HIRE SECURITY GUARDS NOW TO BE PROTECTED IN CASE OF A
STRIKE
1997
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Since no one can predict whether a strike may occur in the course of
this year's contract negotiations with Building Service Employees Union
Local 32B-32J, it pays to be prepared. That means laying out a plan to
take care of your building's basic needs, such as mail distribution, garbage
collection and cleaning. But most importantly, it means making sure that
your building remains secure if doormen, the superintendent and porters
are no longer there to help protect residents and their homes.
The fastest, easiest and most foolproof way to maintain your building's
first line of defense is to hire a security guard. There are several security
guard companies in the city, ranging from large national or regional organizations
to smaller local agencies. While locating firms is not generally a problem,
the real work is in making sure they will service your building in case
of a strike - when scores of other buildings will also need security guards
- and that they have all of the proper licensing, training and insurance
protection in place.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
Lesson number one is "don't wait until the last minute or you'll
get caught without any coverage," says Gerald A. O'Rourke, an independent
security consultant who presents the Security workshop at CNYC's annual
Cooperative Housing Conference. He recommends reserving the services of
a guard company well in advance of Sunday, April 20, 1997 – the
date the current contract expires.
According to Donald Carey, president of Lansdell Protection Agency, one
of the largest in the area, guard companies usually require at least four
weeks' notice "to make sure we are able to have the staff online
to go to a job." Agencies generally hire guards as needed, rather
than keeping them on staff waiting for work. To book an agency's services,
standard practice is for your building to pay the equivalent of one eight-hour
shift's worth of guards in advance.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
Another reason for getting a jump on hiring guards is so that you have
time to lay the proper groundwork. First, you should make sure representatives
from the firms you are considering visit your building to assess your
security needs. "We always do a survey of the property to see what
you need," says Curtis Mills, president of Mills Patrol Service,
a small agency in Manhattan. "We make suggestions and we find out
what you want and we shape a security force for you." According to
Mr. Carey, co-ops and condos generally ask for a guard at the front door
to ensure that only authorized individuals come into the building. If
you expect trouble from picketers or are concerned about excessive crime
in the area, you can ask for additional guards to patrol the outside area
and walk the floors of your building.
You should also check that the firm has the proper insurance to protect
your building. Mr. O'Rourke recommends that firms have at least a $1 million
umbrella liability policy naming your building as the insured. Mr. Carey
notes that his firm, which carries a $6 million liability policy, has
its insurance carrier send the building a certificate of insurance before
the date that the security service is to start.
Yet another item on your checklist should be to make sure that the security
company and its guards have the proper state licensing. Under the New
York State Security Guard Act of 1994, the General Business Law now requires
security guard employers and all guards to be licensed by the New York
State Department of State. In addition to taking eight hours of pre-assignment
training, all guards must be fingerprinted and subjected to a background
check – including a check for any criminal record or pattern of
criminal activity – and have their information on file at the Department
of State.
Licensing status is public information. To find out whether the firms
you are considering, and the guards they hire, are licensed, call the
Department of State's general number at (518) 474-4429. For answers to
specific questions about the law, call Barbara Dunigan, administrative
assistant at the Department of State, at (518) 473-2728. You can also
obtain information from the Department of State's World Wide Web home
page at http://www. dos.state.ny.us.
TAKE TIME TO SHOP AROUND
A final reason to begin your search for a guard early is to give you
time to shop around. Not all security firms will be able to accommodate
your building's needs – especially if your job requires several
guards on each shift. "I can usually squeeze in a job with one or
two guards, but when you're talking 15 or 20 guards per shift, that's
another matter," says Mr. Mills. In addition, there's no set price
for a security job. According to Mr. Carey, each contract is negotiated
separately, and price depends on the availability of guards and the experience
of the guards assigned to your building.
You should be prepared to pay at the top of the scale for this interim
security service, warn experts. Such work is often bid out at "emergency
prices" that reflect the urgency of your need. Companies also need
to justify the cost of hiring additional guards, especially if the strike
lasts only a few days. As with any other type of work requiring outside
vendors, collect at least three bids from reputable firms before making
your decision.
A money-saving alternative to hiring a 24-hour security force is to ask
residents to volunteer to staff the door during the day, using a guard
only from midnight to 8 AM. In any event, it's also wise to have residents
scheduled to be at the door in two- or three-hour shifts, to help identify
fellow residents or in case your building cannot find a company to handle
the job, says Mr. O'Rourke.
MAKE LIST OF RESIDENTS
To make sure that the security guards can do their jobs effectively,
your board needs to create a complete list of everyone authorized to enter
the building. Otherwise, guards who are unfamiliar with your building
won't know who to let in and who to keep out during a strike.
CNYC's booklet, In the Event of a Strike, which will be sent to all members
this March, advises boards that is practical to sort these names into
two lists: one with all names in alphabetical order, with apartment numbers
in the right column to make it easy to find a name without knowing the
apartment; and the other going by apartment, listing the names of all
of the residents and any sitters, housekeepers, etc. who are authorized
to enter that apartment when the family is not at home. To help guards
establish residents' identities, the board can create special buttons
or passes, or require residents to carry some other authentic piece of
identification.
In most situations, boards choose to lock all doors and allow free access
only to residents with keys or passes. If a resident expects a guest or
a delivery, arrangements must be made with the guard. To maintain the
best possible security, it helps to remind residents that security guards
are not doormen or porters. "These people are not taxi-callers or
door-openers," says Mr. O'Rourke. "They're just there as security
to keep unauthorized people out of the building."
CNYC will have available a list of security guard companies to help with
your building's preparations.
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