unarmed-guard-services-3

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. 3.15.4 All incidents must be reported in the log and prov ided to the SCDS S Contract Monitor, Director of the SCDSS or his/her designee by the start of the next morning’s shift. 3.15.5 At the conclusion of each shift, Guards shall leave the log at their assigned desk for review by the SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee . 3.16 Assignment of Guards 3.16.1 The Contractor must assign the same Guard to the same shift on the same days of the week. This will ensure continuity for staff and the operation. 3.16.2 The Contractor sh all at no time furnish Guards who have not met minimum qualifications and training as required by the Contract. 3.16.3 All Guards must be punctual and have a good attendance record. Guards who are constantly tardy and who have a record of unsc heduled absences will not be allowed to continue to work under this Contract at the Site. 3.16.4 The Contractor must furnish a qualified replacement Guard within two (2) hours if assigned Guard is absent for any reason . Failure to provide a replacement Guard will result in the Contractor being held liable for costs incurred by the SCDSS to obtain replacement security guards . Upon request by the SCDSS Contract Monitor or Director, the Contractor agrees to remove any guard who, in the opinion o f the SCDSS, is unsuitable to perform Guard Services . 3.17 Procedures for Security and Background Checks The Contractor must obtain (at their own expense) background checks for personnel applying for the Guard position at the Site . The results of the background checks must be forwarded the SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee . 3.17.1 Background checks are required for all Guards assigned to the SCDSS. In order to allow the Contractor sufficient opportunity to obtain Maryland State Police, NCIC, and FBI criminal background checks; proposed Guards will be allowed to work at the Site for up to ninety (90) days pending satisfactory receipt of background checks . In general, prospective Guards with criminal records and/or probation will not be acceptable for work at SCDSS. 3.17.2 Pursuant to Title 19, Subtitle 4 of Maryland Code , Business Occupation s and Professions Article . Each Guard shall be either: (1) certified as a security guard by the Secretary of the State of Police; or (2) meet one of the exceptions to security guard certification under Maryland Law. Two Exceptions:  First, a licensed security guard agency may provide an un certified individual if the security guard agency has submitted the application, fingerprint cards, and records fee for the individual’s certifications and the Secretary of State Police has not disapproved the application.  Second, if the security guard is currently certified by the Maryland Police and Corrections Training Commission as a police officer, the security guard is not required to also be certified as a security guard. 3.18 Wages Protocols The Contractor must pay the unarmed guards in accordan ce with the Maryland Living Wage Law (see Section 33). The Contractor must pay the unarmed guards accepted by the Somerset County DSS a minimum of $10.7 0 per hour. In the event the Living Wage rate for Tier 2 is increased during the contract period, the rate paid to employees shall be increased to meet or exceed that Living Wage, See Title 18, State Finance and Procurement Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. Increase in any state or federal wage rates may no t be passed onto the agency or the State of Maryland and is the sole responsibility of the Contractor. 3.19 Responsibility for Keys It is the responsibility of the Contractor and his/her employees to ensure the safe keeping of all keys that have been assigned to them. In the event that any assigned key is lost or stolen, the Contractor is responsible for any cost associated with re -keying or replacement of the locks involved. Any lost or stolen key will be reported to the SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee immediately, in writing and verbally. 3.20 Changes To Scope of Work 3.20.1 Any change to the scope of this Contract requires pre -authorization in writing to the SCDS S Contract Monitor, and the SCDSS Director. 3.20.2 The SCDS S Contract Monitor may, at any time, change the scope of work of the Contract by written contract modification. On the designated eff ective date, the Contractor shall make the required changes in his operations. 3.20.3 Upon receiving notice of the change, the Contractor ’s monthly invoice will be adjusted to reflect the value of the change in services under this Contract . 3.21 Termination 3.21.1 Somerset County DS S reserves the right to cancel this Contract if funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support the continuation of this Contract. The State shall have the right to terminate this Contract and the Contractor is not entitled to recover any costs not incurred prior to termination. However, this does not affect either the State's or the Contractor's rights under any other termination clause in the contract. 3.21.2 Contractor will receive 30 days written notice from the Contract Monitor of any above cancellation action to this contract. 3.22 Hourly Billing Rates 3.22.1 The hourly rate submitted as the base price in response to the Bid shall be for non- overtime work regardless of the day of the week or hour of the day the work is to be performed. This same rate shall be used when required by the State to work special hours providing additional security under the Contract. The State shall not be respo nsible to pay overtime rates made necessary due to the Contractor’s failure to provide guards at non - overtime rates. Overtime which is the respo nsibility of the State must be approved in advance by the SCDS S Contract Monitor. 3.22.2 It shall be the Cont ractor ’s responsibility to pay any shift differential for a substitute Guard if a situation develops where a higher paid Guard replaces a lower paid Guard. 3.22.3 These rates will be used in computing additions to, or deductions from, the Contract or monthly payment, for changes to the specified duties and/or scope of work, for extra work required by the State or for penalties imposed on the contractor as indicated elsewhere in the specifications. Each hourly rate shall include direct w ages, all indirect expenses, materials and supplies normally used, use of any equipment, and the Contractor overhead and profit. 3.22.4 The Contractor must pay the Guards a minimum of $13.00 per hour. 3.23 Penalty for Failure to Provide Guard In the event that the SCDSS Contract Monitor or his/her designee finds it necessary to assign State personnel to provide security for any amount of time for which the Contractor was responsibl e under this contract, SCDSS reserves the right to refuse paymen t for that period of time the contractor failed to provide services, and to hold the contractor liable for any wages paid to State personnel or another vendor to perform security duties normally performed by the Contractor . Nothing in these conditions shal l be deemed to limit the State’s right or remedies in the event the state’s actual damage exceeds the amount withheld from billing. The State’s failure, at any time, to require performance of the provisions shall in no way affect the State’s rights to en force it for subsequent occurrences. The State reserves the right to withhold payment in part or in full based on any claim of the State of a debt owed to the State arising from any other cause. 3.24 State Supplied Services and Facilities The SCDSS will make available to the security guard, based on duty requirements, appropriate work area, photocopying services, fax machine, telephone, and controlled amounts of office supplies. Agency will supply hand -held wan, metal detector, batteries and mainten ance. Parking space will be available, but will not be assigned. 3.25 Reductions For Non -Performance Or Failure To Meet Standards: The following reductions shall be used in adjusting the Contractor’s invoice when the Contractor fails to perform any task required in these specifications or performs any task below the standards as required in these specifications. a. First occurrence - written documentation notice from the Contract Monitor to the contractor. b. Second occurrence - written documentation and deduction of 1/60th of monthly invoice amount. c. Third occurrence - written documentation and deduction of 1/30th of monthly invoice amount. d. Reductions for “No Shows” may be based on the normal number of Contractor’s personnel assigned to the building multiplied by the hours normally worked by the Contractor. e. Reductions for below standards work may be made if, after the second documented notification, the Contractor has not corrected the deficiency and State workers are ass igned to perform the task. Reductions will be based on the hourly wage rate of the State employee assigned to perform the task times the hour/hours required for State workers to perform the task. f. Reductions for non -performance may be made if the task was not done and State workers have to be assigned immediately to perform the task. Reductions will be based on the hourly wage rate of the State employee assigned to perform the task times the hour/hours required for State workers to perform the task. g. The referenced conditions (exa mples) may result in Termination of Contract for Default by the Procurement Officer. 3.26 Disputes Arising From Reductions : a. Should the Contractor dispute the validity of a reduction determination made by the SCDSS Assist Director , (Claudia Nelson) it may appeal the reduction to the Director of the SCDSS within seven (7) calendar days of receiving notice of the reduction. b. The Director of the SCDSS will review the reduction and make a written determination as to its validity within seven (7) days of the receipt of the appeal from the Contractor. c. Should the Contractor disagree with the decision of the Director of the SCDSS, the Contractor may appeal the Director of the SCDSS’s decision to the Chief of A dministrative (Cynthia Smith) Services for the Department of Human Services, 311 W. Saratoga Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 within seven (7) calendar days of the receipt of the Assist Director decision. d. The Chief of Administrative Services (Cynt hia Smith) shall review all documentation, evidence and arguments of the Contractor and the Director of the Somerset County DSS and make a written determination as to the validity of the reduction within seven (7) days of receiving the appeal from the Contractor. 3.27 Security Requirements 3.27.1 Employee Identification (a) Each person who is an employee or agent of the Contractor or subcontractor shall display his or her company ID badge at all times while on State premises. Upon request of authorized State personnel, each such employee or agent shall provide additional photo identification. (b) At all times at any facility, the Contractor’s personnel shall cooperate with State site requirements that include but are not limited to being p repared to be escorted at all times, providing information for badge issuance, and wearing the badge in a visual location at all times. 3.28 Information Technology (a) Contractors shall comply with and adhere to the State IT Security Policy and Standards. These policies may be revised from time to time and the Contractor shall comply with all such revisions. Updated and revised versions of the State IT Policy and Stand ards are available online at: www.doit.maryland.gov – keyword: Security Policy. (b) The Contractor shall not connect any of its own equipment to a State LAN/WAN without prior written approval by the State. The Contractor shall complete any necessary paperwork as directed and coordinated with the Contract Monitor to obtain approval by the State to connect Contractor -owned equipment to a State LAN/WAN. 3.29. Insurance Requirements 3.29.1 The Contractor shall maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with limits sufficient to cover losses resulting from, or arising out of, Contractor action or inaction in the performance of the Contract by the Contractor, its agents, servants, employe es, or subcontractors, but no less than a Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury, Property Damage, and Personal and Advertising Injury Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2 ,000,000 aggregate. 3.29.2 The Contractor shall maintain Automobile and/o r Commercial Truck Insurance as appropriate with Liability, Collision, and PIP limits no less than those required by the State where the vehicle(s) is registered , but in no case less than those required by the State of Maryland. 3.29.3 Fidelity Bond – Contractor's employees shall be bonded by a company approved by the Maryland Insurance Commissioner to issue such bonds in Maryland. The bond or bonds shall protect the State against loss by theft of money or other property from the premises to which the Stat e or others may sustain as a result of any fraudulent or dishonest act of Contractor's employee, acting alone or in collusion with others, during the term of the contract. Said bond or bonds shall have a limit of $2,500 per occurrence, per employee. Contra ctor must deliver said bond or bonds to the State no later that time of award. 3.29.4 Within five (5) Business Days of recommendation for Contract award, the Contractor shall provide the Contract Monitor with current certificates of insurance, and shall update such certificates from time to time but no less than annually in multi -year contracts, as directed by the Contract Monitor. Such copy of the Contractor’s current certificate of insurance shall contain at minimum the following: a. Workers’ Compens ation – The Contractor shall maintain such insurance as necessary and/or as required under Workers’ Compensation Acts, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Federal Employers’ Liability Act . b. Commercial General Liability as required in Section 3.29.1 c. Automobile and/or Commercial Truck Insurance as required in Section 3.29.2 d. Employee Theft Insurance as required in Section 3.29.3 3.29.5 The State shall be listed as an additional insured on the policies with the exception of Worker’s Compensation Insurance and Professional Liability Insurance. All insurance policies shall be endorsed to include a clause that requires that the insurance carrier provide the Contract Monitor, by certified ma il, not less than 45 days’ advance notice of any non -renewal, cancellation, or expiration. In the event the Contract Monitor receives a notice of non -renewal, the Contractor shall provide the Contract Monitor with an insurance policy from another carrier at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the insurance policy then in effect. All insurance policies shall be with a company licensed by the State to do business and to provide such policies. On the Certificate of Liability, the “DESCRIPTION OF OPERATI ONS” shall read as follows: “UNARMED SECURITY SERVICE AT 30397 MOUNT VERNON ROAD, PRINCESS ANNE, MD 21853. THE STATE OF MARYLAND IS INCLUDED AS AN ADDITIONAL INSURED SOLELY WITH RESPECT TO THE OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE NAMED INSURED”. (SCDSS/SG -20- 001-S AND CONTRACTOR) 3.29.6 The Contractor shall require that any subcontractors providing services under this Contract obtain and maintain similar levels of insurance and shall provide the Contract Monitor with the same documentation as is required of t he Contractor. 3.30 Problem Escalation Procedure 3.30.1 The Contractor must provide and maintain a Problem Escalation Procedure (PEP) for both routine and emergency situations. The PEP must state how the Contractor will address problem situations as the y occur during the performance of the Contract, especially problems that are not resolved to the satisfaction of the State within appropriate timeframes. The Contractor shall provide contact information to the Contract Monitor, as well as to other State personnel, as directed should the Contract Monitor not be available. 3.30.2 The Contractor must provide the PEP no later than ten (10) Business Days after notice of Contract award or after the date of the Notice to Proceed, whichever is earlier. The PE P, including any revisions thereto, must also be provided within ten (10) Business Days after the start of each Contract year and within ten (10) Business Days after any change in circumstance which changes the PEP. The PEP shall detail how problems with work under the Contract will be escalated in order to resolve any issues in a timely manner. The PEP shall include:  The process for establishing the existence of a problem;  The maximum duration that a problem may remain unresolved at each level in the Contractor’s organization before automatically escalating the problem to a higher level for resolution;  Circumstances in which the escalation will occur in less than the normal timeframe;  The nature of feedback on resolution progress, including the frequency of feedback to be provided to the State;  Identification of, and contact information for, progressively higher levels of personnel in the Contractor’s organization who would become involved in resolving a problem;  Contact information for persons responsibl e for resolving issues after normal business hours (e.g., evenings, weekends, holidays, etc.) and on an emergency basis; and  A process for updating and notifying the Contract Monitor of any changes to the PEP. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any rights of the Contract Monitor or the State which may be allowed by the Contract or applicable law. 4.0. Invoicing 4.1 General (a) All invoices for services shall be signed by the Contractor and submitted to the Contract Monitor. All invoices shall include the following information:  Contractor name;  Remittance address;  Federal taxpayer identification number (or if sole proprietors hip, the individual’s social security number);  Invoice period;  Invoice date;  Invoice number  State assigned Contract number;  State assigned (Blanket) Purchase Order number(s);  Services provided; and  Amount due. Invoices submitted without the required infor mation cannot be processed for payment until the Contractor provides the required information. (b) DHS reserves the right to reduce or withhold Contract payment in the event the Contractor does not provide the Department with all required deliverables within the time frame specified in the Contract or in the event that the Contractor otherwise materially b reaches the terms and conditions of the Contract until such time as the Contractor brings itself into full compliance with the Contract. Any action on the part of the Department, or dispute of action by the Contractor, shall be in accordance with the prov isions of Md. Code Ann., State Finance and Procurèrent Article §§ 15-215 through 15 -223 and with COMAR 21.10.02. 4.2 Invoice Submission Schedule The Contractor shall submit invo ices in accorda nce with the following schedule: (a) At the end of each calendar month, the Contractor shall submit an invoice to the SCDSS for work done during the month. Invoices shall indicate the number of non -overtime hours and overtime (where applicable and previously approved by the SCDSS) work hours for the entire month. (b) Each invoice submitted shall clearly identify the month for which payment is due under this invoice period in a conspicuous place on the fact of the invoice. Copies of the time sheets for the invoice period must accompany the invoice . (c) The SCDS S Contract Monitor or his/her designee shall not be responsible for any invoice submitted prior to the last day each month or after the 15th of the following month for which the services were rendered. To avoid mailing problems, address all inv oices to the following: DHS/Accounts Payable 311 W Saratoga Street, 9th Floor Baltimore MD 21201 5. CONTRACT TERM The Contract resulting from this solicitation will be for a 5-month period beginning December 02, 2019 and ending April 30, 2020 . 6. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS The Bidder shall, and upon Contract award to Contractor shall continue to be, certified by the by the Maryland State Police as a Licensed Security Guard Agency . Required Documentation : As proof of meeting this requirement, the Bidder shall provide with its Bid a current certificate issued by the Maryland State Police evidencing the Bidder’s certification as a Licensed Security Guard Agency. 7. STATE CONTRACT MONITOR The State contract monitor for this Contract is: Crystal Corbin 30397 Mount Vernon Road Princess Anne , MD 2185 3 410-677-4385 After Contract award , this person will serve as the primary poin t of contact for the Contractor in regards to the Contract resulting from this IFB. However, for certain contract relate d actions the Procurement Officer may co mmunicate with the Contractor . 8. SUBMISSION INFORMATION The original, to be so identified, and one (1) copy of each Bid must be received by the Procurement Officer by November 18, 2019 @ 10: 30 am in order to be considered. Requests for extension of this date or time shall not be granted. Vendors mailing Bids should allow sufficient mail delivery time to insure timely receipt by the Procurement Officer. Bids or unsolicited modifications to Bids arriving after the closing time and date will not be considered, except under the conditions identified in COMAR 21.05.02.10 B and 21.05.03.02 F. Oral, electronic mail, and facsimile Bids will not be accepted. Bids are to be delivered via USPS, Courier o r hand delivered to : Shirelle Green, Procurement Officer The Department of Human Services 311 W. Saratoga Street, 940 -B Baltimore, MD 21201 410-767-7370 Inquiries must be directed to the Department at the above telephone number and address. Bid Submissi on shall include: A. References (3) must be on the company’s letterhead that is providing the reference and state services required under this solicitation. B. Attached B , Bid Form signed and completely filled out C. Proof of Insurance RECEIPT, OPENING, AND RECORDING OF BIDS: Receipt : Upon receipt, each Bid and any timely modification(s) to a Bid shall be stored in a secure place until the time and date set for bid opening. Before Bid opening, the State may not disclose the identity of any Bidder. The Bid Opening shall be on Novembe r 18, 2019 @ 11:30,a.m Opening and Recording : Bids and timely modifications to Bids shall be opened publicly, at the time, date and place designated in the Solicitation . The name of each Bidder, the total Bid price, and such other information as is deem ed appropriate shall be read aloud or otherwise made available. 9. BASIS FOR AWARD The Contract will be awarded to the responsible Bidder who submits a responsive Bid that meets the specifications set forth in the Small Procurement Solicitation and prov ides the most favorable Bid price . In the event of tie bids, the provisions of COMAR 21.05.02.14 shall determine the successful bidder. 10. DEPARTMENT CONTRACT The successful bidder will be expected to sign a contract with the Department; sample enclos ed as ATTACHMENT A. small procurement contract DHS 615 11. CANCELLATION OF BIDS The State may cancel this Solicitation, in whole or in part, whenever this action is determined to be fiscally advantageous to the State or otherwise in the State’s best interest. If the Solicitation is canceled, a notice of cancellation will be provided to all prospective Bidders who were sent this Solicitation or otherwise are known by the Procurement Officer to have obtained this Solicitation. 12. ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS The State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Bids, in whole or in part, received in response to this Solicitation, or to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities to serve the best interests of the State of Maryland. 13. TIME OF BID ACC EPTANCE The content of this Solicitation and the Bid of the successful Bidder or Bidders will be included by reference in any resulting Contract. All prices, terms and conditions in the Bid are irrevocable for 90 days after the closing date for receipt o f Bids or Best and Final Offers, if requested (Note: Best and Final Offers CANNOT be requested for Bids). This period may be extended by written mutual agreement between the Bidder and the requesting State organization. 14. PAYMENT The Department reser ves the right to reduce or withhold Contract payment in the event the Contractor does not provide the Department with all required deliverables within the time frame specified in the Contract or in the event that the Contractor otherwise materially breache s the terms and conditions of the Contract until such time as the Contractor brings itself into full compliance with the Contract. Any action on the part of the Department, or dispute of action by the Contractor, shall be in accordance with the provisions of Md. Code Ann., State Finance and Procurement Article §§ 15-215 through 15 -223 and with COMAR 21.10.02. 15. PROCUREMENT METHOD (Mandatory Provision) This award will be made in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 21.05.07, Small Procurement Regulations. Small procurement is defined as the use of procedures to obtain items reasonably expected by the Procurement Officer to cost $50,000 or less. Minority Business Enterprises are strongly encouraged to respond to this solicitation.