How to make my business safer- exterior lighting

How to make my business safer?

 This is a question we often get from clients and there is no one simple answer. There are several ways we can make our businesses safer and it can’t be covered in one post. Over the next several weeks we are going to do a blog series covering many different aspects of how business owners can make their business safer.   We understand that small businesses often times do not have an excess of amount of money to put into security. The things that we discuss will have a range of prices so even the smallest budgets can still improve the safety of where they work.  

Security is formed in layers. A good security plan should have several layers of protection before a threat can get to you, your employees/customers or your products. Often times these layers will not be noticed by the untrained eye but still provide an excellent deterrent to a would be criminal.

The first topic we will cover on “How to make my business safer” is exterior lighting. 

 Using ample, well placed exterior motion lighting is a great, inexpensive way to make your business safer.  Criminals in large, are people of convenience. If they are committing crimes at night, they want to be able to use the cover of darkness. If a dark venue is not available, they may move on to a different, easier location.  Motion lights are a great way to prevent this without using energy when they are not needed. We still recommend using lights that stay on all night at main entrances and other commonly used areas. Motion lighting is best used on the back sides of buildings and other potential blind spots.

Where you install your lighting is very important. It should be installed high enough a burglar can not tamper, vandalize or remove the bulb. If a high location is not available, consider using a cage or other protective device.   Other lights are sold as “vandal resistant lighting.” They offer other protection solutions to prevent someone from taking out your lighting in the course of committing a crime.

Lighting can also keep your employees safe by preventing falls or other accidents from objects that may not have ben seen in a dark environment.

Next question we get asked about lighting is what brand to buy. While we do not endorse any certain brand, generally you get what you pay for.  Look for features that allow you to adjust the range of detection, length of time the lights stay on and angle you can project the light. A very important feature to look for is a battery back up. If a criminal is serious and knows what they are doing, they may cut the power to your building. If so, a battery back is a great way to still detour them. 

 This is just the basics of lighting. We do a threat analysis, free of charge to clients that hire our security guards that goes much deeper into this topic.

Check back often as we will be adding more posts often that can truly help you make your business safer. 

www.charlesbrookprotection.com 

Security Guard pays it forward.

We at Charlesbrook Protection Services received this email from a lady named Susian. We had never heard of her prior to this encounter she had with one of our security guards at a gas station in Grand Rapids. He was off duty and on his way to his post for the night . Below is her email:


"To whom it may concern,  My name is Susian, I have not heard of your company until today.  I am writing this as a result of an encounter I had with a guard who is employed by you.  I was in the gas station with my two kids and was paying for my groceries when I noticed I was short money.  One of your employees gave me money to help pay for my groceries.  I know it was one of your employees because he was still in uniform and i remember the patch. I did not get his name but he was a younger, taller and bigger man.  Im writing this because he left before i can get his name and wanted to see if maybe you can thank him for me.  I wish you all of the best, and have a blessed day, Susian. "


 We can thank him for you! Thank you ,Corporal Dorchak. For those of you who know him, this story will not come as a surprise.  Corporal Dorchak is know for doing these types of things. You will also know that he didn't want any recognition for this but we think he deserves it!   He's always willing to lend a hand to someone in need. His morals make him a great officer.  Your actions reflect well on our company and yourself. You are commended for a job well done.  

Disabled United States Marine working together again with combat dog.

At Charlesbrook Protection Services, the level of service we provide is paramount. We maintain this by several different methods but the main way is by employing the highest caliber of security guards available. We aim not only to hire veterans from the Grand Rapids area, but hire those veterans who may have faced challenges finding employment post military service. Veterans working for us have expressed the difficulty transitioning to civilian life.  We feel a duty to support our veterans in this transition.

 Below is a story Wood TV 8, a news station station did on one of our security guards.  Sgt. DeYoung served 5 years in the Marines, searching for IED’s with his Explosives Detection Dog, Cena. After their tour in Afghanistan they were separated for over four years. Cena went on to serve 2 more tours with different handlers.  Two years ago they got reunited and now they are working together again for Charlesbrook Protection Services.

Cena now serves as DeYoung's PTSD service dog.  When DeYoung came to us, he told us of past discrimination he had faced in the work place. We told him those days were over for him.  Not only does Cena help DeYoung be able to utilize all of his training from the Marines, all of our clients love Cena!

You can see them working together every other Friday this summer during Movies in the Park at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, put on by Dowtown Grand Rapids Inc. Stop by and say hello. This event is so much fun and family friendly. We are extremely proud to employ these two heroes.