Anybody work for Allied Barton?

[Security Mike]

I worked for them for 2 years and thought it was a great company to work for. Anybody else work or have worked for them? If so what type of account were you assigned to in what state and how did you like it.

PS..There the only company I worked for so I really cant compare them to anyone else at the moment.

[Hank1]

I worked for them for 2 years and thought it was a great company to work for. Anybody else work or have worked for them? If so what type of account were you assigned to in what state and how did you like it.

PS..There the only company I worked for so I really cant compare them to anyone else at the moment.

I personally have met and interacted with 5 Allied/Barton Officers in the past. I can honestly say that one was of high quality. High speed low drag type of individual.

Be safe,

Hank

[LPGuy]

When I was 18 years old, I worked briefly (three months) for Allied Security, before they merged with Barton. I worked as a "floating" officer, filling in at odd accounts in the area. I worked at quite a few office buildings and several shipping plants in Washington State, and I worked all the various shifts (mornings, swings, and graves).

I left Allied with a very sour taste in my mouth. At that time, they were about as observe and report as it got and loved to preoccupy my time with menial tasks (hitting scattered buttons with "the Pipe" that seemed to be hidden in each janitorial closet in the building). They were willing to bend over backwards for client expectations, even when they included flat out ridiculous demands. One site in particular required the morning officer to open every blind in every office on all three floors of a very large office complex. This turned out to be a 1.5 hour job. When I presented to the company's internal loss prevention the reasons why this caused a security gap, and how the employees could easily open their ONE SINGLE BLIND IN THEIR OWN OFFICE when they arrived in the morning, they ordered Allied to remove me from the site. Reeeeeaaaal serious about security there.

They also seemed to employ several lazy idiots in my area. I'd constantly be asked to extend or be called at home at 3 AM by random officers asking me if I wanted to come in and cover for them while they got their car repaired or some other bogus excuse. (Get your car repaired? At 3 AM? Really?) My favorite time was when they extended my 8-hour shift to a 16-hour shift and ordered me to work it, because the next shift called in sick. Apparently, the genius in charge thought that was a better idea than having me cover half the shift (working a 12) and the next officer cover half, also working a 12.

Training and pay was minimal. I moved on to bigger and better things. Needless to say, I'd never go back.

[Blade Runner]

I just sucked in due to a corporate buyout of Initial Security. Honostly, I'm not that impressed. Their hiring "standards" are practically nonexistant, as they seem to randomly hire any schmuck who can breathe autonomously. Training? Nil. Pay? HA! They put Commissioned officers at noncom posts, leave you hanging in the wind if your relief does not show, and do not push the clients for more strict security measures. I.E.---There was a bomb threat at my post recently, so they put two additional "officers", actually warm bodies with not the slightest clue of security work, out at my post with me. I'm Commissioned (licensed for armed work), and yet they didn't want an armed presence at the site. The site, what is it you ask? An oilwell manufacturing plant with a squat-load of copper stored in the back, where there is little light.

[Hank1]

[QUOTE=LPGuy;36292]One site in particular required the morning officer to open every blind in every office on all three floors of a very large office complex. This turned out to be a 1.5 hour job. When I presented to the company's internal loss prevention the reasons why this caused a security gap, and how the employees could easily open their ONE SINGLE BLIND IN THEIR OWN OFFICE when they arrived in the morning, they ordered Allied to remove me from the site. Reeeeeaaaal serious about security there.

In a word......Amazing!

Be safe,

Hank

[ValleyOne]

oops I combined about four threads...

In these post 9/11 times it still flat out amazes me that people (clients) have NO real clue how and what security is, or what it can actually do for them.

I have heard horror stories (like the blinds above) and been stuck doing similar tasks. It is as though some insurance fairy god mother came along and said, "Hey, you can save twice the money you would expend on security if you just get security. Doesn't really matter what the hell they do, just get 'em. Oh, and be sure to treat the janitor better than them."

The sad truth is in this matter and others (like under bidding, and competitors talking bad about others) is that it comes down to money. The greatest motivator of all times. The money is out there to be made, if your getting the accounts, someone else is. So that explains why some companies hire people who hardly know how to walk and chew gum at the same time. Let alone speak/read/write the same language.

So in order to keep these accounts some companies will allow their warm bodies to perform the most rudimentary tasks. I myself, worked an on site account across the street till 0600 then had to show up at 0600 till 0800 at the front door. (the business opened up at 0800 for anyone to come in) Then unlock it in order to check ID's of the upper management, just to make sure that no unauthorized persons came in. When the papers were delivered we had to take the different papers to the different Pres and VP's offices. We couldn't sit at the reseptionists desk, we had to stand in between the outer and inner doors.

I almost got the boot when I told my boss this was complete BS, and that they had perfectly good receptionists that could this (papers). Besides, if they were SOOO worried about unathorized access, why couldn't the uppers use the BACK DOOR where the card lock was like the rest of the cattle? (we had an office at the door where one officer per shift was stationed) Or, hey here's an idea; put a card lock on the front doors... My boss looked at me and said, "Hey it's an extra two hours on the books."

We got tired of it and told him if you want it done so bad you do it. Because at the rate he was going we would've been parking their cars as well by the end the second month. So, instead of passing the reccomendations onto the client (can't piss them off you know!) he just got mad at all of us, did some yelling, and finaly just did it himself.

I guess, my point is that as long as there is a company out there that thinks the client is always right, and allows themselves to be demeaned by said clientele this crap will never end.

[Hank1]

I guess, my point is that as long as there is a company out there that thinks the client is always right, and allows themselves to be demeaned by said clientele this crap will never end.

I see help wanted ads in the local fish wraps for security officer/valet'/janitor all the time. Anything and everything to pull you away from the security effort. I shake my head is dis-belief and disgust....

Be safe,

Hank

[N. A. Corbier]

I see help wanted ads in the local fish wraps for security officer/valet'/janitor all the time. Anything and everything to pull you away from the security effort. I shake my head is dis-belief and disgust....

Be safe,

Hank

In the client's eyes, you're not doing anything useful. Therefore, they have things that you can do that ARE useful.

[N. A. Corbier]

I just sucked in due to a corporate buyout of Initial Security. Honostly, I'm not that impressed. Their hiring "standards" are practically nonexistant, as they seem to randomly hire any schmuck who can breathe autonomously. Training? Nil. Pay? HA! They put Commissioned officers at noncom posts, leave you hanging in the wind if your relief does not show, and do not push the clients for more strict security measures. I.E.---There was a bomb threat at my post recently, so they put two additional "officers", actually warm bodies with not the slightest clue of security work, out at my post with me. I'm Commissioned (licensed for armed work), and yet they didn't want an armed presence at the site. The site, what is it you ask? An oilwell manufacturing plant with a squat-load of copper stored in the back, where there is little light.

Initial is warm body security. They are in the business of buying small companies to augment their portfolio. Keep in mind, if your firm is bought out by a large multi-national or national firm, you should really examine what services you were providing in the first place.

[ValleyOne]

In the client's eyes, you're not doing anything useful. Therefore, they have things that you can do that ARE useful.

Ergo client education...

[Security Mike]

Really though I was under the impression that Allied Barton was the best security company in America...Who do you all rank as better ?

[dsoul27]

I applied for them along time ago and never got a phone call. I heard that this is common with this company. I thought that this was unprofessional, they claim they need allot of people but aren't calling anyone. I emailed recruiters and didn't get anything in return. I could see if I was under qualified but I got 8 years in the military doing security as well as my guard card and permits. oh well.

I don't know much about the company but based on my experience with them, I wouldn't want to work there.

[Black Caesar]

I worked for Barton in '95-96 for 14 months. I wore a soft uniform in a high Rise Building, basically fire watch type stuff. It wasn't that bad for a guy in school (when I started I was finishing college, when I left I was in the police academy), but my buddy was a supervisor with Stanley Smith Security (which got bought out by Initial) and helped me get on at a warehouse a half mile from my home, so i left Barton.

Only knew on guy who worked for them fairly recently, he worked on a government contract site (AAFES) here in Dallas and he had NOTHING good to say about Allied Barton....

[LPGuy]

Really though I was under the impression that Allied Barton was the best security company in America...Who do you all rank as better ?

Hey, if the job suits you just fine, then don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

However, I didn't feel that the company cared about me as an employee nor did they treat me very well. In addition, I didn't (and still don't) feel that the company is particularly interested or suited towards providing any type of security beyond someone to sign logs or call 911 in an emergency. I'm sure there are exceptions, perhaps now that the company finally converted and has started employing armed security officers, but the company is still heavily geared towards warm body "observe and report" type security.

Best security company in America? Well, there are thousands of companies out there... I could probably do some research and name hundreds that I would rather work for.

[CorpSec]

I have never been particularly impressed with Allied and I think there are better choices out there. But, like I have said before it is often a matter of the site you are assigned to and not the company that you work for.

Your major companies are all going to try to undercut each other and try to provide as many value added services to the client as possible to boost their bottom line.

I do not have a problem with officers doing extra tasks such as delivering newpapers, opening blinds, passing out paychecks, etc. as long as full disclosure exists. Meaning that the officer is made fully aware that s/he will be doing non security functions as part of their job. If the officer knows what they are getting into, I think it is fine. The problem is the officer that thought they were hired to be security and they end up starting the coffee in the morning and driving the company shuttle.

At my in-house job, I don't mind adding various tasks in support of other department to our duties. It only makes us more valuable in the eyes of the company and makes perfect business sense. I draw the line at anything that would take away from the overall security program though.