Active SLED Opportunity · CALIFORNIA · COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
AI Summary
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office seeks proposals for 24/7 towing, recovery, secure storage, and disposal services to support law enforcement operations. Contractors must have proper licensing, experience, fleet capacity, and comply with environmental and legal requirements. Preference given to experienced law enforcement support providers.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office (“Sheriff’s Office”) is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to provide towing, roadside assistance, vehicle recovery, secure storage, and non-passenger vehicle removal and disposal services in support of Sheriff’s Office operations. The services requested under this solicitation are intended exclusively for Sheriff’s Office and County-authorized operational needs and law enforcement activities. This solicitation is not for public rotation towing services and does not establish or authorize participation in a rotational tow program.
The selected contractor shall provide twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week service coverage within and outside of San Mateo County, as requested by the Sheriff’s Office. Services may include, but are not limited to: towing of Sheriff’s Office vehicles and other vehicles authorized by the Sheriff’s Office; emergency roadside assistance; accident and non-accident vehicle recovery; temporary and secure evidence vehicle storage; and the removal, transport, and disposal of non-passenger vehicles and related property, including recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, boats, and abandoned or unlawfully occupied structures encountered during enforcement or abatement operations.
Contractors must maintain a properly licensed, staffed, and equipped fleet capable of responding to a wide range of operational, emergency, and enforcement-related incidents. Contractors shall demonstrate the ability to meet required response times; comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and environmental regulations; and maintain facilities suitable for secure vehicle and evidence storage. Preference may be given to contractors with demonstrated experience supporting law enforcement agencies, including experience with large-scale vehicle recovery operations, evidence preservation procedures, environmental mitigation requirements, and the removal and disposal of abandoned or unlawfully occupied vehicles and encampment-related property.
The selected contractor shall designate an Account Manager authorized to coordinate services, address operational issues, monitor performance standards, and serve as the primary liaison between the contractor and the Sheriff’s Office throughout the term of the agreement.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office (“Sheriff’s Office”) requires reliable towing, recovery, and vehicle management services to support ongoing law enforcement and County operational activities throughout San Mateo County. Sheriff’s Office personnel regularly require towing and roadside assistance services for Sheriff’s Office vehicles, specialized equipment, evidence-related vehicles, and other vehicles authorized for removal or transport in connection with enforcement operations, collisions, criminal investigations, or public safety incidents. These services are essential to maintain operational readiness, protecting public safety, and ensuring the timely and lawful removal, transport, and handling of vehicles associated with Sheriff’s Office activities. This solicitation is intended solely for Sheriff’s Office operational support services and is not associated with a public rotational towing program.
In addition to routine towing and recovery services, the Sheriff’s Office requires contractor support for the removal, transport, and disposal of non-passenger vehicles and related property encountered during enforcement or abatement operations. Such property may include recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, boats, and abandoned, unlawfully occupied, or nuisance-related structures located on public or private property, where authorized by law. These situations may involve complex ownership verification requirements, environmental compliance obligations, hazardous material concerns, and coordination with other governmental agencies or property owners.
The Sheriff’s Office also requires specialized towing and storage services for vehicles seized, detained, or held as evidence in connection with criminal investigations or enforcement actions. Contractors must be capable of transporting and storing such vehicles in secure facilities that maintain evidence integrity and support documented chain-of-custody procedures in accordance with applicable legal and evidentiary standards.
Because Sheriff’s Office operations occur throughout San Mateo County’s urban, suburban, coastal, and rural areas, the selected contractor must demonstrate the capacity to provide timely, reliable, and continuous service coverage while maintaining appropriate staffing levels, operational readiness, and equipment necessary to respond to routine, emergency, and large-scale incidents.
Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.
An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Micro Business or Micro Non-Profit.
Contractors must meet the following minimum qualifications to be considered responsive to this solicitation:
Licensing and Legal Compliance
The contractor must possess all required federal, state, and local licenses and permits necessary to operate a towing, recovery, and vehicle storage business in the State of California and must comply with all applicable provisions of the California Vehicle Code and other relevant regulations.
Business Experience
The contractor must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing towing, roadside assistance, vehicle recovery, and vehicle storage services.
Fleet and Equipment Capacity
The contractor must maintain a fleet of properly equipped tow trucks and recovery vehicles capable of servicing light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, including equipment necessary for the removal of non-passenger vehicles such as recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, and boats.
24/7 Service Availability
The contractor must be capable of providing 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week service, including emergency response and on-call services throughout San Mateo County.
Secure Vehicle Storage Facility
The contractor must maintain a secure vehicle storage facility capable of safely storing vehicles, including vehicles seized as evidence when requested by the Sheriff’s Office. The facility must provide controlled access and reasonable security measures.
Environmental and Disposal Compliance
The contractor must demonstrate the ability to remove and dispose of abandoned or non-passenger vehicles in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations, including proper handling of vehicle fluids and hazardous materials.
Insurance Requirements
The contractor must maintain insurance coverage, including commercial general liability, automobile liability, and workers’ compensation insurance in amounts required by the County of San Mateo.
Qualified Personnel
The contractor must employ trained and qualified personnel capable of safely performing towing, recovery, and vehicle removal services. Operators must hold valid California driver’s licenses appropriate for the vehicles being operated.
Contract Management
The contractor must designate a primary point of contact or Account Manager to coordinate services with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.
A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes.
As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.
As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:
“Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).
“Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.
If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID.
If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.
Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal. The letter must contain:
Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.
Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.
Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.
This section should correlate to the Scope of Work . Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work
Attach proposed schedule reference ability to complete the project within the County's required time frame
Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:
Provide We require at least three (3) references references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):
The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in Required Documents.
The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.
Update below if needed.
Is there an extension to this agreement?
Modify the extension information below, if needed
How many references are required by the vendor? (Number)
In rare circumstances where there is an expectation that proposers will need to submit trade secrets or other confidential information in order to respond to an RFP.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
SamSearch Platform
AI-powered intelligence for the right opportunities, the right leads, and the right time.