Accessing Access Control: Increased security made simple
Wish you could have the increased security of an entry control system, but think you don’t have the time or money?
Think again.
Our managed access control services give you all the benefits on entry control without the hassle or surprise fees of most self managed programs.
Our clients enjoy:
· Increased control of people entering the business.
· Management of people entering sensitive areas or rooms within the business.
· Prevention of unauthorized copies of facility keys.
· Control of after hours employee access.
· Reports (an “audit trail”) of who entered and when.
· Control of who can turn on and off your Sonitrol Pacific security system.
· Overall security increased.
· Significant value for the investment.
· No unplanned expense for frequent software upgrades.
· Employees’ time not wasted overseeing people coming and going.
· Business owners focus on running the business, not learning the software to run a self-managed access system.
· Reduced potential for internal theft (inventory, property, office facilities or time) or vandalism.
· Issues with keys (tracking, replacing lost ones, rekeying) eliminated. Expense and annoyance of periodically re-keying facility locks eliminated.
· Employees’ security awareness increased.
· Employees’ safety increased by keeping out unauthorized visitors.
· Automatic locking of controlled doors by set schedule.
· Convenient, simple operation.
· Reduced false alarms caused by user error by integrating access control with Sonitrol Pacific security system.
· Keypad use confusion eliminated.
· Elimination of problems caused by access systems managed that require someone be on-site to use.
· An additional level of protection for “negligent security” liability lawsuits.
Arresting false alarms
by Michelle Evans, Verification Center Manager
Many of our cities and counties have created false alarm ordinances and established citation/fine schedules following careful analysis of response costs when an alarm activates. Today more than 98 percent of the dispatched alarm calls for police response are deemed false. Police departments state that more than 20 percent of their officers’ time is spent responding to false alarms.
Historically, the costs of these responses have been paid by the city or county general funds. However, today the city of Seattle estimates false alarm fees will recover more than $1.8 million in costs that were previously absorbed by general taxpayers, approximately $1 million in 2010.
Many communities are facing proposed and actual cut backs in their budgets and are following Seattle’s lead in enforcing false alarm fines. At Sonitrol Pacific, our goal is to partner with law enforcement and our customers to make the best possible use of the officers’ time, provide you with the best response time for valid burglary and emergency situations, and keep false alarms to a minimum. Presently, our valid dispatch rate is 17 times better than the industry average.
Minimizing false alarms will take all of us working together. At Sonitrol Pacific we are committed to the following efforts to reduce false alarms:
• A Sonitrol Pacific Customer Service Representative will visit your site and review your after hours call lists annually at no cost to you.
• If you have a false alarm, we will send a Service Technician or a Customer Service Representative to visit you and determine the cause of the false alarm and work with you to insure it does not happen again. There is no cost to you.
• Sonitrol Pacific offers complimentary signage to remind your employees to turn off the security system.
• We will provide free ongoing group or one- on -one training to you and your employees on how to properly operate your alarm system.
How you can help:
• Take advantage of the free signage offered by Sonitrol Pacific to remind your employees to turn on and off the system.
• Use the designated door for entry and exit and within the allotted time
• If you make changes in building usage, notify us so we can visit you and make the appropriate modifications to your Sonitrol system.
• Take advantage of the free group or one on one training provided by the Sonitrol Pacific Customer Service Representatives.
• Update your “After Hours” contact list to ensure that we have accurate contact name and phone number information.
• Inform your emergency contacts that Sonitrol Pacific may call and that answering their phone is important.
• Let us know in advance if you will have workers outside of your business when your security system is turned on, i.e. landscapers, window washers, etc.
Working together, we will minimize any unnecessary use of valuable police resources. Our success has been built upon the continued confidence of law enforcement agencies and the highest apprehension rate in the industry. We look forward to continuing this partnership with you.
2011 apprehension review
When the clock struck midnight ringing out 2011 and ushering in 2012, Sonitrol Pacific ended the year with 257 apprehensions, the second highest number in our history and just two short of our all-time record of 259 set in 1999.
See our complete 2011 apprehension record.
Even more exciting is knowing 32 percent of the 257 were detected and caught before getting inside the secured building. Early detection by audio security sensors leads to early capture by police and saves our clients money, time, headaches and hassle.
Here’s a detailed rundown of the numbers:
Point of entry:
Door Entry: 34%
No Entry: 32%
Window Entry: 18%
Other Entry: 10%
Roof or Wall Entry: 6%
Suspects caught:
Burglars: 109
Trespassers: 102
Vandals: 41
Other: 5
See our 2012 year-to-date apprehension record.
Team members at the 2011 convention
Five members of the Sonitrol Pacific team will grace the awards stage at the 2012 Sonitrol National Dealers’ Association (SNDA) convention after placing in the annual National Achievement Competition.
The SNDA announced February 27 that Technician John Provost, Technician Dean Packard, Operator Cami Halstead, Support Specialist Anne Ogama and Support Specialist Salena Wolfe all placed in their respective categories.
“I’m very proud of these team members,” President Beau Bradley said. “This recognition is a tremendous accomplishment and shows their everyday hard work and dedication to our Core Values. They are truly ‘the best of the best’.”
These five winners (pictured lower right) will travel to New Orleans in April to be recognized at an awards ceremony during the annual SNDA conference.
The National Achievement Competition consists of a challenging series of questions and problem solving essays for technicians, monitoring operators and administrative support team members. Submissions are judged by a panel of SNDA members from across the country and winners are selected based on their overall scores.
A member of the Sonitrol Pacific team since 2004, John Provost placed in the Top Technician category for a second year in a row.
Although a member of the team since 2002, this was the first year Dean Packard competed in National Achievement. He placed in the Technicians’ Shining Star category.
Cami Halstead earned recognition in the Operators’ Shining Star category. A relatively new member of the team, Cami has earned a reputation throughout the company of dependability, reliability, and positivity.
Anne Ogama is a three-peat winner in the Top Administrative/Support category. She earned the Top Administrative Support award in 2010 and 2009.
Salena Wolfe is also a return winner in the Top Administrative/Support category. She graced the stage in 2011.
Sonitrol Pacific team members Sarah Bailey, Jeff LaMont and Amanda Dittebrandt earned Honorable Mention in their respective categories.
MacKenzie Named 2011 Employee of the Year
Mattie MacKenzie was named Sonitrol Pacific’s Employee of the Year for 2011 because of her can-do attitude, enthusiasm for the company and commitment to the success of her teammates.
As our Human Resources facilitator, Mattie tackled the introduction of a new health benefit program with a positive focus. She fielded employee questions and guided them to the resources they needed to make an informed choice.
“I was very impressed with how Mattie handled our changes in healthcare benefits,” said Jim Payne, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Sitting in the office next to her, I overheard many conversations which she handled very professionally and with a smile on her face.”
Mattie earned our Employee of the Month award in May 2011 and Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2011. Our Employee of the Year was selected from the four Employees of the Quarter: Sarah Bailey, Mattie, Salena Wolfe and Scott Mathews.
As part of her prize, Mattie will travel to New Orleans for the Sonitrol National Dealers’ Association convention in April and receive $500 in spending money.
Kris Etheridge
Kris Etheridge monitored and dispatched police to catch 46 suspects in 2011, earning the Peggy Carman award for the second time in two years.
Kris’ monitoring and verification skills led to dispatches resulting in the arrest of 46 suspected criminals, 18 percent of Sonitrol Pacific’s total detections-to-apprehensions in 2011. Joe Orsborn and Michael Young gave Kris a run for the award with 42 apprehensions each.
Kris joined the Sound Security team in August 2007 and is an expert at monitoring audio detection technology.
The “Peggy Carman” award was created in 2008 to honor Sonitrol Pacific’s long-time employee, and “Godmother”, Peggy Carman. It is given annually to the operator responsible for the most apprehensions that year.
Mathews Named Employee of Q4
Security Consultant Scott Mathews earned Sonitrol Pacific’s Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2011 to recognize his hard work and focus on delivering his best for clients and teammates.
“Scott’s customers like the fact that he is on time, professional, listens and explains our system in understandable terms,” Puget Sound Regional Sales Manager Tony Orso said. “In short, Scott is a great member of the Sonitrol Pacific team!”
We appreciate Scott and the care he gives to customers.
Employees of the Month
In recognition of their contributions to the organization and service to clients, the Sound Security Board of Directors named Technician Eric Bullis, Security Consultant Scott Mathews and Operator Stephany Ripley the 2011 Employees of the Month for October, November and December, respectively, and Technician Aleksey Golyaka January 2012 Employee of the Month.
Employees of the month are nominated by customers and members of the team. If you would like to nominate someone, please call or email their manager or your local Sonitrol Pacific general manager. We welcome your feedback and opportunities to speak with you.