Veterans in security

The world’s first Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) platform – Ocucon – has bolstered its senior team with the appointment of Anthony King, formerly of King Security Systems, as a consultant to the business. Breaking new ground in surveillance technology, Ocucon delivers a powerful, cloud-based storage and retrieval platform, combining intelligent data analytics with the facility to store, analyse and retrieve unlimited amounts of HD video surveillance footage from within the Ocucon portal. It is the first technology of its kind to offer unlimited cloud-based storage as a service. Anthony will be responsible for Ocucon’s business development, growth and supporting the management team in its strategy and the development of Ocucon’s new services Veteran in security industry With over 30 years in the security industry, Anthony King brings with him a wealth of experience and business contacts. Formerly Managing Director of Kings Security Systems, one of the UK’s leading security firms, Anthony helped pioneer/ secure contracts with Co-op, Morrisons and DixonsCarphone Warehouse. In his new role, Anthony will be responsible for Ocucon’s business development, growth and supporting the management team in its strategy and the development of Ocucon’s new services. Anthony King commented: “I am incredibly excited to be coming on board as a consultant to Ocucon. As the world’s first VSaaS platform, Ocucon is truly breaking new grounds in surveillance technology and gained an enviable reputation since its launch only last year. This is the prime time to be joining the company and I look forward to working with the team to support its continued growth.” Ocucon is exhibiting at the upcoming Retail Risk exhibition in London where it will be announcing a new product that will assist organisations with GDPR compliance Assisting organisations with GDPR compliance Gary Trotter, Co-Founder of Ocucon commented: “Anthony brings a wealth of experience to Ocucon, together with a vast network of contacts across the UK. His broad experience and enthusiasm for technology and innovative security solutions will help support our product development and further strengthen the Company's position within the UK market.” The North East based firm is preparing to exhibit at the upcoming Retail Risk exhibition in London on the 26th April where it will be announcing a new product that will assist organisations with GDPR compliance. Launched in October 2017, Ocucon is set to revolutionise the ability of UK businesses to defend against fraudulent cases of slips, trips and falls – currently estimated to cost the UK economy more than £800 million a year – by removing physical limitations on the amount of surveillance footage an organisation can save. Ocucon is expected to be of interest to any organisation capturing significant amounts of CCTV data, such as retailers, transport hubs or local authorities.

A week after announcing his retirement following four years leading the UK’s fight against terrorism, Metropolitan Police’s Assistant Commissioner, Mark Rowley has confirmed he will share his vast experience with delegates attending the World Counter Terror Congress, during Security & Counter Terror Expo from 6-7 March 2018. As Britain's most senior anti-terror police officer, Rowley has served in the police for over three decades and is credited for working alongside intelligence services to foil 23 terror attacks in the UK since 2013, as well as doubling the number of arrests by counter terrorism officers in the last year. Future operational strategy His addition to the World Counter Terror Congress speaker programme is further evidence that the conference is the leading event for security professionals to learn about and discuss future operational strategy to respond to the global terrorist threat. Rowley, who will retire in March, joins the most diverse speaker programme in the 10 years that SCTX has run, with counter terror leaders coming together from the most nations in the event’s history, including the UK, United States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, EU and NATO all confirmed to speak. Mark Rowley has confirmed he will share his vast experience with delegates attending the World Counter Terror Congress Counter terror strategy Aligned with the UK’s CONTEST strategy and run in close correspondence with the UK’s Home Office, Cabinet Office and Emergency Services, the conference will deliberate best practice, highlight the importance of collaboration and provide updates on counter terror strategy, operations and policy, examining the key areas of Prevention, Pursuit and Protection. Attendees will also gain first-hand insights from the industry’s most renowned security experts, who work diligently to defeat the terrorist threats to our nations. Speaking about the latest announcement, Richard Walton, UK Security Week Special Advisor and former Head of Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) at New Scotland Yard, said: “SCTX is the leading national event which is why so many leading figures want to attend and share their views. Bringing Mark Rowley as speaker will help nations around the world learn from his unique experiences in leading the UK response to the terrorist atrocities of 2017 so they can evolve their own strategies.” Bringing Mark Rowley as speaker will help nations around the world learn from his unique experiences" Networking events The Security & Counter Terror Expo (SCTX) will run from 6-7 March 2018 and will also include a number of networking events. With more than 350 suppliers, 3,000 products on display and over 100 not-to-be missed conference sessions, SCTX will facilitate discussion on best-practice strategies to halt the advance of terrorism and showcase the latest products and technologies available to those tasked with protecting the public, business and nations.

ZKAccess and Smart Contactless support the military and appreciate their selfless service ZKAccess, a division of ZKTeco and leading provider of biometric and RFID security solutions, was proud to lend its sponsorship support to help raise funds for the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Foundation of America. The Foundation held its first annual Greystar Charity Golf Event August 18th at the Monarch Point golf Links in Dana Point, California. In conjunction with distribution partner Smart Contactless, ZKAccess also participated in the tradeshow portion of the event and donated an ML10 fingerprint reader as a giveaway. "The PTSD Foundation of America does very important work with our military veterans, helping them and their families adjust back to civilian life," says Larry Reed, CEO, ZKAccess.   PTSD Foundation Core to the PTSD Foundation's mission is giving back to those who have given of themselves so selflessly. As stated on its website, the PTSD Foundation of America is a non-profit organisation "dedicated to mentoring to our combat veterans and their families with post traumatic stress. Many warriors are coming home with visible wounds; countless others are coming home with scars we cannot see, wounded souls from witnessing the horrors of war over and over again – PTSD. We feel it is our duty as Americans to help these mighty warriors and their families adjust and find their new normal. " Successful event"The Greystar Charity Golf Event was a tremendous success and raised a lot of much needed money in support of this very worthy cause," adds Robert Gailing, owner and VP of Sales & Marketing, Smart Contactless. "Both ZKAccess and Smart Contactless support our military and appreciate their selfless service. We were proud to be part of this important fundraising event." Save

The security industry has been earning more than its share of accolades for employing military veterans. With big companies such as G4S Secure Solutions employing more than 9,000 veterans in various positions – 22 percent of its workforce – the industry has become distinctly “military friendly.” In fact, the company and rival Allied Barton Security Services were both named 2014 Military Friendly Employers by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs. Both have also won the G.I. Jobs Top 100 Military Friendly Employers honour. To win these awards the companies had to meet strict criteria for recruiting and employing veterans. “Character, commitment and courage are the characteristics I find many veterans have and that’s what many employers in the workforce want to hire,” says Bob Williams, president, Briscoe Protective Systems Inc. G4S was named multiple times to these prestigious lists and awards: Top 50 Military-Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs; Top 100 Military-Friendly Employer; Training magazine's Top 125; and Most Valuable Military Employer. Additionally, all across the USA, G4S has received awards from the Department of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard (ESGR) program. Going the extra mile in employing veterans is particularly important these days. In recent years the plight of unemployed veterans has gotten a lot of attention. With unemployment at a stubborn 6.5 percent – 9 percent for Gulf War II era veterans – there were more than 722,000 unemployed former military personnel in 2013. In many respects, actively seeking veterans for employment has been an easy sell to companies. Many of the skills taught by the military translate well into the security field. “Character, commitment and courage are the characteristics I find many veterans have and that’s what many employers in the workforce want to hire,” says Bob Williams, president, Briscoe Protective Systems Inc. in Centereach, New York. “If you have someone who has the technical skills, but bad work habits and bad character traits in dealing with customers, you can’t correct that. You can teach the skill, but not the character traits.” From the American Legion to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the security industry has received recognition for its dedication to the nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

Veterans are able to use their skills from the military to help develop strategies Ex-army officers/ military veterans bring considerable skills and invaluable experience to security companies. Not only do they play an important role in frontline positions, but also their exposure to a diverse array of security challenges make them increasingly valuable in formulating security management strategies. At the same time, such companies also offer the veterans an alternative and rewarding career in the civilian workforce where their past experience is highly valued. It's a win-win situation for both parties. Kevin Farrell always arrives early to his job at the offices of G4S Security in Jupiter, Florida. As senior manager for the national communications centre, he is charge of all the communication with more than 130 field offices for this large security company. A former military officer and current Florida National Guard captain, he has spent 23 years serving in capacities ranging from commanding an artillery unit to transportation security and military policing.   “We manage incoming crisis calls, field calls, requests for services and internal operations,” says Farrell. “We can handle anything from (company response to) Super Storm Sandy and utilise our centre here to ensure that our officers and clients are taken care of. We use this as an operations centre to send officers from other locations to assist (with situations.) It’s a 24/7, 365 day operation.” When the East Coast was ravaged by Super Storm Sandy a few years, G4S sent more than 100 additional officers to assist customers in digging out from the disaster. Farrell’s operation, which includes a dozen managers and staff, is tasked with handling all the critical communications needed to make such big logistical operations happen. In addition to crisis, the centre also handles big jobs such as communications for events like the Super Bowl. Veterans working for security companies say their military backgrounds and the wide variety of skills they acquired there serve them well. Veterans working for security companies say their military backgrounds and the wide variety of skills they acquired there serve them well “There was a time I was pushing 4000 hours per week providing security coverage with 120 officers that worked for me at the time,” says Timothy Meredith, Client Value Manager at AlliedBarton Security Services. That job was one of a series of positions with increasing responsibility Meredith has filled since joining the company in 2007. His first job as a uniformed security officer came at an opportune time for the military veteran. After first getting out of the service he had joined a company called Homeland Security Solutions that provided military police training to the U.S. Navy. When that contract ended, and the Navy took the program back in-house, he was left unemployed. “I was out of work, so just like anybody else I was jumped on the computer immediately and started looking for a job,” he recalls. He was seeking a security industry position when he came across a listing for AlliedBarton. Within a few days he was working as a new emergency response officer responsible for providing security to a variety of client sites. He received his first promotion within three months and has moved steadily up the ladder since then. Each position has brought more responsibility and – usually – an extended geographic area. His latest job put 600 employees and 60 different work sites under his authority. “I was looking for a solution where I could advance my future and do something good and meaningful at the same time,” recalls Kateri Nelson, Capture Management Support Representative with AlliedBarton Security Services. “I thought the military was a good option for me.” “We can handle anything from (company response to) Super Storm Sandy and utilise our centre here to ensure that our officers and clients are taken care of... It’s a 24/7, 365 day operation”, says Florida National Guard captain - Kevin Farrell. Thanks to the military, she was able to not only complete college, but also attend advanced training in linguistics and human intelligence. These were all skills that proved useful when it came time to move into the security industry. While finishing up a tour of duty with the Colorado National Guard, Nelson learned about an opening with AlliedBarton from a fellow soldier in her unit. She got her foot in the door as a human relations assistant and then quickly moved into a recruiting job that allowed her to use her skills in identifying and interviewing candidates for jobs within the company – including a number of fellow veterans. More recently she was promoted to “capture management” for the company. “That has been a great opportunity to use some of my other military skills as far as intelligence collection,” says Nelson. “We focus on government security contracting opportunities. I’m able to use my skills from the military there to help develop strategies and get any relevant intelligence around a pursuit we might be interested in following.” For these and other veterans, the security industry has proven a path of opportunity that has allowed them to put their hard earned skills to work in the civilian workforce.

Many security company employees say they first learned about opportunities in the field through other employees The nation’s security companies are increasingly turning to U.S. military veterans to fill the ranks of both uniformed guards and management personnel. Getting the best former soldiers, airmen and sailors into the civilian workforce requires recruiting, and some of the best recruiters are other veterans. A wide variety of current security company employees say they first learned about opportunities in the field through other employees. Larger companies have well established connections with military organisations and send recruiters to bases to meet with service personnel who are getting ready to end their military service. “We can’t hire veterans only, but we definitely do promote the hiring of veterans whenever we can,” says Bob Williams, president, Briscoe Protective Systems Inc. in Centereach, New York. On a recent weekday, Williams was getting ready to interview a veteran who he met through the company that handled maintenance work on his pool. “I didn’t realise he was a veteran, but I could see with his character and the way he worked with the guys that he was team player,” says Williams. “After the end of the (summer) season he was laid off, and I wanted to give him an opportunity to work with us.”       The ex-soldier also told Williams about another veteran who was interested in getting into the security industry.    Veterans tend to be exceptional employees who require less training (and hand-holding) than other employees “We get them through word of mouth from other veterans more than anything else,” he explains. Few people appreciate the value of veterans more than veterans themselves. Kateri Nelson, who until recently served as a recruiter for AlliedBarton Security Services in Colorado, notes that she was able to bring a number of veterans into the company. “One of the best parts of the job was being able to help veterans to find employment and get them started on a career path with AlliedBarton,” she says. “I was fortunate to be in that position.” Nelson was herself first told about opportunities in the company by a company employee who was serving in her unit in the Colorado National Guard. Veterans tend to be exceptional employees who require less training (and hand-holding) than other employees. In addition, most company managers see them as less prone to turnover. They also face some unique challenges as they integrate back into the civilian workforce. While they may be called on use many of the same skills they used in the service, veterans often face a very different world. As one security company executive noted, managing civilians can very different than soldiers. “The consequences for failing to carry out an order can be very different in the military than in a civilian workplace,” he observes. They have to get used to other workers who may not always have the same level of discipline as they do.       Freshly minted civilians also face a shock when they see the wages paid by civilian companies.       “When people are getting out of the military their expectations in regards to what they should be getting paid is significantly higher than the reality of today’s world,” says Dennis Lejeck, president of Black Knight Security in Pittsburgh. In an industry in which the typical guard may be making $9 an hour, veterans are “just shocked when you say that’s your starting pay and is that a wage that’s acceptable to you”, says Dennis Lejeck, president of Black Knight Security In an industry in which the typical guard may be making $9 an hour, veterans are “just shocked when you say that’s your starting pay and is that a wage that’s acceptable to you.” After spending years in the military many veterans are unfamiliar with the pay scales common in the industry.  “When they wrap their heads around, this is what it’s going to be at least until I can finish my college, then it seems to go okay” he notes. “Some of them we lose because they had higher expectations and then they don’t end up coming on board with us.” Once veterans get out and start looking for a job, it can also be difficult to translate the skills they acquired in the military and make them understandable to an employer. “I was enlisted (in the Army) and then got out at age 23,” recalls Lejeck. “I was in the infantry, so it’s really hard to translate what I did as a member of the infantry and put on a professional resume.” Security companies tend to be more aware of the difficulties presented by trying to match up skills gained in the military with a civilian position. “A good way to approach that is we hire the person not the resume,” says Dan Williams, president of Cloverton Security. “We look at the person and the history they have and what people say about them in their references.” Cloverton wants employees who understand and are committed to their unique security niche – cannabis dispensaries. Security companies put veterans through the same background and evaluations as any employee would face before hire. Many realise that they also need to be aware of the stresses that veterans – particularly combat veterans – have experienced and may still carry with them.        “It’s obviously a big change going from a high-risk danger zone to coming back to a place like Denver,” says Williams. “With that you could have certain effects from it in terms of the intensity level involved, but we try to monitor that very carefully.” Cloverton, like other companies, requires random drug testing, full physicals and is developing a full psychological review for its employees. It also provides health benefits for its staff, according to Williams.