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saitâ€™s new approach to campus security

q&a with top security exec at canada post

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Canadian

May/June 2015

The publication for professional security management

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www.canadiansecuritymag.com

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Boutique-style guarding firms discuss personalized service and how they can outdo the big guys

2015-05-21 1:59 PM

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CONTENTS 3

Canadian The publication for professional security management

Columns

Volume 37 Number 3

Bespoke service Small and mid-sized Canadian guard companies discuss issues with payroll, training and technology, and how a personal level of service can make a huge difference to their clients

9 risk perspective The human factor

Departments 4 editor’s notebook That makes 10 6 trending

8 ASIS update Networking, forensics, drones and more at ASIS Best Practices 19 product Focus Mass notification

Cover photos: sandra strangemore

Taking charge

21 Q&A Rita Estwick, Canada Post’s director, enterprise security development

The security and IT staff at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology are managing as much of their infrastructure as they can in-house

22 world watch African agency combats student identity fraud; NYC Marathon gets up to speed on surveillance

By Linda Johnson

16 visit www.CanadianSecuritymag.com Security leaders will be dropping by our studio in 2015, so be sure to check out the video section of our website for new content.

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Canadian

4 editor’s notebook By Neil Sutton

That makes 10 Celebrating a decade of excellence with the Security Director of the Year award

’ve worked as a journalist in security for about eight years now and one of the major hallmarks I’ve noted in the industry is its sense of camaraderie. I’m not sure there’s any magic formula that makes security a community, but there are certainly a number of contributing factors. The industry has particularly strong and active representation through associations like ASIS International, CANASA, APSA, IAHSS and many others. The community is also fostered through common goals and pain points. While circumstances have certainly changed over the last 10 years, security professionals still have to fight for a seat at the C-suite table and their piece of the corporate budget. This in turn has created a sort of crusade mentality leading to a “The community is sense of common purpose. There’s also a bootstrap, fostered through can-do attitude in security, particularly for those who started on the front line in a guarding role. common goals and I don’t think there are too many professions where a person can literally start their career at pain points.” minimum wage, possibly working a night shift, and work their way through to an executive position in the span of little more than a decade. Many of the top security professionals I have met over the years tell a version of that story. Canadian Security contributes to the community through our coverage of important issues in this magazine and our support of and participation in industry events, including our own events, like the Focus On Series. But I think one of the most important ways we participate is through the Security Director of the Year award, sponsored by Anixter Canada, which is now entering its 10th year. The qualities the judges look for from candidates are: leadership, project management skills, ingenuity, and the ability to tackle problems and recognize opportunities. Judges will also look for a candidate’s participation in outside groups, but more importantly, the degree to which they are able to foster positive relationships within their own organizations through encouragement and mentorship. It’s interesting to revisit the cover stories we’ve written about previous winners. Some have remained at the same organization, growing their own departments while addressing new challenges, while others have chosen different paths. A prime example of that is Dave Tyson, who was with the City of Vancouver when he won the Security Director of the Year award in 2007 and is now with SC Johnson with various stops along the way. Tyson is also the current president of ASIS International — the first Canadian to assume that role. I’m sure he would be the first to say that the community aspect of the security industry is one of its most enduring qualities; he has continued to support this magazine by making himself available for interviews and speaking at our events. At this point, I don’t know who the 10th Security Director of the Year will be, but he or she will be in good company. If you know of a security leader who values professionalism and community, please nominate them today. More details are available at www.canadiansecuritymag.com/security-director-of-the-year.html.

The publication for professional security management

Group Publisher Paul Grossinger pgrossinger@annexweb.com

Account Coordinator Trish Ramsay tramsay@annexweb.com

Publisher Peter Young pyoung@annexweb.com

Circulation Lisa Thomson lthomson@annexweb.com

Editor Neil Sutton nsutton@annexweb.com

Director of Soul/COO Sue Fredericks

Art Director Graham Jeffrey gjeffrey@annexweb.com

Editorial and Sales Office 222 Edward Street, Aurora, Ontario L4G 1W6 (905) 727-0077 • Fax (905) 727-0017 Web Site: www.canadiansecuritymag.com Canadian Security is the key publication for professional security management in Canada, providing balanced editorial on issues relevant to end users across all industry sectors. Editorial content may, at times, be viewed as controversial but at all times serves to inform and educate readers on topics relevant to their individual and collective growth and interests. Canadian Security is published six times per year by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Subscriber Services: Lisa Thomson lthomson@annexweb.com P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5 Tel: 866-790-6070 ext (201) Fax: 877-624-1940 I.S.S.N. 0709-3403 Printed in Canada Canada Post: Customer #6597297, Agreement #40065710. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5 Subscription Rates: Canada: 1 year $40.00 + HST; U.S.A. (payable in US dollars): 1 year $60.00; International (payable in US dollars): 1 year $75.00 The contents of Canadian Security are copyright by ©2015 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.

Editorial Advisory Board Jason Caissie Profile Group

Tracy Ann Kosa Microsoft

Carol Osler TD Bank

Ken Close Trillium Health Partners

Bill McQuade Final Image

Theresa Rowsell Target

Ashley Cooper Paladin Security

Clark Northcott Pelco by Schneider Electric

Tim Saunders G4S

David Hyde Hyde & Assoc.

Malcolm Smeaton Whitehorse Group

@SecurityEd May/June 2015 • www.canadiansecuritymag.com

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6 trending Calendar World Conference on Disaster Management June 8, 2015 Toronto, Ont. www.wcdm.org Focus On Retail Security June 10, 2015 Richmond Hill, Ont. www.focusonseries.ca Security Canada West June 17, 2015 Richmond, B.C. www.securitycanadaexpo.com IAHSS Ontario Chapter Golf Tournament July 10, 2015 Aurora, Ont. www.iahss.org Security Canada Atlantic September 15, 2015 Halifax, N.S. www.securitycanadaexpo.com Retail Council of Canada Loss Prevention Conference September 16, 2015 Toronto,Ont. www.retailcouncil.org Focus On Hospitality Security September 24, 2015 Richmond Hill, Ont. www.focusonseries.ca ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits September 28 - October 1, 2015 Anaheim, Calif. www.asisonline.org Next Generation Security leader & The Great Conversation October 12-13, 2015 Chantilly, Va. www.the-sage-group.com/ the-great-conversation/home Security Canada Central October 21-22, 2015 Toronto, Ont. www.securitycanadaexpo.com Securing New Ground October 28, 2015 New York, N.Y. www.securingnewground.com

Canadian women noted for contributions to security

Canadian WSC award recipient, came anadians were well represented to her current position, director of safety at the annual Women’s Security and security, at Kitchener, Ont.-based Council (WSC) awards, with two of the Conestoga College, by moving through 10 recipients travelling from north of the the ranks. She accepted a job as a guard border to receive recognition at an April with Securitas after graduating from ceremony in Las Vegas, Nev. a security program in 1998, and has Shannon Kenney, program manager, been on an upward corporate security, trajectory ever since. emergency and “I interact with the She was viceprotective services for president of Central the City of Ottawa, is guards on a daily basis. Southern Ontario a relative newcomer at Securitas prior to to the field. After I like to be involved.” accepting her role at serving in a number — Kirsty Bradley-McMurtrie, Conestoga last year, of different roles for Conestoga College where she continues the city for almost a to see Securitas guards decade, including HR regularly — the and finance, she joined company currently holds the contract the security department in 2012. for campus security. “I interact with the But in a matter of only a few years, guards on a daily basis,” she says. “I like she has made a huge impact. In that to be involved . . . boots on the ground.” time, the city’s security department has She says she sees it as part of her undergone a major transformation, role as a successful female security moving from what she describes as professional to encourage others to seek almost a first responder role to a more out training and development. “Usually proactive stance. in the security field, it’s a lower paying “Our new motto is, it’s not about position that you start in. But I let them catching the bad guy, it’s about building know about the various opportunities better fences,” says Kenney. that they may not be aware of,” she says, Kenney adds that the terrorist attack adding that she took full advantage of in Ottawa in October last year where a training and volunteer opportunities as Canadian soldier lost his life has also had her own career unfolded. a significant impact on the development For Kenney, mentorship is also an of security policy. Kenney was travelling important part of her working life. to Toronto on the day of the attack She has actively encouraged women to attend the Canadian Security in her department to take on more Association’s Security Canada Central responsibility and pursue technical roles conference, but was confident that her that are more commonly held by men. department would know exactly what For Kenney, attending the WSC ceremony to do. “They did a great job and I was in Las Vegas, was an encouraging sign proud of them because they didn’t need that women are succeeding at all levels of me here, ultimately. They’re the technical security. Most of the other eight award experts who know how to carry things recipients work on the manufacturing or out. It was absolutely lessons learned, on distribution side of the business. “I have the smaller scale and larger scale.” not, in my travels, dealt with any women By contrast, Kirsty Bradleyon the technology side of security. That McMurtrie has spent her entire was eye-opening,” she says. professional life immersed in security. Bradley-McMurtrie, the other — Neil Sutton

May/June 2015 • www.canadiansecuritymag.com

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8 ASIS UPDATE

Practice makes perfect

he Toronto Chapter of ASIS International held its 22nd annual Best Practices Seminar in April, showcasing a variety of speakers who addressed a diversity of topics including risk management overseas, computer forensics, security in the sporting world, unmanned aerial vehicles (better known as drones) and the power of face-to-face connections. A key theme of the day was transformation through social media and technology and what that implies for security.

James Acevedo, executive director, international operations, Andrews International, takes a drone for a spin. Acevedo closed the day with a session on the threat of unmanned vehicles

Michael J. Hughes provides examples of the power of positive networking and the opportunities it can unlock

Hughes gets the ASIS attendee crowd on its feet for a networking exercise. Participants were encouraged to discover commonalities and share insights

Rob Weller, JD Killeen, G4S; Mike Soberal, Scott Ruddick, director of global security services with the Shannon Toomey, ASIS Toronto; Bill Bradshaw, Mennonite Economic Development Associates, discusses senior regional vice-president, ASIS Group 6 the risks of travel in unstable environments

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By Tim McCreight

RISK Perspective 9

The human element

I Security begins with training employees and raising awareness

recently completed research into the security professionals, we need to incorporate impacts technology and user awareness the human response in our risk assessment can have against targeted phishing methodologies. We need to provide training attacks, or spear phishing. and awareness to our employees, and I describe phishing as an email (or text give them examples of risks that face our message) sent to an individual with either organization, and how they can help reduce a malicious piece of software attached, or the risk. a link to a suspicious website. The user I’ve had the pleasure of developing then either clicks on the awareness programs for software, or the website both the physical and link, and may be asked logical realms, and while “We might have to provide personal items the program specifics were like their user IDs and different, the approach was done our profession a passwords, or their credit the same. The goal for any disservice ... many users card information. If the awareness program is to user clicked on a piece gently remind employees believe, ‘security has of software, it may have that their actions matter, launched a virus into the and what they do every day us covered.’” computer system. can help reduce the risks What struck me in the facing the organization. research was the human Simple actions like wearing element. I interviewed a your ID badge, changing number of senior level security professionals out weak passwords with stronger ones, and and found that their biggest battle was directing people who don’t have a badge to a engaging their personnel to be cautious, and reception station, are all small activities that assess the risks posed by some emails. Some have a cumulative affect on the risk posture of the comments that really struck me in of any sized organization. the research were that we might have done One of the great stories in my research our profession a disservice because many related to an awareness program one of the users believe, “security has us covered,” and interviewees developed for their organization. it’s OK to click on any email. The security They had been victimized by malware professionals stated that when they worked delivered through emails, and wanted to with employees on security risk assessments, reduce the risk facing their company from the employee perception was that the this threat. They spent a great deal of time technology would protect them, and that researching their approach, finding the best security has the problems well in hand. way to educate their employees on phishing. This same behaviour can be seen in the They also wanted employees to report any physical realm. In organizations where I’ve suspicious emails, regardless of how trivial worked or consulted, employees allowed they seemed. The program worked so well others into the workspace because they “look that this organization reduced their phishing liked they belong,” or they had their hands threat level substantially, and the program full and were trying to find their pass or now runs throughout the year with tests key. Trusting employees escorted “IT guys” conducted every month at every level in the to their telecommunication closet or room, company. without checking for any identification. We need to engage our employees as Assessing people’s behaviour, and their partners in identifying and reporting risks. potential response to risky situations, is the Without their help, we’re doing this critical hardest part of a security professional’s job. task alone. How can we plan for someone’s response if we can’t control it? Should we even try? Tim McCreight is director, enterprise information security The answer is a resounding yes! As at Suncor (www.suncor.com). @SecurityEd • May/June 2015

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10 guarding roundtable

Bespoke service Small and mid-sized guarding companies may have the advantage when it comes to agility and offering clients a personal touch

Canadian Security: What skill sets or competencies are you looking for in your guards? Al Herrington: My basic approach is, and has been since the start of the company, I look for future law enforcement. Our resource pool are the young men and women that are graduating from a law, security or police foundations program. So we’re looking for people with good decision-making abilities, people who have great interpersonal communication skills. We deal with our clients directly every day, so those people need to be able

Al Herrington, president, Progarde Security

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to articulate their thoughts and create a positive image to that client — and talk to them. So often, we hear about people who are not able to communicate effectively. I think, in this business now, that’s critical, to be able to speak effectively and listen and understand what’s happening. And then all the other skills that go along with that are secondary. Benjamin Tabesh: There are three areas that we focus on, that we harness. The first is communication, utilizing empathy through interaction with residents, visitors and the environments and be able to provide the staff the resources to be able to do that and to be able to understand where the empathy is in the secure environment. The next is being tech savvy. Really, all the environments we’re working in do incorporate some understanding of how to work with various systems, various softwares, so understanding individuals and whether they have experience with them, as well as being able to harness that moving forward. Third, which is the most important but it seems to be the least recognized, is for them to be able to deal with various types of emergency and be prepared for that. And that’s where the training comes in. Quintin Johnstone: I used to be a professor at Guelph-Humber in policing foundations. These are young people who are really interested in becoming police officers and, frankly, we find

Benjamin Tabesh, CEO, Condor Security

Photos: sandra strangemore

he term “boutique” probably conjures images of made to measure clothing, handmade luxury items or in the case of a hotel, a small, carefully appointed living space where every room might be different. In terms of security, boutique might mean a small enterprise operated by a handful people who may also be the owners and can deliver a personalized level of service. It can also mean a tough existence where smaller firms have to compete not only with each other but with national and even international guard companies for business. Canadian Security sat down with representatives from six small and mid-sized firms to get their thoughts on how they’re different from the bigger guys on the block (and how they’re the same) and what it means today to compete successfully in the guarding world.

Joe Maher, owner, Russell Security Services

2015-05-21 1:59 PM

guarding roundtable 11 them the best type of recruit for our purposes. We have to give them not only training but also mentorship, life mentorship, and I think that’s what a lot of people miss — that quality of life piece. A lot of these kids are living at home with mum and dad; they don’t have a career goal. One of the questions in our application process is, What is your five-year goal? What are you doing? Are you doing any volunteer work? Are you building a resumé for the future? Do you have any interchangeable skills? BT: From the moment any individual enters our hiring process, one of the first qualities we look for is, what are their long-term goals? What we do is, we’re building on a training program, facilitating their skill sets. We want to help them get to those goals. So just to go through our training programs: with every training program we have, not only are they given the skills to be able to excel in the work they do, they’re transferable to any environment they’re going to be able to do, whether it’s in policing, whether it’s being a first responder, whether it’s being a property manager. Matthew Williams: I think in this industry particularly you get three different types of candidates or employees. You get people who use it as a stepping stone into the emergency services. [Then there are] the people who are lost in what career they want to go into perhaps, and these people might go into a site super position, and some people stay in that position. I’ve got employees who have been at site for 20 years, and they’re comfortable in that position. And then you have the people who’ve had a stressful career, and they just want a nice, relaxing nine to five job or 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. job. And they’re just using it for the cash until they retire. But for, the ambitious ones, I’ll always try and mentor people who are passionate, the ones who come forward and say, What opportunities are presented? You can only push forward the people who have that ambition. You can’t throw it on people who don’t have that drive.

Justin Ferns, vice-president, COO, Iron Horse Security and Investigations

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Justin Ferns: We try to take that grassroots approach with our staff and, like a number of colleagues have said, we try to get to know all of our staff. But as you continue to grow from a small to a medium and a larger company, it’s hard to know each person by name. I once prided myself on that. CS: To what degree is technology playing a role, whether it’s guard tour, or CCTV or advances in intrusion or access control? JF: Technology is the tip of the iceberg, and we’re only seeing a tiny bit of it right now. Five, 10 years ago, the big technology that really wowed clients was the guard tour systems. Ten years ago, you took the guard tour system to a client, and they said, “That is amazing.” We’re so far past that now. Talking to clients downtown, now there’s a velocity software built into their CCTV cameras so when someone’s running fast, it raises an alarm and the camera zooms in on that person. Probably, the majority of our clients don’t even know that software exists. It’s very expensive right now. I think five, 10 years down the road, you’re going to see that being much more attainable. I don’t think it’s negatively going to affect us that focus on guarding. You’ll maybe see a 10 or 20 per cent decrease, but with that, you’ll see a better appearance and the staff will be more skilled using those technologies. AH: I have the luxury of being involved with the Canadian Security Association, and each year they have Security Canada [Exhibitions] and the amount of technology there is just overwhelming to me, as to what things can do. And the latest and the greatest is the movement towards CCTV — and the analytics that are associated with that. I look at technology as phenomenal, and there’s a place for technology. But I am still a firm believer that there is no better bang for your buck than the boots on the ground, and as great as the technology is, you’re going to have to have the people able to use it. We’ve talked to people who, particularly on our alarm side

Quintin Johnstone, founder and owner, Samsonshield

Matthew Williams, president and CEO, Pennine Security Solutions

2015-05-21 1:59 PM

12 guarding roundtable of things, want me to put in a whole bunch of cameras. “That’s awesome.” Then they call me back: “We got broken into.” “Bet you got great pictures.” “Yes.” “Did it stop the break-in?” “No.” I say, “But you had some good technology there.” So, it’s looking at, how can you partner the technology? And often, you have to ask the client, “What is your expectation? What do you expect the technology to do?” Joe Maher: The technology we use is customer-based. I don’t supply it. That’s not what I do. Our core business is guarding. I see the reports; I see how they work. The environment of the technology operator sometimes is not the warmest. It can be in a room with no windows; you’re down there for eight hours or a 12-hour shift. And it’s hard to get that person that wants to do that role. I have one that continually turns over; I just can’t find that one good person that wants to work that swing shift down in this area. I have good ones. The young ones do a good job, but the young ones leave. QJ: There’s nothing like a live person to not only react to crimes in progress and people who have medical emergencies, which is our primary concern, particularly with condos. However, I think remote viewing is going to impact our industry. Where we have two guards at two different stations, a lot of our properties are looking towards moving that secondary position — it’s not as high volume — to remote viewing and having a single guard. I think the future of remote viewing is going to be there. I think it’s going to impact us that do live guards, unfortunately. I think it’s going to be a hybrid approach that’s going to be good for the communities, though, to be fair. Some companies are still doing hard copy reports ... and you can’t really utilize them. You can’t provide with a hard copy report any analytics. We’re developing a dashboard system, which is about a year out right now, that’s going to be accessible for any board member and say how many parking complaints we’ve had in the last six months or fire alarms, etc. So that’s something that we’re working on that we think is the future. MW: So it all comes down to cost and return on investment, especially in the residentials. How much is the client willing to spend? They can have all the bells and whistles they want, but as everyone here is saying, technology can’t replace a person, and a person can’t replace technology. But they both have to work together, and if you get the right tools and the right training for the individuals, it’s a great formula. There are numerous products coming into the residential field, such as the virtual concierge, which is off-site monitoring for a building. It won’t work for a lot of buildings where they like that interpersonal connection with the person behind the desk, but for the buildings where they don’t have the budget to facilitate a person behind a desk for eight hours, 16 hours or 24 hours a day, it’s a solution. It’s better than nothing.

According to roundtable participants, technology can play an essential role in security, but skilled, trained individuals will always be the vital component.

BT: I agree with what everyone is saying. Our core is the security guard business, and I don’t think we will ever sway from that core. But what we have done is embrace technology with every aspect of our operation. What the technology has done for us is it’s made the staff more valuable, a lot more resourceful. The ability to be able to manage the information and the tasks, all the way from the basic security guard working at a construction site [and] we know where the patrols are being conducted at any point in time; for transparency of the client, when the client needs information, and needs to be able to present it to their clients, that they’re going to have access to that information; something that, Quintin, you alluded to, as far as analytics goes, we do analytics for our clients on a regular basis when we go to board meetings or do management meetings with them. Technology is ultimately making our life easier to present ourselves in front of our clients. AH: I think Benjamin is key in regards to the analytics, and that is we’re all aware of the hand-written reports. You give it to them: this fire exit was blocked, and you come back and it still happens. There’s nobody reading these reports. And then at the end of the year, you sit down and someone says, Your contract is up for renewal and we just don’t see you guys doing anything for us. And you say, really? And you throw down the stack, and you say, “We have done a little analysis of our software, and you had 6,472 fire code violations that we caught for you. If those had not been dealt with, that would have been $1.7 million in fines. How do you like them apples?” But I think the technology, particularly the report management software, helps people see the value of those boots on the ground so that you can show them there’s a value to what we’re doing. Here’s the analytics, and here’s the data to back it up. QJ: You can’t carry a stack of hard copy reports into these meetings with, generally speaking, and particularly in Toronto,

May/June 2015 • www.canadiansecuritymag.com

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young people around the board that are all tech savvy. You’ll look like a dinosaur. It doesn’t work. These folks that are on boards, they need that information in real time. They had someone ask them a question in the hallway, and then they’re on to you at 11 o’clock at night: how many fire alarms did we have last year? And you have to be able to send them that; it has to be in real time. They don’t want to wait, and nor should they have to wait with this technology that we have available. And it makes us more professional, when we’re able to answer those questions in real time. JF: What it boils down to, with client expectations, today is: they don’t want to be bothered. Probably 89 per cent of our clients, especially in residential property management, which we seem to getting a lot of, the property managers, the boards, the residents themselves, they just want fewer headaches. They want to see how we’re doing that. If you’re forward thinking and transparent and keep the lines of communication constantly open, that’s what makes or breaks you. JM: I believe in what he says: a lot of them don’t have time for us anymore. But the younger ones, they want more weekly meetings, KPI reports, risk assessments, customer service. It’s the trainer, too. They’ll actually attend that training session, sit in the room and see that the training we’re giving is at 100 or 110 per cent. The younger ones, that’s what they want to see. The older, some customers [say], “You look after security, send us our invoice and make sure everything works right.” I like those ones, as long as they pay in a timely fashion. MW: Every time I go in to speak to potential clients, I’ll ask them, what are your main concerns, what can I do to improve it? The No. 1 is, we want less turnover; we want better training. And it’s the same every time: I will say to them, I can give them more training. But to have the best retention, you need to understand that we have to pay the staff more. So if we’re paying the staff minimum rates of pay, $12 an hour, and the clients next door in the same community are paying slightly more, the employees we bring to your site are going to go to who’s paying them the most money. And that is the same answer everywhere I go. Unless they’re getting rewards from the client in other ways, it all comes down to retention. And that starts with the client appreciating that and paying more for the employees. We are transparent. If you want us to pay the staff $13 an hour, we will pay them $13 an hour, and this is the bill rate. We’re not going to bill you X amount and pay them $11. We will tell you. That’s from my personal experience — and real time communication. Take ownership. Things are always going to happen in security. If you start trying to brush them under the carpet and say, “We’re not responsible; it never happened,” it’s just going to come back and bite you at a later date. Take ownership; be the first one to take it to the client and say, “Sorry, this has happened. To prevent this happening

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14 guarding roundtable And I don’t want to be the largest. I have a goal. I have been the largest, and I’ve taken a step back. I have a goal that I want to achieve. One of the other things a small company brings is — someone said you know all your employees by name. When I took over another account, I said, “Bill, how is everything QJ: You hit the nail on the head. We’re all subject to competition, today?” And he said “Sir, no one has ever called me by that which is great. But where are we in Ontario where we are driving name before. I’ve never even seen the owner of the company the price down so far that we are forced to pay our guards not a previously.” I think the small organizations bring that family lot of money. I don’t have partners. It’s just me. I am the owner orientation to the industry. It’s working for of the company, so I can afford to take less me. I have a goal, and I won’t go any larger. I of a margin and pay more. But there are know what the number is, and once you start jurisdictions in Europe, in New York State, etc., “I’m at the meetings, at that number, you fail. they are paying their people significantly more. I’m present for all of We have to, as an industry, help our folks AH: I think there’s a myriad of benefits, but make more money. And that is not to dissuade these things. I think one of the biggest things is that personal people from competition, which is great, but interaction and the ultimate responsibility. we have to, as an industry, show our clients that’s what the small For example, clients know me, and they and show the province that we are worth a lot know that, ultimately, the buck stops with more than what we are able to pay our guards company does.” me. And, over the last 25 years, it’s been at our current bill rates. — Joe Maher, consistently me. That’s the balancing act you talk about. Russell Security Services They want to get a Rolls Royce for the price JF: The smaller to mid-level companies, as of a VW. But the old adage, it’s the good, fast, long as they can deliver on their promises — cheap triangle. You can’t have all three exist I think ultimately, clients are always going in our space. If you want it good and fast and to get better service. Obviously, there are people who would cheap, it doesn’t happen. So, you have to educate the public. combat that, from larger organizations. But I think, at the end That’s something we have to do as a smaller organization group of the day, when our company literally lives and breathes on because we can’t compete with the big multinationals. They will those clients, that’s what matters. take on a site at cost just to take it. in the future, we’re going to have a staff meeting; we’re going to address this. We’re going to refresh everyone with the correct procedures to do this.”

AH: Our tag line has always been, We’ll provide you with exceptional level of service at what we consider a fair and reasonable price. And we tell everybody you can get it cheaper. “I can?” “Absolutely, you can get it cheaper. Here’s the list of people you can call if you want it cheaper. Here are their names and phone numbers. If you want cheaper, go ahead.” I say, “That’s not the market we’re in. “ BT: Our motto is we can take a $12, $13 guard, and they’re going to perform as a $15, $16 guard. Why is that? The motivation is not necessarily always what you’re paying the staff. It’s what we spoke about earlier: it’s the training, the focus on support, the focus on building yourself for future advancement. And I think this is what this industry needs to put a little more attention on, more than the fact that everyone is working on the same old school mentality: if you pay more, you’re going to get more. No, break it down for the clients. Clients are going to be able to understand and see the value they’re getting for what they are putting into it. CS: What are the advantages of a smaller guarding company in this market? JM: It starts with me. I’m at the monthly meetings, I’m present for all these things. I think that’s what the small company does.

QJ: I think we’ve all seen companies that grow really quickly, too fast, cut back on good quality people. That was one of the things that I recognized, starting my business, I never wanted to do. When organizations get too big, they flat line, and they have a multitude of areas. And you get into that “it’s not my job” mentality. And that’s where I never want to go as an organization. With small organizations, you get the luxury of being able to specialize a lot better than the big companies. That’s exactly where Samsonshield wants to maintain our space. BT: It comes down to the focus on the management. Companies that are our sizes, you have more grasp on the activities on a regular basis. One of the things we do as part of our guidelines is that we have monthly feedback with meetings, as well as emails. There’s a lot more initiative; there’s a lot more focus on teambuilding, having a stronger team and making sure that team is always facilitated. I think there are some national players that do have that and they do a great job at that. I don’t want to take away from what they do. But I think the advantage of having a more boutique style is that the client is going to get a more personal touch; they’re going to get more available managers; they’re going to get more available supervisors; they’re going to have the ability, for example, if they call me, I’m going to answer the phone. They don’t need to go through three channels of communication to get a decision.

May/June 2015 • www.canadiansecuritymag.com

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16 campus security

Jeff Whyte / Shutterstock.com

The JohnsonCobbe Energy Centre at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology campus in Calgary.

Taking charge SAIT moves the vast majority of its security infrastructure in-house and tasks its information systems group with technology oversight By Linda Johnson

cademic institutions used to be termed ivory towers. But rather than isolated from the nearby town and its people, many today themselves resemble towns. They are sprawling, diverse, complex and open. That’s certainly the way Barry Cochran sees the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), where he is manager of security and emergency services. The school’s three main campuses in Calgary, which include an aircraft hanger, cover some 436,522 square metres. During peak class times, there are about 17,000 students, faculty and staff on campus. “We’ve become a population base that is equivalent to a small city in the province of Alberta,” he says. However, until recently, security at the polytechnic was a piecemeal affair. Different locations had acquired different systems. But a recent expansion project provided the opportunity to re-examine the security system. With many of the upgrades complete and having taken most of the integration in-house, the

move to the new, connected technology is well underway. Post-secondary institutions present a number of security challenges, Cochran says. They are open to the public and open almost every day of the year. Students occupy facilities at all hours, including evenings and weekends. And in contrast to K–12, he adds, there are multiple buildings and multiple entrance ways with access from many levels via elevators and escalators. SAIT itself also has two residences on campus and is situated on a light rail transit line, which makes it easily accessible to people from all over the city. “We want to be able to see who and when people are in our study areas, hallways, classrooms, labs. That’s our biggest concern. We want to know who is in our spaces and that they’re there for lawful purposes,” says Cochran. One of the biggest risks is medical emergency, says Cochran, a former police officer. There are also hot spots, including an underground parking lot that has a glass roof accessible from the ground.

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Jeff Whyte / Shutterstock.com

campus security 17 Kehler says reducing the number of video systems has made “The glass roof is a 40- or 50-foot drop to the concrete monitoring easier for the operators in the security operations below. So there’s a security camera and motion sensors on that. If centre, managed and monitored by Paladin Security. During the someone goes in there, security can be there very fast. Those are construction project, the SOC was redesigned and event-based the kinds of things they have to watch out for,” says Peter Kehler, monitoring introduced. chief information officer. “Our new system takes an incident and attaches other data By 2010, problems with the security system were coming from the second system and presents it in one event. This makes to light. Cameras were not providing the coverage the school it much easier for the operators to focus on needed, and equipment was sometimes not items that require their attention based on repaired quickly. They realized they were priority rather than multiple events that all acquiring technology in a haphazard way — a “We’ve become a ‘look’ the same from a continuous activity way that did not serve the school’s needs. population base that is log,” he says. Following the report of an incident and Moving the door access systems onto the subsequent discovery they had no video equivalent to a small the network has proven more of a challenge of the area, the responsibility for all security simply because of the number of doors — technology was moved to the Information city in the province of about 650 — they had on older systems Systems (IS) department. Since then, Kehler throughout classrooms and on the perimeter. says, campus security has determined what Alberta.” “Most of the perimeter doors have been needs to be secured, where coverage is needed, — Barry Cochran moved over. That’s so that if our security and IS has defined the technology required. SAIT folks need to do a lock down, or shut down “They do what they’re good at and we do the facility, they can do that with one system, what we’re good at. So it works well,” Kehler instead of having to go to two,” Kehler says. says. “But there are still probably 300 or 400 doors that need to be The big step in improving security, however, came with their switched over to the new system.” expansion project. The plans included a major new facility, the They have also integrated Code Blue Stations, emergency $400 million Trades and Technology Complex. They knew they towers located across the campuses, as well as 50 wireless panic wanted to go to an IP-based system for CCTV and door access in buttons. Building automation systems, including lighting and the new facility, Kehler says, which meant they were faced with window blinds, are also on the network. the prospect of adding yet another system. “Everything really needs to tie together. The cameras need to “We already had multiple systems. We had two different tie with the panic buttons, which need to tie with the door access types of door access systems, and we had three, maybe even four, system. So security has a really good view of what’s going on,” he separate CCTV video management systems. And the equipment says. we had at the time was not IP; it was very proprietary and was In the early stages of the project, SAIT was working with an using older technology.” integrator in Alberta. When that company decided to withdraw So they decided to go to a single technology, he adds, one that from Alberta and laid off all its staff, SAIT hired one of their would integrate with several of their existing platforms. And once technicians. He has worked for them every since and, Kehler says, the system was in the new building, everything else would migrate it has proven very beneficial. to it. “What drove the upgrade was our new facility and the opportunity to build something new and figure out what the future might look like for that building,” he says. “We looked at it as a connected building. Everything is connected, and everything is connected to the network.” They selected Milestone’s XProtect Corporate video management software, and the access control platform is S2 Enterprise. Their preferred camera is Axis Technology, Kehler says, while they also have a number of Scallop cameras on site, as well as other specialized cameras. When the complex opened in 2012, they began migrating the almost 400 cameras they have over to the IP-based system, he says. “We’ve moved from four separate video recording systems to only having two, which is a good step. And we have probably 150 cameras that have to get moved over, and then we’ll just have SAIT has moved to an IP-based surveillance system in the course of its most recent round of upgrades, allowing the polytechnic to streamline its approach to technology one video management system.” @SecurityEd • May/June 2015

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18 campus security “Instead of paying a third-party to have that expertise, we moved that expertise in-house. Now, we have a much better and deeper knowledge of the industry, the cameras, all the different pieces and how they work together. So it worked out well for us.” It has also increased the transparency of costs, he adds. In the past, they were provided with only a lump sum for the cost of a system, with the costs of individual items — such as the camera, connectors, labour — not itemized. Thus, it was difficult to assess whether they were getting good value. “But, by having this internal person, we’re much more knowledgeable about what we’re spending, and we can determine then what we do in-house versus what we contract out.” They are still working with two Calgary integrators, Kehler says, when they need support on some technology and to provide them with maintenance agreements. Cochran says the move to the new security infrastructure and operating system will allow their daily operations to focus more on their people assets and respond better to day-to-day security needs. Right now, he notes, security personnel spend a lot of time each day unlocking hundreds of doors at the request of faculty members. “The system we have now is heavily reliant on human interactions to unlock and lock up buildings, which takes away the priority from our people assets,” he says.

“So, the upgrades will afford us the ability to focus more time and attention on our people assets and our interactions with faculty, staff, students and visitors and take away our need to focus on our infrastructure security because that can be migrated over to a system that is automated.” In addition, from an administrative perspective, Cochran says, campus security is now better able to assess security performance using some key performance measures. “Now, I know we have X number of hours that are not dedicated to the infrastructure security that can be focused on other areas of campus that require attention on an immediate or an ongoing basis,” he says. How long it will take to complete the rest of the work, Kehler says, depends on funding. While they have the funding for the work, it is still to be approved. And, he adds, they must make sure the upgrades remain a priority for the school. Kehler says it was important that they use the addition of such a huge new complex to overhaul an outdated security system and get it right. “You only get to build a building once every ... how many years? Every 60 or 70 years,” he says. “That was a large undertaking. We had to make sure it was going to last us for a while.” Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto.

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MASS NOTIFICATION product focus 19 Mass notification platform

Network loudspeaker

Code Blue Blue Alert MNS now offers users a new way to integrate third party notification platforms with a custom web service tool that can be used to configure requests to be sent to an external server or API. This tool also includes preset configurations for ComQi and Information Station Specialists. Other updates include a redesigned notification window, alert sound effect selector and application enhancements for Blue Alert EMS, Code Blue’s incident response software, while ToolVox Administration features interface improvements and minor bug fixes. www.codeblue.com

Axis Communications AXIS C3003-E is an open standard, network loudspeaker for remote speaking. It is able to integrate into a video surveillance system or an IP telephony system, making announcements possible from anywhere with network connectivity. The loudspeaker is suggested for enhancing outdoor video surveillance installations, such as in parking lots, construction and critical infrastructure sites and public areas. AXIS C3003-E integrates with Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony systems that use SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). As a network product, each AXIS C3003-E can be selectively addressed since each has a unique IP address. AXIS C3003-E can also play a pre-recorded audio file when it is manually or automatically triggered in response to an alarm event. www.axis.com

Smartphone solution Guardly The Enterprise E911 solution for smartphones can now be used to improve response to active shooter threats. The solution is geared towards large private enterprises and uses indoor positioning and mobile apps to detect active shooters earlier, locate people and shooters indoors and streamline communication between people around the shooter and a security operations centre. Enterprise E911 helps to more quickly identify shooters and their real-time position inside a building, identify where people are sheltered in place and help recommend when and where they should evacuate, and communicate more broadly with different stakeholder groups in real-time. The solution components include mobile safety apps, indoor positioning systems set up within key buildings, and a command centre interface that lets security teams interact with people during the evolving active shooter incident. www.guardly.com

2015

SECURITY DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 10th anniversary paving the way for more women in management

breaking new ground in data protection

Page 6

Page 18

Canadian

online opportunities for skills development Page 22

September/October 2014

The publicaTion for professional securiTy managemenT

Canadian

10TH ANNIVERSARY The publication for professional security management

Standard Tom Rousseau’s Olympic efforts for Canadian Tire make him Security Director of the Year

2014 winner Tom Rousseau

Situational awareness bundle Status Solutions Status Solutions’ situational awareness technology is now available as a bundled solution, providing advanced alerting/mass notification capabilities in addition to digital signage and self-service. The Situational Awareness Bundle includes: The Situational Awareness and Response Assistant (SARA) universal alert server that integrates alarm and communication systems for centralized monitoring, alerting and reporting; desktop alerts with video paging; preprogrammed, intuitive dashboards for smartphones that are voice, Wi-Fi and cellular-enabled for situational awareness on the go; four tablet-based, self-service kiosks for use in common areas; and electronic bulletin board/digital signage via TV. www.statussolutions.com

Recognizing a decade of security excellence Full details are available at www.canadiansecuritymag.com or contact Neil Sutton at nsutton@annexweb.com