While Central Oregon is a statistically safe place to work and live, sometimes a small measure of loss prevention can equate to a comforting dose of necessary peace for area businesses of all breeds. The region’s economic recovery and dedication to protecting its assets has the nature of commercial security first and foremost on everyone’s collective mind. Many reputable firms in our High Desert zone specialize in the growing field of retail and industrial security systems, using the latest in modern technology to keep property and assets safe and sound.
One firm keeping Central Oregon’s business community safe is Security Pros Incorporated of Bend, delivering nightly mobile security patrols for commercial spaces and special events in Central Oregon since 1994.
“We’re going on 18 years now and still going strong. Brian and Diana Shawver bought the company seven years ago,” said operations manager Steve Meyer. “We primarily do security for businesses, shopping malls and construction sites, with rolling patrols or on-site security guards posted and patrol checks several times a night to retail and industrial clients. We’ll go in and make sure all doors and entrances are secure and along with the entire property. If we go to an industrial site with a lot of heavy equipment we’ll go in on foot and make sure nobody is stealing any gas or equipment.”
Security Pros serves the whole tri-county area of Central Oregon, guarding approximately 1,000 customers, protecting over a billion dollars in local client assets, with customers in Madras, Sunriver, Bend, Redmond and Sisters. Their officers and staff also work special events like the Sisters Wine Festival, the Pilot Butte 4th of July Fireworks, Flashback Cruz, Day of the Dead Cyclocross and the Sunriver SunFest.
“We have a modern fleet of eight fuel-efficient Honda Accord and Civic patrol cars, and two electric vehicles, one of which was used to apprehend a suspect in a theft ring at the Old Mill District last week,” Meyer added. “We also have two bicycle patrols we use so we’re very environmentally conscious with our vehicles and patrol choices. We provide security for all the shops at the Old Mill District as well. It’s such a beautiful place to live and work.”
Right now, Security Pros staffs 40 employees, with all their security officers certified through the State of Oregon and the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, including a minimum of 12 hours of instructional sessions on state law and requirements.
“Here at Security Pros we have what we call Security Pros University, with two full time instructors on staff that teach initial certification and also re-certification training every two years,” explained Meyer. “We’re strictly unarmed security here. We just don’t get a lot of calls for armed security. Central Oregon is a pretty safe place to live. Other security companies actually send their officers to us for training including bar owners who must have bouncers certified per state law. We’re pretty proud of that.”
Brian Gartland is general manager of East Cascade Security in Bend, a company providing protective security services for over 25 years, entrusted with valued properties and offering a professional array of multi-faceted services.
“We’re owned by our parent company, Vyanet, which shares a building with us,” he said. “Vyanet is composed of eight satellite offices in Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii and here in Central Oregon. They own their own central monitoring station where we process all our alarms. All the security and fire systems we install are monitored directly from this center, we don’t outsource anything.”
Besides basic alarm and fire systems, East Cascade can also provide access control networks to secure locations with card readers or card fobs, specially programmed to allow access at certain office levels or sensitive areas that require a keyless entry. Their technicians can do closed circuit tv systems for both commercial and residential situations and layouts of every kind.
“Another area we have ventured into is home technologies which include smart appliances, central vacuum systems and lighting control automation,” said Gartland. “Everything we do is tailored to our customers, for their lifestyle and specific needs. We always go out on site first and meet with customers and walk through their requirements, then sit down to plan and build a customized system based on their situation, whether it’s monitoring the temperature in their home freezer or remote viewing of retail camera systems, allowing clients to arm and control alarm systems and receive status updates from a smart phone.”
Customers and business owners can customize any system, from the smallest coffee shop to a sprawling commercial site or huge warehouse, with simple motion sensors and deadbolts, to sophisticated security camera safeguards.
“It all depends on how intense and comprehensive a system customers want and how many people you have coming in and out of the location. You can do a hard-wired network or a wireless system for monitoring that you can access from a cell network or the internet utilizing any web connection. People call us with an idea of what they need and we give them options to ensure maximum protection.”
For a typical corner coffee cafe, standard protocol would be to wire all manned entry doors, backed up with interior motion devices or glass breaks. Motion detectors register heat and movement. Glass break sensors listen for glass shattering and trigger on a certain frequency.
“Upon a break-in, we’re alerted to our system which transmits it via cell, landline or internet where it’s processed here at the central station,” he said. “Depending on whether it’s fire or security we dispatch the appropriate first responders to the site and call other contact numbers designated on the account. We’re always following up on everything as its happening.”
East Cascade prides itself on local, personalized attention and valuing its customer service. They are also involved in the Crimestoppers tip hotline and often participate in police investigations to help apprehend culprits.
www.securityprosbend.com, 541-330-0404, www.ecsecurity.com, 541-389-0015.
