What does security mean to you?

This is something condo board of directors need to think about. The main questions that need to be asked are:
1. What is your budget?
2. What do you want your concierge/security officers to do?
3. What level of training you you expect them to have?
3. What level of supervision/support does your concierge/security guards get?
4. Who checks on them when they are on duty?

Budget
The consequences of paying for a level of security you don't need means wasting money. However, paying for too little, can result in life threatening situations.

Twenty-four hour, seven day a week security is a big expense. No doubt. So many condos look to save money buy cutting security costs. Fair enough.

There are a number of small, and some not so small, security companies that will provide security guards at very low prices. They do this by paying the guards minimum wages, provide no benefits and giving the guards a minimum of training.

A “veneer” of security
However, some condos go to extremes in cutting back on security costs.
In China, they call the condo security huts, gates and guards "decoration"; something thats looks good and gives the residents a sense of protection but has little value. It is the same at some of our condos.

One west-end condo, that has a gun and drug gang operating openly on the property, have limited security working only twelve-hours a day. The drug dealers know when security leaves the property.

A condo in Mississauga has security on site for only four hours a day; from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am. The gate arm is operated during those hours. At all other times, the gate arm is left open.

A condominium on Yonge Street takes the cake. They got rid of on-site security altogether. To give the appearance that they have security guards, they placed an electric kettle on a table in the gate house. Since the gate arm automatically opens whenever a vehicle approaches, I doubt they are fooling anyone.

What are their duties?
Condo boards often expect a lot from security. They're expected to:
• Greet residents as they enter and leave the lobby.
• Enforce no eating or loitering in the lobby.
• Insure that dogs are on a leash & use the back entrance.
• Accept and log in parcels.
• Post bulletins & deliver notices to all the suites.
• Test the water in the swimming pool.
• Phone for taxis and provide wake-up calls.
• Book and inspect amenities before & after they are used.
• Enforce Visitor Parking rules.
• Investigate noise and pet complaints.

None of the above have anything to do with security. On top of this long list, they are to:

• Challenge all unknown persons who enter the building.
• Patrol in interior and exterior of the building.
• Monitor the CCTV monitors.
• sign keys in & out.
• Sign in all contractors who come on site.
• Provide First Aid & call 911 when required.

Training

Training for condo security guards is often very weak. First-aid courses which should take 16 hours can be as short as four-hours. On-the-job training usually lasts three days and consists of "monkey-see, monkey-do" where the trainee watches the person on the job and reads skims looks at a thick procedures manual.

Supervision/support
Condo job sites may have:
• no supervision at all
• a system where the guards phone in once an hour to "prove" they are awake.
• a mobile supervisor drops in anywhere from once a night to once a week.

If the mobile supervisor finds problems, be confident that the client will not be told about any "internal" difficulties.

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