condition
     return "unavailable"
+
+
+