Emergency Armed and Unarmed Security Guard Services – Region 01

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is requesting bids on emergency armed and unarmed security guard services in Region 01 across twelve Panhandle and West Texas locations (Amarillo, Dumas, Borger, Pampa, Perryton, Hereford, Lubbock, Plainview, Childress, Brownfield, Levelland, and Littlefield) under IFB HHS0017356, with bids due July 9, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. and questions due June 22, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. A mandatory HUB Subcontracting Plan with a 26 percent VetHUB utilization goal applies to all respondents regardless of VetHUB certification status; failure to submit a compliant plan disqualifies the response.

Security guards must hold active state firearms licenses, possess at least one year of documented security industry experience, be fluent in English, and maintain state licensure and accreditation. Services are required Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time on an as-needed basis, with one-hour response-time commitment. Contractors furnish all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies and are responsible for employment taxes, workers' compensation, and comprehensive background checks on all personnel prior to assignment. DFPS background checks (Form 4048) are mandatory for all contractor employees requiring facility access, including Texas name-based criminal history, DFPS abuse/neglect/exploitation checks, and FBI fingerprint checks where applicable. DFPS data-security requirements apply to personnel accessing DFPS systems.

Insurance requirements include Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1 million combined single limit), Professional Liability ($1 million), and Umbrella Liability ($1 million). Bidders must demonstrate minimum three years of relevant experience and submit three verifiable references for similar contracts within the past five years.

Historical spending was $225,000 from November 2023 through August 2026. The initial contract term runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with two optional one-year renewals and an optional one-year extension. Pricing is firm, fixed hourly rates for armed guards, armed guards (emergency/disaster), unarmed guards, and unarmed guards (emergency/disaster). Price adjustments at HHSC discretion may be tied to Consumer Price Index or Federal Minimum Wage changes. HHSC reserves the right to make single or multiple awards based on best-value consideration.