Security Gives Back in 2022

At its annual Vendor Fair for employees A3 Communications, a division of Cook & Boardman, supported for Red Nose Day and hosted a packing event for USO to provide care packages to soldiers around the world. In October, the team tragically lost a team member, Bobby Fine, to a motorcycle accident. The A3 team and our network of vendors/partners raised more than $10,000 to support his family as they navigate this trying time.

In 2022, ADT helped build five Habitat for Humanity houses in Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Washington and Nevada. Each house went to a family in need and was equipped with a security system and rooftop solar to make the home safe, smart and sustainable. At each location, teams of employees from ADT Residential, Commercial and Solar volunteered to help saw, hammer and paint the homes. Additionally, more than $100,000 was donated to Habitat affiliates. In February, ADT partnered with the Red Cross of Los Angeles to provide emergency

kits which were assembled by employees to help keep their community safe.

Delaware-based Advantech, a division of Cook & Boardman, partnered with the Kent County Meals on Wheels program to give ALL of the volunteer drivers the day off and successfully packed and delivered more than 4,000 meals to Kent County Delaware community members.

On Nov. 17, Alert 360 participated in the annual “Sleep Out” event with Covenant House, a non-profit organization that provides housing and a network of supportive services to homeless youths throughout the nation. Alert 360 President and COO Anastasia Bottos participated in the Sleep Out and raised funds for the eighth year. “We believe everyone deserves a safe place to sleep and call home. Supporting homeless

youth through the Covenant House falls right in line with our mission,” Bottos told Digital Journal.

Bates Security made a company donation in response to three major events in 2022, and then told employees we would match dollar for dollar anything they added. The first was in response to tornadoes in Western Kentucky last December, where Bates and its employees raised $15,650 which was donated to the governor’s disaster relief fund. In response to a July tragedy where three officers and a K-9 officer were killed in line of duty in Prestonsburg, Ky., the company and employees raised $13,760 for a Fallen Heroes Fund that was set up to help the officers’ families. The company also responded to the floods of Eastern Kentucky (see sidebar).

Boyd & Associates of Ventura, Calif., is proud to support the communities it serves and several charitable organizations across Southern California including: Sponsorship and donation to Urbane Café’s Annual Leadership Conference; sponsorship of the Casa Pacifica Angels Festival and Casa Pacifica Spotlight on Style Gala; sponsorship of the annual Boy Scouts of America Shootout for Scouting event; and support of more than five golf tournaments benefiting a variety of community organizations. Our partnership with the Ventura County Fire Department Spark of Love Toy Drive will collect and donate toys and canned food items to benefit families in the areas we serve.

Brady Integrated Security, Greensboro, N.C., has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for over five years. This year Brady entered into a partnership with Wake Technical Community College to sponsor the Donald J. Brady Training Suite and the Brady Commercial HVAC Lab in support of heating, air conditioning, electrical and automation programs. The new educational building will train hundreds of students a year and play a role in creating generations of skilled technicians. Most recently, Brady partnered with Greensboro non-profit, Earlier.org, to support research on an innovative biological test for early breast cancer detection. Brady also continues to aid other organizations such as the 3rd Special Forces Group Warrior Fund, the Adopt-A-Stream program and the Tanger Center for Performing Arts.

Brinks Home enables its employees to sponsor the children of coworkers who need a little extra help making holiday magic happen through the annual Giving Tree program. Since the program launched in 2016, Brinks Home has sponsored 119 families; representing 253 children. This program also goes hand-in-hand with the newly launched Brinks Home Cares program, which provides short-term grant assistance to team members who have been impacted by unexpected, unpreventable, catastrophic emergencies or life events that result in financial hardship.Convergint donated more than $2.5 million in labor and equipment to local schools and communities as part of its annual Convergint Social Responsibility Day. More than 7,700 Convergint colleagues, along with family members and partners, supported 120-plus organizations to make a difference in their communities – from volunteering at local food banks and shelters, to assisting youth camps

and organizations for children with disabilities, to participating in reforestation and beautification projects. Convergint also expanded its STEP Up program, an initiative to help strengthen security in underserved schools. Over 300 colleagues provided free interior and exterior security systems installation, upgrades and assessments to 29 schools in locations including Atlanta, Fairplay, Col., Quincy, Mass., and Tualatin, Ore. As a result, 71 schools to date have received security donations from Convergint through this program to help keep students, staff, and communities safe.

Cook & Boardman of Winston-Salem, N.C., helped the USO assemble 500 care packages in October for service members around the world, including National Guard Soldiers who provided aid to Southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian.Custom Alarm of Rochester, Minn., kicked the year off with our Souper Bowl chili cook-off with money donated to our local Channel One Food Drive. We have now adopted two highway locations and are committed to cleaning those locations twice a year. We have actively given back to the local law enforcement and first responders, as we participate in Safe City Nights, which brings the local Rochester Police Department into the community six separate times throughout the summer months with food and activities for families. We also are heavily involved in Night to Unite, giving out

sponsorships, donating to parties and attending several gatherings. Other volunteer/donations include: Adopt-a-Family, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, ‘Month of Thanks’ in November donating to local law enforcement and first responders, and more.All seven offices of DynaFire, Casselberry, Fla., performedcharitable events around the state. Its certified Fire Clowns attended several parades and fire safety events with fire departments across Florida, with safety education for children, along with face painting and general clowning fun. DynaFire also supported Hope Now's

virtual Back to School Drive and was honored to supply 500 children with back-to-school materials. Additionally, all DynaFire offices continue to participate in Salvation Army's Angel Tree program.Guardian Protection gave away nearly 4,000 Pittsburgh Pirates MLB game tickets as part of an appreciation night at PNC Park recognizing Western Pennsylvania area police officers and firefighters. Police officer Kristin Mitrisin – who recently saved the life of a nine-day-old baby –threw the first pitch of the game. The baby and her family paid a surprise visit to the baseball field to be reunited with the officer who saved her life. Additionally, Guardian

Protection presented two adaptive bikes to Pennsylvania children with disabilities, in conjunction with Variety, the children’s charity. Funds for the bikes were raised through employee activities, such as 50/50 raffles, over the past two years. Since 2015, Guardian has given away nine adaptive bikes and two adaptive strollers to kids with disabilities.Habitec Security of Holland, Ohio, supports a number of organizations each year, including Goodwill, Ronald McDonald House, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Zoo and more. Most recently, as part of the Habitec Cares program, the company sponsored the Toledo Zoo’s Little Boo at the Zoo and

handed out treats to kids. The company planned two holiday campaigns: Coats for Kids and Toy Drive for children in Foster Care through Lucas County Children Services. “When you work with our local security company, you’re not just a number – you’re a part of the Habitec Security family,” President and CEO John Smythe says.Holmes Security Systems, Fayetteville, N.C., has supported Fayetteville-Cumberland County Crimestoppers from its inception. Its annual BBQ fundraiser was back and bigger than ever in 2022, raising nearly $14,000 to help pay community members for tips that lead to crimes being solved. Holmes' Operations Director Duncan Hubbard oversaw the event, including coordinating Holmes technicians delivering BBQ lunches and dinners with company

vans. The company has also proudly sponsored the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Valor Awards since its inception five years ago. In 2022, Marketing Director Lynnie Guzman oversaw this event as the chairperson to further engage with and show appreciation for our first responders. More than 300 individuals attended a breakfast event in October, where 69 first responders were recognized for their acts of merit, lifesaving, and valor.

Integrated Protection Services of Cincinnati participated in supply drive for Greater Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House at CCHMC (the largest RMHC in the world), as well as a supply drive for Goshen, Ohio tornado victims. The company’s summer party reaised funds and supplies for Eastern Kentucky flood victims, and its holiday party will benefit the Genesis at Work Foundation, which helps high school students with special needs find meaningful work with local business partners.

Integrated Security Technologies (IST), an Unlimited Technology Company participated in several initiatives in 2022. IST’s Bradley Zartman and Shawn Ruddo ran in the Mission 500 Security 5k at ISC West in Las Vegas. For the WISF Can-Do Challenge Food Drive, IST employees and partners collected and distributed more than 3,000 pounds of food to six charities in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona. Finally, IST donates annually to Toys for Tots.

The Kern Group of Peoria, Ill., designed, donated and installed an integrated Axis network video surveillance and access control solution for Peoria-based Concordia Lutheran School. Concordia is a private K-8 school with limited funds but has the same needs as public schools for adequate security. The school now has a state-of-the-art system securing the building and grounds for the protection of the students, faculty and visitors.

KMT Systems of Marietta, Ga., has “ETHIC” in our logo, we broke out for each letter into a word, E= Excellence, T=Teamwork, H=Honesty, I=Integrity and C= Community to show who we are and what we stand for. The company partnered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) in the Atlanta area for the fifth year in a row. This year, we provided an essential list along with some fun things for the age groups we were provided. What we provide is a small distraction or highlight in the day of a child that is going through one of the toughest things that most adults couldn’t bear. It is our pleasure to help be the brightness for just a few moments in their journey to Remission, Wellness and Recovery!LOUD Security of Georgia is a proud supporter of the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation, an organization that supports the families of Georgia's Airmen and Guardsmen. LOUD

Security gives generously to the organization, both in sponsoring and volunteering. John Loud even emceed a Foundation event dressed hilariously as Buddy the Elf. “John has set a tremendous example. Not only in fundraising, but rallying support in crisis when we needed his help at the beginning of the pandemic,” noted Adjutant Major General Tom Cardon, responsible for Georgia’s Army and Air National Guards.Per Mar Security Services, Davenport, Iowa, has given back to the communities it serves in multiple ways this past year. The company’s Charity Fund, which matches employee contributions dollar for dollar, gave monetary donations to more than 30 different

charitable organizations. Team members also volunteered and participated in multiple fundraisers for various organizations including Hand-in-Hand, Junior Achievement, National Night Out, Children’s Therapy Network, Handicap Development Center, Crime Stoppers, ImpactLife, Iowa Services Dogs, Thunder Ride for Juvenile Diabetes, local schools, and more.Ryan Miller of Pensacola, Fla.-based RM Integrations didn’t wait for someone else to help or brush off Hurricane Ian because his area wasn’t affected. He mobilized his community to help others in their time of need. Several businesses became drop-off locations throughout our area, where

cleaning supplies, water, tarps, trash bags, blankets, towels, sheets, etc., were collected. Once the storm made landfall, RM had two trucks with volunteers taking supplies to the area. So far, they have made more than 30 trips down to central Florida, and they are continuing to collect supplies and send more.

Sage Integration partnered with SIA, Mission500, ASIS, and our clients to reach larger groups in need of support. At ISC West, Sage donated clothing, makeup, and business supplies for SIA Women in Security Forum’s Essentials 4 Job Security giveback to help women of southern Nevada build careers and become self-sufficient. To raise money and supplies for children in need, we have participated in 5K runs, golf outings, and our employees have packed 400 school supplies refresh packs for children in Akron, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia, and McKinney, Texas. At GSX, the Sage team participated in their Fitness Challenge to support certification scholarships, grants and research for security professionals. We have also participated in book drives and golf outings with clients to raise monies to help children in need.

Securitas Electronic Security (now Securitas Technology) supported The Headstrong Project as part of an annual charitable

integration at the 2022 Global Security Exchange (GSX) show. The Headstrong Project is a leading mental healthcare provider of high-quality, evidence-based, trauma-focused care for military, veterans and their family members. On average, Headstrong treats 1,400 clients per month through 275 clinicians. Learn more at https://theheadstrongproject.org.

Securityhunter of Baltimore, having staff from all over the world, became very concerned when the atrocities started in the Ukrain, and decided to show support to employee shareholder Konstantin Koval and his family, who are from the Ukraine, and sponsored a voluntary giving program. “There are some things that can't be explained with words – they are done, just to help and rescue. Just because we can do it together. Why? Just to make this world a little bit better,” Koval says. “At least, a little bit better. At least, we can try.” Employees were invited to donate any amount and the company donated two dollars for every dollar collected. The monies were given to St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral Humanitarian Crisis Center, where 100% of the donation went to humanitarian support in the Ukraine. “We truly thank Securityhunter – you have been true angels for those in Ukraine,” said Father Volodymyr Steliac, Pastor of St. Andrew and head of the Humanitarian Center.

For its annual charity drive, Stone Security of Utah teamed up with Mission 500 to raise money for children in need across the US. Every dollar we donated as a team, the company generously matched 1:1 up to $5,000. Team Stone rallied and raised 5k and the company matched it.

New York-based VIRSIG LLC enthusiastically encourages employees to support charitable causes and become involved in civic activities, including volunteering, financially supporting a charity, or perhaps sponsoring an event. Together, our employees have contributed tens of thousands of hours toward community endeavors, and because of sponsorships, and participating in swimming events, CEO Brian Valenza has raised more than $250,000 in the past few years for the Navy SEAL Foundation, a charity supporting veterans and their families.Vision Detection Systems of Baltimore responded when an explosion occurred in August that unfortunately killed two people, injured several others, and reduced three homes to rubble. The company helped by providing lunch for all emergency responders.

Upon hearing the need to monitor the affected location, the company rapidly deployed an advanced mobile surveillance unit to the scene and integrated it into the mobile command center at the site.

Charitable giving and volunteer work is an important tenet of the culture at Vision Technologies, Glen Burnie, Md. This year, Vision officially partnered with K9s For Warriors, raising funds to end veteran suicide by providing trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma. Through fundraising efforts this year, Vision covered the cost of sponsoring the adoption of a rescue dog through K9s For Warriors. Over the course of 2022, Vision also contributed additional above and beyond donations raised through various charity events and employee giving for K9s For Warriors as well as other charitable organizations. In total, Vision has raised over $63,700 with more to come before 2022 ends.

Send us your stories of charitable and community work over the course of 2023 for the next installment of Security Gives Back: just email them to Editor Paul Rothman at [email protected].