Security Jobs are Great PR

Oct. 27, 2008

Dear Readers:

Seeing security working in real life can be exciting. Been busy doing that lately and can tell you firsthand about it. There are some cool systems gong in out there.

Never let an opportunity to have attention paid to your company's hard work pass you by. Always keep it in your mind as you sit back and admire the completed project. When you watch the system go though its paces, consider if perhaps this job is publication worthy. The power of public relations (PR) is very under utilized by security dealers.

You'd be surprised what gets an editor's interest. For instance: a guy enters a raffle at a fund raiser dinner for a fully dressed Harley Davidson motorcycle. He is informed weeks later that he won. The contest was sponsored by the local Harley shop, a radio station and the charity. He has to go to the store for a media shoot where all parties involved will present him with either the bike or a large check (he could take the money for the sale price of the bike instead). He invites all his friends to come to the presentation and says he's taking the money. They wheel out the bike and he falls in love. End of story?

Not really. The photo shoot was a little chaotic and as friends of the winner, we had to wait around for a while. Not a bad place, however, to people watch. So, I find this high top Harley Davidson table with really nice cushioned stools to sit at. I look up and what catches my eye but three very state-of-the-art public views monitors. We just had an article on them last month and here they are in action. Viewing them, you could tell people were aware that they were being watched—they definitely work to prohibit theft.

Another aspect of the security that was attractive here was how the cameras were designed. Long poles came from the ceiling (like ceiling fans) and at the end of the pole was a camera enclosed in a smoked black dome. They actually added to the dA©cor of this modern day Pirate themed facility. They were out in the open, not hidden from view, scanning the top of the line motorcycles and licensed merchandise throughout the store.

Equally impressive are the installations featured in this month's issue. From the Seminole Hard Rock and Casino in Hollywood, FL and the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL, to a high end custom residential install in Boynton Beach, FL or The Stow Police department located in Massachusetts, quality security projects are being done all over the country.

One other PR opportunity presented itself recently which deserves mention. National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association President and CEO of USA Alarm Systems, George Gunning, his partner Frank Burke and Mark Sepulveda, operations manager, along with myself, were interviewed by LA reporter Jeff Tyler for a weekend radio program on National Public Radio called “Marketplace Money” which aired over Memorial Day weekend. Together, we helped present a better understanding of residential security to the average consumer.

Susan A. Brady