Security Guards
The Guard Force Operations Branch (GFOB) was established to ensure the safety and security of 
employees, researchers, contractors, visitors, patients, patient family members and friends to the NIH
campus while safeguarding intellectual assets, property and facilities preserving the NIH’s reputation at the same time while maintaining a sense of openness.
Access to the campus is restricted and perimeter security measures ensure the protection and safety for everyone that will be on campus. Components of the campus perimeter security systems are manned and operated by the NIH Police Department and contract security force monitoring and protecting:
Ø Perimeter Fence
Ø Employee Entrance Gates
Ø Pedestrian Portals and Turnstiles
Ø Gateway Center
Ø West Gateway Center
Ø Gateway Inspection Center (GIC)
Ø Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF)
Ø MLP11 – NIH Visitor Parking Garage
Ø On Campus Buildings
The GFOB and contract security force provide an appropriate level of protection at a reasonable cost with the least imposition to employees, visitors and the NIH Mission.
The mission of the NIH Division of Police (DP) is to protect our country’s national treasure: scientific research and NIH research community and to further ensure that the mission of NIH is not impeded by personal attacks, loss of assets, criminal activity or acts of terrorism.
The Guard Force Operations Branch strives to reduce the probability of weaponized vehicles, weapons, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and other type prohibited items from entering the NIH Bethesda Campus, while ensuring a safe and secure environment for NIH personnel and others at NIH facilities both on and off-campus in the Washington Metropolitan area.
This is done by providing guard services to the NIH in a manner that is sensitive to the NIH research culture and diversity of its staff and visitors. The Guard Force Operations Branch is responsible for providing security guard services for the 360 acre campus at the National Institutes of Health and surrounding off campus locations in Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Poolesville, Ft. Detrick and Baltimore, MD as well as the Rocky Mountain Laboratory facility in Montana.
For further information, contact Major Patricia Haynes, Project Manager for the NIH Security Guard Contract at 301-496-2387 or Haynespa@mail.nih.gov.