RFP # 35910-16927 – Amendment # 4 Page 1 of 13

STATE OF TENNESSEE

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 35910-16927

AMENDMENT # 4

FOR SECURITY PROTECTION SERVICES

DATE: OCTOBER 16, 2026

RFP # 35910-16927 IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. This RFP Schedule of Events updates and confirms scheduled RFP dates. Any event, time, or date containing revised or new text is highlighted.

EVENT

TIME

(central time zone)

DATE

1. RFP Issued SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

2. Disability Accommodation Request Deadline 2:00 p.m. SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

3. Notice of Intent to Respond Deadline 2:00 p.m. SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

4. Written “Questions & Comments” Deadline 2:00 p.m. SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

5. State Response to Written “Questions & Comments”

OCTOBER 16, 2026

6. Response Deadline 2:00 p.m. OCTOBER 23, 2026

7. State Completion of Technical Response Evaluations

OCTOBER 29, 2026

8. State Opening & Scoring of Cost Proposals OCTOBER 30, 2026

9. Negotiations NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2026

10. State Notice of Intent to Award Released and RFP Files Opened for Public Inspection

2:00 p.m. NOVEMBER 6, 2026

11. End of Open File Period 4:30 p.m. NOVEMBER 13, 2026

12. State sends contract to Contractor for signature

NOVEMBER 16, 2026

13. Contractor Signature Deadline 2:00 p.m. NOVEMBER 19, 2026

2. State responses to questions and comments in the table below amend and clarify this RFP.

Any restatement of RFP text in the Question/Comment column shall NOT be construed as a change in the actual wording of the RFP document.

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RFP

SECTION

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QUESTION / COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

1. Please provide the current and anticipated contract-commencement staffing schedule, identifying the location or county, facility type, number of officers per shift, coverage days and hours, and whether each assignment is ongoing or temporary. For temporary assignments, please identify typical durations. Please also identify any known first-year changes and the notice provided when confirmed assignments are reduced or cancelled.

All SPO requests are expected to be filled on a as needed basis and considered temporary depending on the needs of staff and youth

• Staffing schedule: depends on the request for security. Each request is unique and considered temporary.

Usually, requests are in 24hr shifts however, as youth needs change, the shift needs may change in real time.

• Facility Type: Requests may be at DCS offices for a threat (typical shift 8-430 Monday-Friday), or transitional spaces (typical shift is 24 hours).

We have offices in 83 counties and approximately 35 transitional homes across the state.

• Number of officers per shift: Varies per request.

• All assignments are temporary depending on need.

• All requests are on a need basis and vary depending on intake of children and potential threats to DCS offices.

• All notice of cancellation expectation would be in real time, and contractor would be notified via text or email.

• Temporary assignments: See staffing schedule response above

• Known changes: see staffing schedule response above

2. Please provide available monthly service hours and expenditures for the most recent 24 months, separating standard and overtime/holiday hours and identifying the location, county or region where available. Please distinguish hours actually delivered from requested but unfilled hours if that information is maintained. Existing reports are acceptable.

Service hours provided in the past 24 months are not an accurate representation of the agency’s needs.

DCS offices and transitional homes are on a temporary basis and change on a daily basis.

Overtime pay is not included in this contract.

Holiday pay shall follow the State Holiday schedule. This list of dates will be provided to the awarded contractor. Only hours worked on the holiday would be paid.

Requested hours from delivered hours cannot be determined. If a request is not

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QUESTION / COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

filled, in most cases, the transitional home cannot be utilized without security and then the request is cancelled.

3. Please provide the applicable DCS policies and post instructions governing physical intervention, contraband confiscation and continuous line-of-sight supervision. Please clarify the respective responsibilities of Security Protection Officers and DCS staff, including any minimum staffing requirements for these activities. Please also provide the State policies and standards related to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) that apply to officers performing these services.

All policies shall be provided to the awarded contractor for review

Please refer to RFP 35910-16927 Attachment 6.6. Pro Forma Contract for all responsibilities of the SPO.

4. Under Section A.3.u, does responding within six hours of receiving a new security placement request require acknowledgment of the request, confirmation of staffing, or a qualified officer physically on site?

When the State contacts the contract holder to provide security, the clock starts. The officer would need to arrive on post within 6 hours.

The contractor must acknowledge the request from the agency within 6 hours of receipt. This acknowledgement must detail whether or not the contractor can fulfill the request, and an ETA of when an Officer will be at the requested location.

5. Under Section A.4.f, please clarify what event starts the two-hour replacement period for a vacancy or no-show.

The two-hour replacement period starts once the Contractor is notified of a vacancy or no-show.

6. Please also clarify how purchase orders or other authorized service instructions are provided for urgent placements under Section C.1.

All anticipated service needs are included in the maximum liability.

7. For each course listed in Section A.11, please provide the required initial and annual refresher training hours, available delivery options, any applicable training

SPO’s are required to complete two days of required training to be qualified to work

DCS. All training schedules shall be approved/coordinated with the DCS security administrator. The DCS security administrator, member of the Facilities

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QUESTION / COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

fees, and scheduling lead times for approved DCS trainers.

management team, or DCS training department may be present to deliver material or conduct audits on awarded contractor T4T trainers.

The first day of training can be delivered virtually. Approx 6-7 hours depending on class size. The second day of training will be delivered in person. Approx 4-6 hours depending to class size. These hours are billable.

Refresher: 2-hour refresher to be completed annually Training done by DCS and can be hosted via virtual or in-person. These hours are billable.

Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining trainer certification from the Handle With Care organization and be expected to maintain all certifications required to stay current to perform training with SPO’s annually. NOTE: if DCS is offering HWC trainer certification, the contractor can attend (subject to availability and at the discretion of the DCS training department).

Lead times for approved DCS trainers:

The DCS training department would be able to provide this information to the Security Administrator once the contract award is determined.

8. Please also provide DCS Policy

4.1 and clarify the additional background-clearance requirements for officers who already hold a current Tennessee security guard license, including normal processing time after receipt of a complete submission.

DCS Policy 4.1 can be found here:

https://public.powerdms.com/TNDCS/doc uments/2099718

The additional background clearance requires the contractor to provide the DCS Security Administrator with a CS- 0741 form for each SPO who plans to work at DCS. Locations, specific to this contract.

Once this is received by the DCS security Administrator, it would then be sent to the DCS due process unit for processing.

The timeline on this cannot be given, as each background is unique. Once the DCS Security Administrator receives the CS-0741 form back as “No evidence was https://public.powerdms.com/TNDCS/documents/2099718 https://public.powerdms.com/TNDCS/documents/2099718

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found indicating that the person listed above is substantiated as a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect in Tennessee”, the contractor can then complete training with the SPO.

9. Please define the circumstances eligible for billing at the Overtime/Holiday Hourly Rate Per Officer, identify the recognized holidays, and specify any advance approval requirements.

Please distinguish the billing treatment of DCS-requested extended coverage from overtime resulting from contractor scheduling or replacement of an absent officer.

Please see response to question 2.No overtime pay is paid regardless of circumstances.

10. Section A.5.1.d establishes a 30-day transition period beginning on the Effective Date. Must the incoming contractor assume all assigned posts on December 15, 2026, or will coverage transfer in stages during that period?

The 30 day transition is for the new contractor to have staff properly trained according to the DCS training section.

Once officers have been certified and trained, active post will be issued to the new contractor.

11. Please clarify the coverage of responsibilities and handover schedule, including whether existing DCS training and background approvals remain valid for incumbent officers retained by the incoming contractor.

All SPO’ s under the new awarded contract will need to have an updated CS- 0741 background completed, must have current refresher training and a current handle with care certification.

12. Please provide any existing aggregated or deidentified security-incident summaries for the covered locations over the most recent 24 months, particularly physical interventions, staff or youth injuries, elopements and related claims. Individual youth records or personally identifying information are not requested.

This information may be obtained by submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

13. Please confirm the applicable payment timeframe following receipt of a compliant, undisputed

Net 45 days.

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invoice. Please also identify any required site-approved timesheets or other supporting documentation beyond the invoice information listed in Section C.5

Timesheets are required to be kept by contractor and may be asked for by DCS at any time.

14. Please identify the current incumbent contractor or contractor(s) providing the unarmed Security Protection Officer services being recompeted under RFP #35910- 16927, including the applicable current contract number(s).

Blue Life Security LLC. Contract number 81289.

15. Please provide the current hourly rate or rates billed to DCS by the incumbent contractor for Security Protection Officer services, including any separate supervisory, overtime, or other applicable billable rates.

Standard Hourly Rate Per Officer- $33.25/hr.

Holiday Hourly Rate Per Officer- $49.87/hr.

16. If available to the State, please provide the current hourly wage or wage range being paid to Security Protection Officers employed under the incumbent contract.

Please see response to question 15.

17. Please provide the approximate number of Security Protection Officers presently employed or assigned under the incumbent contract.

Additionally, please clarify when the successful Respondent will receive the incumbent employee information contemplated by the transition provisions of the Pro Forma Contract, including available seniority, certification expiration dates, background documentation, and other personnel information necessary to facilitate transition and potential retention of qualified incumbent employees.

As of , September 29, 2026:

West: 2 Mid West: 1 Mid-State: 4 East: 1 TN Valley: 0 North East: 0

Note: these values are subject to change on a daily basis.

Please refer to RFP 35910-16927 Attachment 6.6. – Pro Forma Contract - Section A.5.2. for Incumbent employee information.

See Q. 11 for clarification on background and certification to work DCS.

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18. Who currently provides security services under this contract Please see response to question #14.

19. What locations/addresses are currently serviced under this contract, and what are the required hours of coverage at each location? If these are new services, what cities/areas do you anticipate requiring coverage?

Please see response to question 17. DCS locations cannot be disclosed until the contract is awarded. Please see responses to question 1 for details on expected coverage areas. Most request are 24/7 coverage requests.

20. What are the current bill rates and officer pay rates for the services being provided?

Please see response to question 15.

21. What types of environments are included in the contract (e.g., DCS offices, group homes, mental health facilities, administrative offices, etc.)?

Residential transitional homes and DCS offices.

22. What are the contract’s standard payment terms (e.g., Net 30, Net 45, Net 60)?

Net 45.

23. Please provide anticipated and historical officer hours by facility, region, shift, and standard versus overtime/holiday classification.

Most but not all requests are 24/7 request. Please see responses to question 1, 2 and 17.

24. Please identify the currently anticipated recurring locations and schedules, distinguishing them from temporary/as-needed requirements.

Davidson Co. and Shelby Co. areas generally have recurring coverage, although subject to change due to needs of placement

Please see responses to question 1 and 2.

25. Does the six-hour response requirement for new security placements mean an officer must be physically on post within six hours?

Yes. Please see response to question 4.

26. Are onboarding, DCS-required training, background-processing, supervisory, and relief-officer

Yes.

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QUESTION / COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

costs entirely embedded in the two hourly rates?

27. Are the proposed hourly rates firm for all five years, or may documented statutory wage, payroll-tax, or insurance increases support an adjustment?

Hourly rates shall remain firm through the term of the contract.

28. May [a respondent] identify regional subcontractors in its proposal to strengthen statewide coverage, and can those subcontractors begin the State-approval process before award?

Subcontractors can be used as long as they are qualified to work under the specific guidelines of the awarded contract and approved by the State. to perform such duties. All subcontractors must meet all background, training guidelines to include wearing proper uniform attire.

Please refer to RFP 35910-16927 Attachment 6.6. – Pro Forma Contract – Section D.7. for more information.

29. Please identify the incumbent contractor and current standard and overtime/holiday rates, or provide the current contract number.

Please see responses to question 14 and 20.

30. Is the $15 million maximum liability intended as an expenditure ceiling rather than an estimated contract value?

Correct. This is the expenditure ceiling.

31. Can you provide locations and hours of duties?

Please see responses to question 1.

32. What was the State's expenditure over the last 12 months?

Expenditures for FY26 (Jul 2025-Jun 2026) were $3,125,276.42.

33. How long are temporary assignments?

Please see responses to question 1.

34. Can temporary and on call assignments be billed at the OT rate provided?

No.

35. Are security officers [expected to work] holidays?

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36. When is the contract expected to start?

The start date of this contract will be determined following completion of the event, and prior to the contract being sent to the proposed awardee.

37. Is training provided by DCS?

Yes, some training will be provided by DCS. This will include: T4T training (training the trainer) and the Security Administrator will train SPO’s on SPO expectations and/or the other required modules.

38. Is this training time billable back to the state?

Yes, for the initial training and the 2-hour refresher training.

39. How many youth are at a typical location?

It varies per location, sometimes 1 or more. We will request additional officers depending on number of youth present.

40. Are youth staying overnight at these locations?

41. Is this an office setting or a residential setting?

Mostly residential and occasionally office.

42. Are [security personnel] ever alone with the youth?

No.

43. Please provide the estimated annual number of standard, overtime, and holiday hours anticipated under the contract, as well as the estimated total hours over the five-year term. If available, please also provide actual hours billed during the most recent 12 months.

We cannot provide an estimate for overtime hours because these are driven by daily demands. The State holiday schedule will be provided to the awarded contractor.

44. Does the $15 million maximum liability identified in Contract Section C.1 represent the State’s anticipated five-year expenditure, or is it solely a contractual ceiling with no relationship to projected usage?

See response to question 30.

45. Please provide a list of current and anticipated service locations, including city or county, facility

DCS has 83 county offices.

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type, operating hours, number of posts, officers per shift, days of coverage, and whether any locations require continuous 24/7 coverage.

West Region – 13

Mid-West – 23

Mid-State – 14

TN Valley – 16

East – 17

For safety reasons, transitional home locations will be provided if/when services are needed.

46. Please provide available historical demand information, including the average and maximum number of simultaneous assignments, typical assignment duration, geographic distribution, frequency of short-notice requests, and number of new placement requests during the most recent year.

Please see responses to questions 1, 2,

47. Section A.3.u requires SPOs to “respond” to new security placement requests within six hours. Does “respond” mean acknowledging the request or having a qualified officer physically arrive and assume the post within six hours? When does the six-hour period begin?

Please see response to questions 25.

48. Section A.4.f. requires replacement of an absent officer within two hours. Please confirm when the two-hour period begins, whether the requirement applies to every location statewide, and whether exceptions may be considered for severe weather, road closures, or unusually remote locations.

Please see response to questions 5.This will be on a case-by-case basis.

49. Is there a minimum billable shift length or minimum number of hours for an assignment? Please also identify the cancellation notice DCS will provide and whether scheduled hours are

Shift lengths are determined by the contractor. Current contractor works 12-hour shifts all billed at the hourly rate.

If a shift is assigned, actual hours worked will be paid. Considerations will be made

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billable if an assignment is cancelled after an officer has been scheduled or dispatched.

for travel time on a case-by-case basis.

Scheduled hours will not be paid if the assignment is cancelled anytime during current shift. Cancellation will occur via text message, phone call or email.

50. Given the statewide rapid-response requirements and the absence of a guaranteed service volume, does DCS expect the contractor to maintain dedicated standby personnel? If so, will any compensation be provided for required standby availability when personnel are not actively assigned to a post?

The awarded contractor will be required to adhere to the contract. This question is up to the awarded contractor as to how they will comply. DCS will not pay for any standby personnel.

51. Please confirm that all assignments under this contract will be unarmed, notwithstanding Section A.8’s reference to armed security guard licenses. Please also identify all required uniforms, communications devices, vehicles, safety equipment, restraints, or other contractor-provided equipment.

All assignments are unarmed. The reference in section A.8 allows a security guard to hold either an unarmed or armed license.

Uniformed attire requires the SPO’s to follow TN state laws in accordance with the policies set forth by the TN Insurance and Commence commission.

Please refer to RFP 35910-16927 Attachment 6.6. – Pro Forma Contract - Section A.3 regarding uniform attire. DCS expectation is that the uniformed attire be visible and not covered up when on post.

SPO’s should be in attire that fits the work (i.e. proper clothing and shoes), and clearly identifiable as an SPO.

SPO’s are required to have handcuffs on them at all times.

52. For the five required DCS training courses identified in Section A.11, please provide the duration, delivery format, training locations, class schedule, trainer availability, and any associated fees. Please clarify whether initial and annual refresher training hours are billable. Please also provide DCS Policy 4.1 and the applicable DCS PREA policies and standards.

Please see responses to questions 7 and 8.Training locations will be determined by the awarded contractor.

Class schedule for on-going training will be determined by the awarded contractor in conjunction with the Security Administrator.

All polices will be provided to awarded contractor for review.

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53. Please clarify the SPO’s authority and expected level of physical intervention when separating or escorting youth, confiscating contraband, or responding to behavioral incidents. Are SPOs expected to restrain, search, or transport youth, and will DCS employees remain present whenever these duties are performed?

SPO’s should follow the SPO guidelines and the scope of this contract. All SPO’s should adhere to the handle with care philosophy in all interactions with youth.

Please refer to RFP 35910-16927 Attachment 6.6. – Pro Forma Contract - Section A.3

• SPO main responsibility is to protect, life, safety and property.

• SPO’s will not search youth or transport youth.

• SPO’s should never be left alone with youth.

54. Please provide the current number of incumbent officers by location and shift, current vacancies, turnover information, applicable wage and benefit requirements, and whether any collective bargaining agreement or prevailing wage requirement applies. When will the incumbent employee roster and qualification records be available to the awarded contractor?

Please see response to questions 17.Wage, benefit requirements and collective bargaining agreements are at the discretion of the awarded contractor.

55. Are the standard and overtime/holiday hourly rates expected to remain fixed for the entire five-year term? Will the State permit annual adjustments for changes in wages, payroll taxes, statutory requirements, licensing costs, insurance, or other labor-related expenses?

Please see response to questions 27.

56. Please define when the overtime/holiday rate may be charged, identify the holidays covered by that rate, and clarify whether overtime or holiday hours require advance DCS authorization. Please also confirm that the two rates are intentionally given equal evaluation factors regardless of anticipated usage.

Please see responses to questions 2 and 9.

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57. The contract is effective December 15, 2026, while Section A.5 describes a 30-day transition period beginning on the effective date. Please identify the required service-assumption date and clarify whether the contractor must provide full coverage on December 15 while simultaneously completing the transition period.

Please see response to questions 36.The required service assumption date is December 15, 2026, or when the contract start date is determined. The 30 day transition period is for the new contractor to get up to speed with certification and training requirements to work at our locations. Once achieved, awarded contractor would be expected to work the sites.

3. RFP Amendment Effective Date. The revisions set forth herein shall be effective upon release. All other terms and conditions of this RFP not expressly amended herein shall remain in full force and effect.