Security Still a Concern for FEMA in Puerto Rico

Washington, DC, Dec. 13, 2017 -- A contract solicitation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicates that they will continue to restore normalcy to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. They are asking small business contractors to provide armed guard security services and equipment at sites located throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Two contracts will be awarded to qualified small businesses based on the most favorable offer. The deadline to submit a proposal to FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security is Friday, December 15. 

The solicitation, originally posted on December 5, asks the potential contractor to provide and maintain all management, supervision, manpower, material, training, equipment, supplies, licenses, permits, certificates, insurance, pre-employment screenings, reports, and files. To prove capability, companies must submit a technical and business proposal via email to contracting officers, Mr. Nilesh Nayak ([email protected]) and Marianne McCallum ([email protected]).

Contractors can be prepared to declare their capabilities for typical security guard tasks. These tasks include the prevention, discovery, delay, and/or detainment of persons attempting to gain unauthorized access to the property and/or personnel at a site. Guards will need to be certified appropriately for carrying a weapon and complete a vigorous background check to meet requirements on a Public Trust High Risk mission. Semi-automatic weapons are the preferred side-arm, but revolvers may be used if approved. These weapons must be authorized by the contracting officer and must be 9mm or .40 caliber. Specific details and templates for the proposal are located on the federal business opportunities website, FBO.gov.

Pricing will not be the only factor when making a determination. The contracting officers will consider the capability and past performance history of all offerors. Contractors need to demonstrate that their business is prepared to handle a job such as this and be able monitor its work through a quality control plan. A recent modification to the solicitation struck out the need for the contractor to provide vehicles such as ATVs and company vehicles equipped with strobe lights. There are other products still needed to fulfill uniform requirements. Some of these products will have to be domestically produced in the United States under the Buy American Act. When foreign produced items are allowed, the point of origin must be declared.

There are only a few days left to submit an offer for this proposal, but it’s not too late for qualified small businesses. In addition, although the period of performance was not declared at this time, the contract will eventually expire. When that happens there may be a changing of the guard and companies should be on the look-out for future opportunities of a similar magnitude.

To submit a proposal on this solicitation, or any future solicitation, entities must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). US Federal Contractor Registration (USFCR), the world’s largest third-party government registration firm, will assist companies when registering in SAM. Experienced case managers will quickly finish SAM registration on a business’s behalf so that they can worry about the business side of their work. If the government solicitation becomes intimidating for a business, USFCR also provides acquisition specialists to give companies advice on the best way to make a proposal on a complex requirement such as this FEMA security guard contract.

If you would like more information please contact David Rockwell at (877) 252-2700 ext.750 or by email at [email protected].