Security and Your Condo Community

IN TODAY’S condominium culture, owners andinvestors choosing to buy and live in a condo communityare increasingly emphasizing the importance of safety andsecurity. Working with numerous condominium boards and property management companies, we see first hand what it takes to create and maintain a safe environment for your residents and the positive effect it has on thecommunity as a whole.

Firstly, a comprehensive security program should be in place in every single condominium building or complex,regardless of the size, age and/or demographic. A goodsecurity program not only creates peace of mind butalso contributes to maintaining a high property value.As board members and property managers, it is your“duty of care” and therefore this responsibility beginswith you. To implement a good program, you do nothave to be security experts but you do have to be proac-tive and have an understanding and appreciation for thevalue of security.

What Makes a Safe Community?BY MATTHEW WILLIAMS

Integrate Your Security Program

Most security standards that are implemented aregoverned by the corporation’s financials. In somecondominiums, security is one of the main and larg-est items in the operating budget; in others, securityfeatures are put on a waiting list until spare fundsbecome available. Whichever the scenario, to have aneffective security program, you should have an inte-grated package consisting of the following aspects:

Physical security. This refers to physical barriers and deterrents such as fences, locks, gates, barriers, natural surveillance, lighting and signage.

Technological security. This refers to technologicalsecurity such as video surveillance, electronic accesscontrols, alarms, sensors, intercom systems and panicstations.

Procedural security. This refers to the proceduresin place such as staff manuals, corporation rules/regu-

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lations and bylaws, emergencyprocedures, fire safety plans andpost orders for security guards.

Security personnel. This refersto staff that are trained in securityawareness.

Conduct Frequent ReviewsYour corporation’s program

should also be continuouslyreviewed, updated and improvedupon to ensure it is achieving themaximum effect. Too many times,a security program is implementedbut never maintained. Cameras andsurveillance systems age and break,procedures and access lists becomeoutdated, lights burn out and arenever replaced, fences becomedamaged and staff become compla-cent. All these factors cause hugesecurity liabilities. If you are unsurehow or where to prioritize theseimprovements, security audits arehugely beneficial. A security auditnot only identifies problems, issuesand weak spots, they offer a varietyof cost-effective solutions, whichcan be worked into a corporation’s

After a walk through of Applewood Landmark, discussions were held. From left: Erica Williams(COO, Pennine Security Solutions), Neil Davis (director of operations, Pennine Security), JenniferLawther (property manager, Whitehall Residential), Wayne Arthurs (board president, PCC 171,Applewood Landmark), Steven Hill (president, Whitehall Residential). Not shown: MatthewWilliams (president & CEO, Pennine Security Solutions). The group discussed the site grounds,security patrol routes, areas requiring lighting, signage and having a general site meeting toensure all are on the same page. Photos: Supplied

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long-term financial plan. However,you must use an impartial securityconsultant or product provider andnever someone who already servicesthe building.

If your condominium has thebudget, bringing in the right securitycompany can be extremely beneficialto both the level of security and thedaily operations of the building. Secu-

rity personnel play a central role inevery aspect of security. All of the tech-nological systems that are employedto enhance physical security areuseless without a security team that istrained in their use and maintenance,and know how to properly respond to security-related issues. Alwaysperform adequate due diligence whentendering for a security provider andnever look for the cheapest option. Ifa bid is significantly cheaper than therest then there is usually a reason why,but that reason will never be a lowerprofit margin and usually comes at theexpense of the guard provided and thecorporation’s overall service level.

key times at the building and pay for abetter quality guard.

Above all this, the major factorin a successful security programis the collaborative effort of everysingle member of the condominiumcommunity. The safety and secu-rity of a building does not startand end with the security program.No matter how many cameras or

security guardsa b u i l d i n gdeploys, unlessthe residents buyinto living in asecure environ-ment, the systemcan still fail.

A successful,safe and securecommunity is one

where the residents take the time toget to know one another, communi-cate issues and problems to membersof staff, are observant of suspicious activities and are always conscious ofwho is entering the building behindthem. Property managers and boardmembers can help promote this ethosby holding resident informationnights or community-building func-tions, performing regular fire drills,investing in building software thatalso has a resident portal, supplyinga suggestion box and strengtheningcohesive communication by openlyproviding the contact information ofthe key service providers for the build-ing. If property managers and boardmembers can encourage residents totruly invest in their community, thenthat becomes the biggest investmentthey can make in security. v

Matthew J. Williamsis president and CEOof Pennine SecuritySolutions.

He can be reached at Mobile: 905-379-7568Emai l :   Matthew@

penninesecuritysolutions.com Twitter:@penninesecurity

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If property managers and board memberscan encourage residents to truly invest in theircommunity, then that becomes the biggestinvestment they can make in security.

Pennine staff Darwin Diongco, concierge/security and Neil Davis, director of operations, review the daily log.

Love Your Security GuardA good security guard is extremely

important. A good guard is not onlyaccountable for their actions as a firstresponder but becomes an extension ofthe property manager after they leavethe site. A good guard will go aboveand beyond their duties and will stillbe impacting the safety of your build-ing even when they are not physically

present. Making sure your guard is financially taken care of will encour-age loyalty and reduce staff turnover. Ifyour corporation is only paying mini-mum wage, which will be reflected inthe security company’s proposal, yourprovider will only supply you witheither a low calibre or inexperiencedguard. If you do receive a competentguard, they won’t stay at your build-ing for long. Too often, the goal is tokeep monthly condo fees low and payas little as possible for security services.If you are stretching your budget tohave manned guarding at your build-ing, try working with your provider toreduce the security coverage to reflect

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