Award Watch: Unarmed guard services (Harford County DSS) — short-duration, multi-site coverage

Executive takeaway

Maryland Department of Human Services is seeking unarmed security guard services for three Harford County DSS locations on a 3-month contract, with proposals due 8/15/2022 at 1:00 PM. This looks like a fast-moving small procurement (posted on eMaryland Marketplace/“Emma”), so the practical differentiators are immediate staffing readiness, a straightforward post plan per site, and clean compliance with the state’s small procurement solicitation model and exhibits.

What the buyer is trying to do

The buyer is looking to establish unarmed guard coverage for Harford County Department of Social Services facilities. The notice calls out three locations in/around Bel Air and Havre de Grace, Maryland, and indicates the contract is for 3 months. The solicitation package includes a bid form spreadsheet and multiple exhibits that likely define the required posts, hours, and expectations—those details should be confirmed in the attachments.

Locations mentioned in the notice:

• 2 South Main Street (Mary Risteau Building)
• 101 South Main Street, Suite 200, Bel Air, Maryland 21014
• Family Investment Office, 2029 Pulaski Highway, Havre de Grace, Maryland 21008

What work is implied (bullets)

• Provide unarmed guard services at three Harford County DSS-related sites (verify post locations and coverage requirements in attachments).
• Staff guards for the required schedule(s) and maintain continuity of coverage for the 3-month period.
• Follow the state’s small procurement solicitation requirements and complete the provided bid form (spreadsheet).
• Comply with the requirements contained in the solicitation exhibits (Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, Exhibit 3; verify scope specifics in attachments).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Should bid
  • Security firms already operating in Maryland that can mobilize quickly for a three-site assignment.
  • Providers with strong scheduling discipline and backup coverage plans (short-term contracts still require stability).
  • Firms experienced with public-facing government facilities where foot traffic and de-escalation may matter (confirm expectations in exhibits).
• Should pass
  • Firms that cannot reliably recruit/onboard and schedule guards within a short ramp-up window.
  • Teams without capacity to cover multiple locations without excessive overtime or staffing risk.
  • Offerors who cannot meet the submission format requirements (bid form + exhibits + small procurement model).

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say 'verify in attachments')

• Completed Bid Form spreadsheet (Attachment A) (verify in attachments).
• Completed/acknowledged small procurement solicitation model document (verify in attachments).
• Completed responses to Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, and Exhibit 3 (verify in attachments).
• Confirmation of the solicitation identifiers referenced in the notice (e.g., solicitation number and reference numbers) on all submitted documents (verify exact labeling requirements in attachments).
• Any required signatures, certifications, or pricing schedules included in the package (verify in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

This is a short-duration, multi-site unarmed guard requirement. To price it credibly without overextending, build your estimate from the attachments and then validate against operational reality:

• Extract the staffing model from the exhibits: number of posts, hours per day/week, and any special coverage periods (verify in attachments).
• Model coverage costs: include base wages, payroll burden, supervision, training/onboarding time, and relief coverage assumptions.
• Account for multi-site logistics: travel time between locations and the operational cost of managing three separate facilities.
• Risk-price the short term: a 3-month term can drive higher recruiting/onboarding cost per billable hour—decide whether to treat this as a foot-in-the-door contract or strictly margin-protecting.
• Research comparable state/local guard awards: use BidPulsar and the source posting on eMaryland Marketplace (“Emma”) to find similar unarmed guard service awards and typical evaluation approaches (price-only vs. best value) for small procurements.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Prime with a local/regional security firm and subcontract overflow/relief staffing to a smaller licensed provider to stabilize coverage (confirm subcontracting terms in the small procurement model).
• Partner with a firm that already has guards cleared/onboarded in the region to reduce ramp-up risk.
• If the exhibits require specific reporting or administrative deliverables, team with a back-office provider to keep compliance clean and timely.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Tight turnaround: posted 8/9/2022 with proposals due 8/15/2022 at 1:00 PM—little time for questions or revisions.
• Attachment-driven scope: post coverage, hours, and any site rules appear to be contained in exhibits—missing a requirement could make the bid nonresponsive.
• Multi-site scheduling risk: three locations can create coverage gaps if staffing is thin or call-outs aren’t handled with a relief bench.
• Short contract term: recruiting/onboarding costs can dominate—ensure your staffing plan is realistic for a 3-month performance period.

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How to act on this

1. Open the BidPulsar notice and download all attachments (bid form + solicitation model + exhibits).
2. Build a one-page site coverage plan per location (posts, hours, supervision, relief coverage) based strictly on the exhibits.
3. Complete the bid form and cross-check that every exhibit requirement is addressed.
4. Submit by the stated deadline (8/15/2022 at 1:00 PM) using the method specified in the solicitation package.

If you want an independent compliance check before you submit, engage Federal Bid Partners LLC to review the package for responsiveness against the bid form, solicitation model, and exhibits.