Maryland DHS small procurement: Unarmed security guards for Harford County DSS (3-month term)

Executive takeaway

Maryland Department of Human Services is buying unarmed guard services for three Harford County DSS locations on a 3-month contract, with proposals due August 15, 2022 at 1:00 PM. The opportunity reads like a rapid-turn small procurement: the winner will likely be the firm that can prove immediate staffing coverage, clean compliance, and a clear price on the provided bid form.

What the buyer is trying to do

Harford County Department of Social Services needs on-site, unarmed guard coverage at multiple public-facing facilities, likely to support day-to-day safety for staff and clients. The solicitation explicitly targets three sites:

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

The posting indicates the requirement is posted on eMaryland Marketplace (“Emma”) and uses a DHS small procurement solicitation model with exhibits and a bid form attached.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Provide unarmed security guard services for three separate DSS locations in Harford County.
• Staff, schedule, and manage guard coverage for the 3-month period (confirm exact start/end in attachments).
• Comply with the DHS small procurement contract terms and required solicitation forms (see attachments referenced in the notice).
• Complete and submit the provided bid form (Attachment A) and any required exhibits.

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if you already provide unarmed guard services and can scale quickly across multiple nearby sites in Harford County.
• Bid if your firm is comfortable with a short-duration (3-month) award and can price accordingly.
• Pass if you cannot recruit and deploy guards quickly enough to cover multiple locations with consistent coverage.
• Pass if your team relies on long ramp-up timelines or you struggle with short-term contracts and rapid procurement cycles.

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

• Completed Attachment A – Bid Form (spreadsheet) (verify in attachments).
• Completed DHS small procurement solicitation forms from DHS Small Procurement Solicitation Model (verify in attachments).
• All required Exhibits (Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, Exhibit 3 are referenced) (verify in attachments).
• Acknowledgment of any solicitation identifiers referenced in the notice (e.g., control number and solicitation number) (verify in attachments).
• Submission method and file naming/format requirements (verify in attachments and/or Emma posting).

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

This is positioned as a small procurement with a structured bid form, so pricing clarity matters. Before you set rates, do a quick internal and market check:

• Start with the bid form structure: confirm whether pricing is hourly, per-post, per-location, or a monthly total (verify in attachments).
• Validate staffing assumptions: confirm shift lengths, coverage hours, and whether the buyer expects one guard per site or a pooled approach (verify in exhibits).
• Map cost drivers you can control in a 3-month term: recruiting speed, backfill, supervision, and travel between posts.
• Use comparable DHS guard procurements for competitive context—BidPulsar shows similar DHS unarmed guard solicitations in other counties (see related opportunities below).

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Team with a local security firm to ensure rapid staffing coverage across the three Harford County addresses.
• If you are strong in operations but light on recruiting, subcontract a portion of guard staffing while you retain contract management (ensure the solicitation allows it; verify in attachments).
• Partner with a firm that already supports public-facing facilities to reduce ramp-up risk (confirm any required qualifications in exhibits).

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Short performance period: a 3-month contract can compress recruiting and training timelines—plan for immediate coverage.
• Multi-site consistency: three locations means scheduling and coverage gaps are more visible; build redundancy into staffing plans.
• Attachment-driven requirements: the notice references multiple exhibits and a DHS solicitation model—missing a required form can sink an otherwise competitive bid (verify in attachments).
• Submission channel: the notice references posting on Emma; confirm the required submission method and timestamps there (verify in Emma and attachments).

Related opportunities

• Unarmed Guard Services for Allegany County DSS
• Somerset County DSS: Unarmed Security Guards (Small Business Reserve language included)

How to act on this

1. Open the BidPulsar notice and download all attachments, especially the Bid Form and Exhibits 1–3.
2. Confirm required coverage, term dates, and any mandatory forms in the DHS small procurement solicitation model.
3. Build a staffing plan for the three listed addresses and price using the provided bid form structure.
4. Submit per the instructions in the attachments / Emma posting before the stated deadline.

If you want a second set of eyes on compliance, bid structure, and a fast-turn pricing narrative, contact Federal Bid Partners LLC to support your response package.