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Security
Hiring the Best for Your Building
So your condo or co-op’s management company is getting ready to hire a new service employee. It could
be a doorman, it could be a maintenance man, it could be a swimming-pool
supervisor. Is this a simple process, or a complicated one? And, above all, how
much security is needed in a given position within your building or HOA? Is
checking a few references enough? Or, in this day and age, is a rigorous
screening process necessary—especially because residents’ security and privacy may be at stake? Or does it depend on the job—and the size of the development? Read More
Crime Happens
Security systems are not just for homeowners in a suburban setting. With
advances in wireless technology, security and life safety systems, the features
found in the newest systems are a great appliance add-on to condo or co-op
apartments. Sometimes residents of multiple unit complexes can be lulled into a
false sense of security because the thinking of being in a densely populated
area provides enough security. Unfortunately, crime happens at any hour of the
day and some of the worst crimes can happen when residents are followed into
their residences during the daylight hours. A high-profile example of this was
the actress and movie producer who was killed in her New York City apartment by
a worker performing renovations in the building. While she knew him and let him
in, having a security system, with the latest crime-in-progress alert
technology built into the portable keypad combined with panic buttons, perhaps
could have changed the outcome.
Read More
Turn Bad Times Into Good Times
To quote Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” but in this case, the reverse is true. Read More
Taming Mother Nature's Fury
The deep freeze of winter will fall on New York from January through March, and though the city hasn't had the most severe winters in recent years, weather has a way of tricking us into complacency and hitting hard when we let our guards down. Because of weather's unpredictability during winter, precautions need to be taken to protect those who live in the city. Just one slip-and-fall or other weather-related accident might result in a costly lawsuit that could have been prevented. Read More
Making New York City Safer, Cleaner and More Livable
Digital cameras…camera phones… smartphones. These terms weren’t even in our vocabulary ten years ago, yet today, many New Yorkers carry this pocket-sized technology with them everywhere they go. One of the goals of the administration is to tap the potential of new technology and put it to work for city government. Recently, we took a big leap into the digital age by equipping the 911 and the 311 systems to accept photos and videos sent through mobile phones or uploaded through the city’s website at nyc.gov. Read More
Be Safe and Secure In Your Home
The expression “Better safe than sorry” is known by everyone. As apartment dwellers, it is important not to take
advantage of the sense of security felt by having a doorman posted at the door
or hallways lined with sprinklers and let our guards down. There are several
areas where being proactive can make all the difference. Read More
Security on the Go
Not so long ago, having a security system required drilling through the walls of your cooperative or condominium building and involved installing many spools of wire attached directly to a bulky keypad. Read More
Security Service Integration and Training is Key
Push aside old notions of ineffective security officers. The security officer of
the future has arrived. Today’s security officer may be navigating tours on a Segway to patrol airports,
transit stations, manufacturing facilities, apartment or condominium complexes,
shopping malls and campuses. With the advent of the broadband revolution, you
may find today’s highly skilled and trained security officer piloting, what looks like, the
Starship Enterprise of technology, with a host of IP-connected digital
applications that include closed circuit television (CCTV), life and fire
safety systems, and remote online access control systems. Read More
Do Not Pass Go!
Inside most multi-unit residential buildings, there are many areas that should be strictly off-limits to everyone but trained building staff—and we’re not just talking about the manager’s inbox. Machine rooms, elevator shafts, compactor areas, roofs, and other places used to house potentially dangerous equipment or materials are all spaces that must be kept secure for the safety of the residents—and to avoid costly liability issues for the building itself. Read More
Safe and Secure
With so much talk these days about costly security projects designed to benefit buildings over the long term, it's easy to overlook a far more approachable option. Updating older video-based surveillance technology with a digital security system that is appropriate for your building can be a simple and cost-effective way to not only protect yourself, your neighbors and your property, but also your cooperative or condominium's bottom line. Read More
