Department of Human Services

DHS Small Procurement Solicitation Rev. 2/2018 Page 1

Maryland’s Human Services Agency

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVI CES
Somerset County Department of Social Services
SMALL PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION FOR
Unarmed Security Guards
DHS AGENCY CONTROL NUMBER: SCDSS /SG-20-001-S

(Note: If you are designating this solicitation a Small Business Reserve procurement, please
include the paragraph below otherwise this language should be deleted )

SMALL BUSINESS RESERVE ONLY PROCUREMENT

This i s a Small Business Reserve Procurement under COMAR 21.11.01.06. Only businesses that
meet the statutory requirements set forth in State Finance and Procurement Article, §§14 -501 —
14-505, Annotated Code of Maryland, and that are registered with the Departme nt of General
Services Small Business Reserve Program are eligible for award of a contract. See the attached
Notice to Bidders ( ATTACHMENT C ) for more information on the Small Business Reserve
Program. (Please Note: Under COMAR 21.11.01.06.A.2 (b) , procurements involving
expenditures of federal dollars are exempt to the extent that their inclusion in the program
is in violation of federal law or grant provisions.)

1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

The State is issuing this solicitation for the purpose of procuring two (2) unarmed security guards
(collectivly, the Guard) to ensure the safety of c lients and staff of the Somerset County
Department of Social Services (SCDSS) . These services are schedule to start December 2, 2019
to April 30, 2019 for a five (5) month term.

There will be a mandatory pre bid conference held on Wednesday November 13, 2019 @
10:00 am , at the Somerset County Department of Social Services, 30397 Mount Vernon Road,
Princess Anne, MD 21853. A post-award meeting will take place five day prior to contract start
date.

2. BACKGROUND

SCDSS is a local agency of the State of Maryland under the Department of Human Services
(DHS). S CDSS consists of app roximately 72 staff members housed in two building s located at
30397 Mount Vernon Road, Princess Anne, MD 21853 and 30415 Mount Vernon Road, Princess
Anne, MD 21853 .

3. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

3.1 General Requirements

3.1.1. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform the
Guard Services for Site, grounds, and parking lot, including escorting clients to their car
upon request in strict conformity with the methods and conditions hereinaft er specified.

3.1.2 The t wo (2) Guards shall perform Guard Services on State workdays, Monday through
Friday during regular business hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

3.1.3 Guard Services include coverage of the internal and external building rounds. Guard
Services shall also include operation of a hand -held and/or walk - through metal detector.
Procedures for the operation of these items are included as Exhibit 2 .

3.2. Working Hours and Location

3.2.1 The following location and schedule represent t he maximum number of hours anticipated
for the scope of the Contract. SCDSS will notify the Contractor of any additional after -
hour services on an as -needed basis in writing.

A. Physical Location: 30397 Mount Vernon Road, Princess Anne, MD 21853 (Bldg 1)
and 30415 Mount Vernon Road, Princess Anne, MD 21853 (Bldg 2) (collectively,
the Site)

B. Standard operating hours of the SCDSS are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.
through 5:00 p.m.

Bldg 1 Guard: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm = 8 hours per day x 5 months = 848 hours
Bldg 2 Guard: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm = 8 hours per day x 5 months = 848 hours

3.2.2 The Guard shall have an unpaid hour lunch break each day. Each Guard will cover the
other during lunch break s and other breaks as necessary.

3.2.3 On a daily basis, both Guards will make sure all customers have left the Site before
departure.

3.3.3 State Holidays
The following State Holidays will be observed by the SCDSS and the Contractor:

New Year’s Da y, Christmas Day , Presidents’ Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday

The Governor of Maryland may authorize additional days which will be observed by both the
SCDSS and the Contractor. Guard Services shall not be provided on State Holidays and these
days are not billable to the State. Official State closure days due to inclement weather and
Services Reduction days will also be observed. These days are not billable under this Contract.

3.4 The State Agrees

3.4.1 To provide written instructions specifying the days and hours of the week Guard Services
are to be provided, duties to be performed by the Guard and location of Guard posts. This
information will be prepared by the SCDSS and furnished to the successful Bidder

(Contractor) after the award of the Contract. The SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her
designee may alter these instructions at any time.

3.4.2 Not to solicit the Contractor’s employees for hire, however, it cannot accept
responsibility for the Equal Employment Opportunity Program of the Department of
Budget and Management, which provides equal job consideration and certification to all
job applicants.

3.5 SCDSS Contract Monitor

The SCDSS Contr act Monitor for this project is Crystal Corbin , Assistant Director - LGA . The
SCDSS Contract Monitor will work directly with the Contractor; and will be the day -to-day
contact with the Contractor during the Contract term. The SCDSS Contract Monitor will work
with the DHS Procurement Officer to ensure Contractor compliance under this Con tract.

3.6 Contractor’s Project Manager

The Contractor shall provide the name, current telephone number, and email address of a “ Project
Manager” who will serve the primary contact person for this Contract . The Project Manager must
be available during no rmal business hours and at any other time in case of emergencies to make
all necessary arrangements for Guard Services.

The Project Manager shall:

3.6.1 Meet with SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee , every three months to review , at a
minimum , the Guards’ performance, training, and discuss communication between the
SCDSS and the Contractor. SCDSS reserves the right to request additional meetings.

3.6.2 Assure all Guard shifts are covered as directed by these specifications.

3.6.3 Review the log book making note of any rounds missed and checking the log for a notation as
to why rounds were missed during the quarterly meetings.

3.6.4 Provide the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee with a copy of the Contractor’s
Organization Chart and updates they made within twenty -four hours and/or upon request.

3.6.5 Train replacement Guards as needed (see Section 3.9.5) . All replacement Guards must be
approved by the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee .

3.6.6 Provide a corrective action plan(s) (CAP) to the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her
designee within ten (10) business days for any issues such as Guard performance,
attendance, Guard discipline, or any other issue that may arise . The SCDSS Contract
Monitor or his/her designee will rev iew the CAP and provide feedback and enhancements
to the Contractor. The SCDSS must approve the final version of the CAP . Should the
Contractor and the SCDSS Contrac t Monitor not agree on an appropriate CAP , then the
recommendation provided by the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee will be the
CAP that the Contractor must use.

3.7 Standards and Qualifications of Guard

3.7.1 The Guard, and any replacement Guard , assigned to this Contract must meet the
following general requirements:

A. Must be at least twenty -one (21) years of age;

B. Must be a high school graduate or have an equivalency certificate;
C. Must have at least two (2) years of experience in security/law enforcement work;
D. Must have the ability to greet and interact positively and courteously with the
public;
E. Must speak, read, and write English in a clear and concise manner;
F. Must be able to read, understand, and apply printed rules and directions;
G. Must be in good general health and able to stand and/or walk for an entire shift and
able to lift or carry objects of up to fifty (50) pounds;
H. Must be capable of self -defense;
I. Must be able to run and climb stairs;
J. Must maintain a current First Aid Card and will be required to show the card upon
request;
K. Must be CPR certified by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or
other recognized certifying body;
L. Must not have criminal records or be on probation;
M. Must not have been convicted or charged with any form of domestic violence.

3.8 Qualifications Verification

3.8.1 On the first day of the contract, the following information shall be submitted by the
Contractor to the SCDSS Contract Mon itor or his/her designee :

A. Copy of Guards’ drivers’ license
B. Copy of Guards’ high school diploma or equivalency certificate
C. Copy of Guards’ resume that reflects two (2) years of experience in security/law
enforcement
D. Copy of current First Aid certification card
E. Copy of CPR certification card
F. Copy of Guards’ background check

3.9 Training

3.9.1 Each Guard must meet the following training /orientation requirements listed in section
3.9.2 and 3.9.3 , and the Contractor must submit to the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her
designee written evidence that each employee assigned to this Contract been trained and
certified as specified in this sec tion within five (5) days of completing the training.

3.9.2 The SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee along with the Contractor shall
present an initial orientation for the assigned and replacement Guards. The
orientation /training will include:

A. Tour of the Site and grounds;
B. Location of fire, safety equipment, and alarms;
C. Use of an incident report;
D. Organization and mission of the Agency;
E. Post assignments;
F. Response procedures to emergencies, fire alarms, injured or sick
persons, bomb threats, police assistance, other disasters;
G. Orientation to Agency programs; and
H. Sign-In and Out procedures.

3.9.3 The Contractor shall be responsible to arrange and provide for all necessary or required
job-related training on an ongoing and consistent basis for the term of the Contract at no

additional cost to the SCDSS. The training should include the following
subjects:

A. Conduct on duty;
B. Appearance;
C. Uniforms and equipment;
D. Public relations;
E. Taking notes and notifying authorities;
F. Report writing;
G. Communication – Telephone, verbal, written;
H. Found property procedures;
I. Bomb threat procedures;
J. Security of elevators, proximity doors, alarms;
K. Fire and safety procedures;
L. First Aid and CPR;
M. Legal restriction on search and seizure;
N. Escort techniques;
O. Observation and description detention;
P. Terrorism and hostage situations;
Q. Response to crime in progress; and
R. State Rule s, Procedures, Policies.

3.9.4 All replacement Guards shall meet the same training requirements, and the Contractor
shall be responsible to train new and replacement employees in the areas required.

3.9.5 SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee is authorized to inspect, monitor, and
evaluate the training curriculum. The SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee may
ask for a copy of the training curriculum at any time and the Contractor shall provide the
training curriculum within five (5) busi ness days.

3.9.6 If training sessions are held during the week, it will be the Contractor’s responsibility to
have a replacement Guard assigned to the Site during these training sessions at no
additional cost to the SCDSS.

3.10 Guard Duties

3.10.1. All Guards assigned to this c ontract shall follow, at a minimum, the DHS Security
Guard General Orders ( Exhibit 3 ). Guard duties to be provided shall include, but are
not limited to the following:

A. Guard the premises against fire, theft, pilferage, malicious injury, damage
and destruction.

B. Make interior and exterior perimeter checks at minimum every two (2) hours for fires,
unauthor ized persons, mechanical system alarms, secured doors, unnecessary lights, and
other things as specified by the SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee .

C. Permit only authorized persons to enter the SCDSS controlled access areas.

D. Report in writing any unusual occurrences and/or incidents that happen
during the course of duty by way of an Incident Report (Exhibit 1 ).
This report must be completed immediately following an incident. The
original report shall be given to the SCDS S Contract Monitor .

E. Assure no unauthorized person or person(s) are in the building at the beginning of
the shift and prior to close of shift. If customers are still in the building at the end of
the shift , the guard shall remain until the last customer has left the building.

F. Escort visitors to meeting rooms.

G. Participate in scheduled disaster and fir e drills in accordance with the SCDSS ’s
establis hed evacuation plan. Guard s will make sure lobby and employee area are
clear before leaving. If anyon e is in the building, the Guard will ask them to leave. I f
the person(s) refuse , the Guard will leave and report it to the SCDSS Contrac t
Monitor and the Director of SCDSS or his/her designee , immediately.

H. Patrol parking areas and grounds to prevent theft and vandalism to vehicles and
property .

I. Escort staff, visitors, and customers to and from cars in the parking lot during
darkness or when requested.

J. Guard s shall be issued build ing access card. The building access card will be
in the possession of the Guard at all times. The Guard will sign a document that states
that he/she has received the building access card and the Guard must return the
building access card since it i s State property.

K. The Guard shall notify the Princess Anne Police Department and the SCDS S
Contract Monitor or his/her designee in case of theft, vandalism, unauthorized entry,
unsuccessful de -escalating situations, or a ny other crime. The Guard shall write an
Incident Report (Exhibit 1) and present it to the SCDS S Contract Monitor and the
Director of the SCDSS or his/her designee no later than the next business morning.

L. The Guard shall write and submit Incident Reports (Exhibit 1) to the SCDS S
Contract Monitor or his/her designee for the following, but not limited to: threats,
maintenance, suspicious activity, potential safety hazard s, verbal abuse, assault,
unusual activity, etc.

M. Direct service workers, delivery persons, and others to the correct entry and
procedures.

N. If and when necessary, inform all employees, customers and visitors of the State’s no
smoking regulations as per the Governor’s Executive Order of 1992.

O. Upon arriving to work, the Guard will sign in. The Guard will sign out at the end of
the shift.

P. Guards shall instruct customers to be seated in the waiting area in a quiet and orderly
manner while waiting to be seen. At no time while on duty will the Guard leave the
Site unattended. The Contractor Project Manager and the SCDS S Contract Monitor
or his/her designee must be notified if a Guard has to leave the Site while on duty and
must stay at the Site until a replacement Guard has arrived.

Q. When requesting leave, the Guard must notify the Contractor Project Manager and the
SCDS S Contract Monito r as early in advance as possible so that that Contractor can
find a replacement Guard.

R The Guard must notify the Contractor Project Manager and SCDSS Contract Monitor
or his/her designee immediately in the event of an unscheduled absence so that the
Contractor can find a replacement Guard.

S. Politeness and courtesy must be shown to customers and employees at all times.
Effective customer service is DHS ’s primary goal.

3.12 Guards Shall Not

3.12.1 Carry any weapons such as guns, knives, mace, nightsticks, tasers, etc.

3.12.2 Leave the facility unattended.

3.12.3 Bring their children, grandchildren, relatives or pets to work with them or to babysit
them during their shift.

3.12.4 Have visitors during their shift.

3.12.5 Fraternize with customers, staff, and other guards while on duty.

3.12.6 Have others congregating at the security desk.

3.12.7 Use force except to defend themselves or others when in immediate danger.

3.12.8 Make verbal or written statements regarding incidents, situations, or circumstances at
the Site. The exception is when logging an incident report as required elsewhere in
these specifications.

3.12.9 Engage in any unauthorized invest igative or detective work.

3.12.10 Surrender keys to any unauthorized individual without the prior approval of the
SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee .

3.12.11 Disclose elevator codes, door cipher codes, access card, nor any other secur ity codes of
the Site.

3.12.12 Remove keys, supplies, furniture, or equipment from the Somerset County DSS
facility.

3.12.13 Make personal telephone calls unless under extreme emergency situations consistent
with the SCDSS ’s telephone policy or use any computer, personal or SCDSS related
without the express permission of the SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee .

3.12.14 Eat or drink while on duty, except during breaks or specified lunch times; such
exceptions will be confined to the employer ’s lunch room.

3.12.15 Smoke or chew tobacco in any area of the building while on duty or off duty.

3.12.16 Engage in loud or boisterous behavior.

3.12.17 Under the influence of alcohol or drugs (grounds for immediate termination).

3.12.18 Participate in any form of gambling.

3.12.19 Sleep while on duty.

3.12.20 Confiscate any money inadvertently left in the Agency or on the Agency grounds.

3.12.21 Permit customers or staff members to sit at the security desk with the guard.

3.12.22 Soliciting on State property is prohibited.

3.12.23 Make any arrests or detentions of individuals.

3.12.24 Sign a complaint on behalf of any State agency or State employee.

3.12.25 Request the towing of any vehicle without consent from the SCDS S Contract Monitor
or his/her designee .

4.1 Guard Equipment

4.1.1 The Contractor shall issue and pay for equipment as specified below for all Guards
while on duty:

A. Guards must be issued and wear uniforms bearing insignia and/or name of
the Contractor which is clearly visible to the public while performing Guard
Duties .
B. Guards must be issued and wear name plates/tags with their names clearly
printed and visible to the public while on duty.
C. Guards must have flashlights and all replacement batteries.
D. Guards must have a two -way radio which must be kept in the Guards’
possession at all times while on duty.
E. Other equipment as may be agreed upon as part of the terms of this Contract.

3.13 Guard Appearance and Uniforms

The Contractor shall provide:

3.13.1 Guards ’ clothing. Guards shall arrive ready for duty and completely outfitted. The
uniform shall consist of the following:

A. Shirts (short sleeve and long sleeve), at least three (3) each
B. Uniform tie,
C. Uniform trousers, at least three (3)
D. Uniform winter coat or rain gear as the season and weather dictates.

3.13.2 Uniforms must fit properly and must be clean and pressed.

3.13.3 Shoes must be black and in good condition and polishe d.

3.14 Guard Uniform Expense

The Contractor shall pay the cost, maintenance, and upkeep of uniforms; and cannot pass those
costs to the employee (as a deduction from wages), in accordance with the Labor and
Employment Article, § 3 -503, Annotated Cod e of Maryland.

3.15 Guard Logs

3.15.1 The Contractor shall provide a logbook for the Guard to make daily shift entries of all
activities and special notes. This logbook is to be reviewed weekly by the SCDS S
Contract Monitor or his/her designee .

3.15.2 All Guards shall sign in and out in the logbook. At the beginning of each shift, all
Guards shall prepare the guard log by assigning that day’s date, print and sign his/her
name.

3.15.3 All entries in the Guards’ log book shall be printed or written legibly. Any
falsification of information written or printed in the log is grounds for denying
payment to the Contractor and/or possible termination of the Contract.