Alarm company question

[FireEMSPolice]

I am finally getting the stores on board with my idea.

I tell them facts like

- we are here 24 hours a day/365 days, we can save them the hassle from responding to false alarms

- we can check the business, turn cameras on it, and notify them of whats going on. People appreciate this type of thing in the middle of the night.

So far, most places are on board with this. I make it clear that I dont want access or passwords, just a phone call from the alarm company. By policy, we are prohibited from entering a tenant space (vacant tenant spaces exempt since we take possession when the retailer leaves) without a store employee.

I will be composing a letter to go to all retailers to get them all on this.

[HospitalOfficer]

My 2 cents is not to worry about what happens in an anchor store. Mall Security 's primary job is to maintain the common areas, food courts and parking lots. Whatever happens in an anchor store is their problem, not yours.

[NRM_Oz]

When I used to live local to 1 site (2 minute drive) I was called out 4 times in 2 days - Xmas and Boxing Day - public hol. rates x 4 hours x 4 trips. Someone had been into the warehouse and not advised the alarm company. 1st call was at 0730 Xmas morning and then again at 1600 - both days. For about 2 hours work all up I was paid 48 hours pay (including allow.) - so I was over the moon for this next pay packet. To save $$$ onsite patrol were given their own prox. card and code but with 7 different staff and abuse of facilities out of hours, it was canned a week later when things went walkies.

[integrator97]

I never said that you asked for keys. One poster suggested that you (the security company) become a keyholder to the store and bypass an actual store employee from coming in case of an alarm.

That will never happen. Ever.

I have an alarm & access customer (multi national company everyone has heard of) that wanted someone to respond to alarms at there office. None of their people wanted to come in (sales office w 65 people to multi-national retailer), though it was usually their own people causing it. Their HQ contacted me, and I put them in touch with a local guard service.

[gcmc security part 2]

I never said that you asked for keys. One poster suggested that you (the security company) become a keyholder to the store and bypass an actual store employee from coming in case of an alarm.

That will never happen. Ever.

Why not? I've seen many types of stores give security keys to be a keyholder. I've done it as an Patrol Officer for a company that did Alarm Response. Matter of fact one of our accounts was an anchor store at a mall.

[LPCap]

I never said that you asked for keys. One poster suggested that you (the security company) become a keyholder to the store and bypass an actual store employee from coming in case of an alarm.

That will never happen. Ever.

[FireEMSPolice]

There is no way in hell a company is going to let you have keys to their store.

I never asked for keys to any tenant's store. In fact, it is in the manual that they must change all locks when the space is rented.

[Justice_Hound]

tweaker

LP CAP Quote "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL A COMPANY IS GOING TO LET YOU HAVE KEYS TO THEIR STORE"

That isn't true all the time. In the case of my store the property management company has outer door
locksmithing authority and has stated in the lease contract that agents of the property manager may
enter our premises in the case of an emergency (example- to prevent a fire from spreading to the
rest of the complex.). Emergency is a vague word.

At other retail locations my company will contact the property management security to investigate
suspicisous activity outsidethe building. But if there is a crime in progress, theft, or property
damage after hours we call the po pos first. We are gonna need
a pd case # for insurance purposes anyways!

WOW, after thinking about it, the property management company having keys kinda creeps me out. The maint/janitor dude they have working for them has this wierd tweaker/ crazy dog look about him. In fact, the first time I saw him started CCTV surveillance immediately cause he looked like a possible "Loss Prevention" client.

[Justice_Hound]

LP CAP Quote "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL A COMPANY IS GOING TO LET YOU HAVE KEYS TO THEIR STORE"

That isn't true all the time. In the case of my store the property management company has outer door
locksmithing authority and has stated in the lease contract that agents of the property manager may
enter our premises in the case of an emergency (example- to prevent a fire from spreading to the
rest of the complex.). Emergency is a vague word.

At other retail locations my company will contact the property management security to investigate
suspicisous activity outsidethe building. But if there is a crime in progress, theft, or property
damage after hours we call the po pos first. We are gonna need
a pd case # for insurance purposes anyways!

[Minneapolis Security]

Thought the Police were getting away from scanner frequencies heard by the public

Most of the large metro areas have switched to a P25 Digital trunked system, however there are scanners capable of monitoring these. If the channel is encrypted, you are out of luck. Lucky for us, the dispatch channels have remained un-encrypted so far.

[NRM_Oz]

Eric, 80% of our police operate on a fully digital police VKG radio network so it is all scrambled now but they do have analogue for a backup in some black spot areas.

[LPCap]

Since you will have keys to the store there is no reason to have key holder respond. In fact, that may be a way of getting on the list. Tell the store manager that you will act as key holder for the store in case the alarm goes off. Have your office added to list as the number two person to be called because you can be on scene within two minutes. Your crew can do a scene size up and probably a primary search before police arrive.

There is no way in hell a company is going to let you have keys to their store.

That being said, try and talk to the store manager or LP manager. Give them a rundown of how it will be beneficial to the store. You can be onsite first and check out the scene. You can accompany them as they enter the store. A keyholder from that store will ALWAYS have to be there.

Here is a rundown of our department store call list.

Call #1 - premise
Call #2 - police
Call#3 - key holder #1, #2 down the list until someone answers
Call #4 - mall security to let them know what is happening

Also the local police dispatch always call mall security and let them know of the alarm and that police are responding.

You may want to talk to the police and request they call you whenever they are dispatched to mall property (if applicable).

You have to prove to the store that it is worth having you guys respond.

[Chimpie]

Let me see if I can throw in my two cents here to help make it an easier read. I will use Sears as the business and ADT as the alarm company to keep it simple.

Sears has a contract with ADT to monitor the premises. Sears provides, to ADT, a list of contacts to call in case of an alarm. Sears has the choice on whether to call the property first, the police, a security company, the on call maintenance man, whomever. Most of the time it goes like this:

1. Premise
2. Police Department
3. Key Holder #1
4. Key Holder #2

Sears is the only one who can change the list.

Now, I believe you said you are an in-house department. Is the anchor store leased from your property owner? If so, you might have a leg to stand on. If the anchor store is owned outright then there is pretty much no reason for you to be notified.

If I as the security director wanted to be notified, I would suggest on having the call list set up as:

1. Premise
2. Mall Security
3. Police Department

Since you will have keys to the store there is no reason to have key holder respond. In fact, that may be a way of getting on the list. Tell the store manager that you will act as key holder for the store in case the alarm goes off. Have your office added to list as the number two person to be called because you can be on scene within two minutes. Your crew can do a scene size up and probably a primary search before police arrive.

I can expand on this more if you'd like.

[Eric]

Any easier solution would be to just monitor the scanner. I always monitor the police agency in the city I am working. Its valuable for other information as well, such as crimes committed near your property.

Thought the Police were getting away from scanner frequencies heard by the public

[Eric]

What does Management put in the lease for these stores? Is Security to be informed?