[Protest of Marshals Service Contract Award for Walk-Through Metal Detectors]

A firm protested a U.S. Marshals Service contract award to another firm for walk-through metal detectors, contending that the Service: (1) improperly excluded it from the procurement by denying it a copy of the solicitation; (2) improperly restricted the procurement to two firms; and (3) should have solicited bids from manufacturers of similar metal detectors. GAO held that the Service: (1) properly limited competition, since it urgently needed the acquisition to ensure the security of federal buildings and courthouses; and (2) unnecessarily used a national security exemption to justify the limited competition, since disclosure of the procurement to other firms would not have compromised national security. GAO recommended that the Service modify its exemption regulations. Accordingly, the protest was denied.