Intrusion Detection and Duress Alarm System

The County of San Mateo (“County”), through the Tax Collector’s Office, is seeking information from qualified vendors regarding intrusion detection and duress alarm system solutions for a public-facing tax collection satellite location.

The satellite location will be located in the newly constructed North County Wellness Center (NCWC) in South San Francisco, California. The Tax Collector’s Office will co-occupy a portion on the first floor, and the office will be open to the public to accept in-person property tax payments seasonally.

No contract will be awarded as part of this Request for Information (RFI).

This RFI solicitation document is being issued for market research to obtain general information from suppliers about their products, services, and capabilities to assist the County in the development and issuance of a potential future Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation for the Tax Collector's Office.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 15210-26-02
• Department: Treasurer-Tax Collector
• Department Head: Sandie Arnott (Treasurer-Tax Collector)

Evaluation Criteria

• Scope of Information Requested —

  The County operates a tax collection satellite location in the city of South San Francisco that accepts in-person property tax payments, including significant sums of currency, checks, and electronic payments. The facility consists of five (5) cashier workstations and one (1) public-facing glass entry door.

  Due to the significant sums of currency, checks, and electronic payments and public-facing nature of operations, the County is evaluating security solutions that provide reliable duress alarm activation, intrusion detection, and 24-hour professional monitoring, with law enforcement notification when appropriate. Note, not covered in this scope of service is surveillance camera monitoring.

  The County requests detailed written responses describing system capabilities, installation approach, monitoring services, compliance standards, and budgetary estimates for a system.

  The County intends to use information gathered through this RFI to refine technical specifications and determine procurement strategy.

  For planning purposes, a schematic of the TTC space is included in the Attachments section.

• Submission Deadline —

  Proposals must be electronically received by 12:00 pm, on Friday, April 10, 2026 via the County's eProcurement system.        

  Allow sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. Partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. The eProcurement system submission time will be the official submission time. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to slow internet connections or for any other failure of the eProcurement system.

  NOTE: The County does not maintain the eProcurement system and is not liable for site failures or technical problems. To resolve technical issues, contact OpenGov Technical Support directly by using the real time chat located in the lower right hand corner of the screen, or via email at procurement-support@opengov.com

   https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

• Pre-submission Registration —

  Organizations or individuals interested in responding to this solicitation must register online with the County of San Mateo at:

  •  https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

  It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to timely register with the eProcurement system.

• Duress/Panic Alarm Capability —

  The proposed system shall provide independent duress alarm capability at each of the five cashier workstations.

  • Vendors shall describe the available panic device configurations with the preference being a wireless battery powered solution. 
  • Vendors shall explain whether the alarm activation is silent or audible and how individual workstation activation is identified at the monitoring center.
  • Vendors shall describe reset procedures, tamper protection features, and safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized disabling or manipulation of the devices.
• Submission via eProcurement Portal —

  Required Documents

  Documents requested in the RFI

   Electronic Submissions 

  Include the proposer name and the RFI title and number in each filename. Submit proposals via the eProcurement website, allowing sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. As noted above, the eProcurement portal submission time will be the official submission time, and partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. Contact eProcurement Portal with technical questions regarding this site.

  Conflicts between Certain Requirements 

  It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to timely register with the eProcurement system.

  Format

  Documents should be created in the following format:

  • Text should be Times New Roman (12-point minimum font size) and unjustified (i.e., with a ragged-right margin)
  • Pages should have margins of at least one inch on all sides (excluding headers and footers)
  • If the proposal is lengthy, a Table of Contents should be included.
  • PDF format is preferred.

  Errors in Proposals 

  The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are late, incomplete, missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any remaining RFI requirements. 

• Intrusion Detection – Front Entry Door —

  The proposed system shall include monitoring for one public-facing glass entry door.

  • Vendors shall describe available detection technologies, including door contact sensors and glass break detection capabilities.
  • Vendors shall explain how the system detects forced entry and how after-hours monitoring is managed.
  • The response shall also describe how entry-point monitoring integrates with the control panel and remote monitoring center. 
• Control Panel and Keypad —

  The County anticipates installation of a centrally located physical keypad panel.

  • Vendors shall identify the proposed control panel manufacturer and model and confirm whether the equipment is UL listed.
  • Responses shall describe access code management, user-level permissions, audit trail capabilities, and event logging functionality. 
  • Vendors shall also provide information regarding battery backup duration, surge protection, and system supervision features.
• Communication & System Redundancy —

  Vendors shall describe the communication methods used between the facility and the monitoring center, including primary and backup pathways.

  • Responses shall address IP-based communication, cellular backup, dual-path redundancy, encryption standards, and signal supervision.
  • Vendors shall describe how communication failures are detected and reported and how system uptime is maintained.
  • Describe procedures for immediate dispatch notification, communication with local law enforcement, event documentation, and post-incident reporting.
• Monitoring Services —

  Vendors shall provide detailed information regarding 24-hour professional monitoring services.

  • Responses shall include monitoring center location(s), UL certification status, average response times, and escalation procedures.
  • Vendors shall describe how law enforcement notification is initiated and coordinated with local dispatch agencies.
  • False alarm management procedures, documentation practices, and routine testing services shall also be addressed.
• Installation & Implementation —

  Vendors shall describe the installation methodology.

  • Responses shall include estimated timelines and infrastructure requirements.
  • Provide cabling or wireless considerations.
  • Information regarding staff training and system orientation shall also be provided.
• Maintenance & Service —

  Vendors shall describe preventative maintenance programs, emergency service response times, warranty coverage, and equipment replacement policies.

  • Responses shall explain how software and firmware updates are managed and how ongoing system performance is ensured.
  • The system may interface with County networks or remote monitoring platforms, vendors shall describe encryption standards, credential management practices, and network security protections.
  • Vendors shall describe CJIS compliance and data retention policies. 
• Open-Architecture —

  The proposed system must utilize non-proprietary, open-architecture control panels and components. The hardware must be 'universal,' meaning it can be programmed, serviced, and monitored by any UL-Listed central station or licensed security integrator without requiring manufacturer-specific proprietary software or 'dealer-locked' codes

• Budgetary Information (Non-Binding) —

  Vendors shall provide estimated cost ranges for equipment, installation, monthly monitoring, and annual maintenance.

  • Vendors may also provide information regarding multi-year service agreements and optional system enhancements.
  • All cost information shall be clearly labeled as non-binding and for planning purposes only.
  • It will be the County's prerogative to put out for bid monitoring as desired and have control over the hardware for future successors. 

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications —

  Respondents shall provide a company overview, including years in business and experience serving California public agencies.

  Vendors shall provide their California Alarm Company Operator License number and proof of insurance coverage.

  Responses shall include at least three references for similar installations, preferably involving government facilities or high-cash-handling environments.

• Submit Scope of Work Summary (required) —

  Responses must be submitted electronically through OpenGov by the date and time indicated in the solicitation posting.

  Responses should be clear, organized, and concise in PDF form. Marketing materials shall be clearly identified as supplemental information.

• Solution Summary —

  This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. It does not constitute a competitive solicitation and does not commit the County to award a contract. Questions related to scope of work.

  The County will not pay any costs incurred in responding to this RFI. The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses, to seek clarification from any respondent, and to issue a subsequent solicitation.

  Responses may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq.).

  Submission of a response does not create any binding obligation on the part of the County.

• Name of Organization (required)
• Name of Contact Person (required) —

  Name:

  Title:

  Contact Email:

  Contact Phone Number:

• Brief Introduction of the Firm and Solution. (required)
• Insert a Link for Short Video of Solution Capability.
• Use Electronic Line Item Pricing? (required)