Condo Media - June 2018 - 24

Suggestions
FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF A
SECURITY CONSULTANT'S ADVICE

The security experts we interviewed for this issue had many suggestions for how boards
can work effectively with consultants and maximize the value of their advice.

HERE ARE THE TOP 10:

1
2
3
4

Hire an independent consultant, not affiliated with
companies selling security products or services.
Make sure the consultant you retain is properly
licensed and insured.
Define the board's goals and articulate its concerns
clearly so the consultant understands what board
members expect.

Review your association's security measures periodically. Technology and security challenges change.
Some security programs have evolved over time,
Bates notes, with successive boards layering new features over old ones. The result, he says, is "a patchwork
quilt" of components that may not function cohesively
and may no longer meet the association's needs.

Understand that consultants may not tell you what
you want to hear. But if you hire a consultant,
Christopher Lanni, CMCA, AMS, CPP, president
of Secure Residential Services, LLC, urges, "be open to
their suggestions."

Communicate planned changes in security policies
and procedures well in advance, Lanni, suggests, to
give residents time to accept and adjust to them.
He cites, as an example, the experience of one condominium community where residents, long-accustomed
to conventional keys, initially resisted the introduction of
a key-fob access system. But the board "started early,"
Lanni says, explaining the rationale for the change, demonstrating the new system and giving owners a chance
to work with it. When the conversion came, he notes,
"the system rolled over with minimal issues."

Have the consultant provide a written "service
agreement" describing the project and its cost,
so the board in turn knows what to expect from
the consultant.

Educate yourself about neighborhood security
concerns. Norman Bates, president of Liability Consultants, Inc., suggests obtaining a crime report from
the local police department at least annually. Department
officials will usually meet with neighborhood groups periodically to discuss security issues-another effective way
of tracking trends and concerns, Bates says.

Don't overreact. Bates cites as an example, the City
Council that ordered additional lighting, cameras,
and security guards in all municipal garages after
a city councilor was robbed at gunpoint in one of them.
"You don't have to change everything in response to
a single incident," Bates says. "You may not have to
change anything."

CONDOMEDIA

Plan and budget for the ongoing maintenance and
eventual replacement of the security equipment
you install. "It's part of the community's infrastructure, and you should treat it [as such]," Lanni emphasizes. "You shouldn't just put it in a closet and forget
about it." The concerns are legal as well as financial and
operational, he explains. "If a security system goes off
line and you don't take precautions to monitor it and
rectify the problem quickly, you're creating exposure
for yourself."

Hire technicians with the necessary training and
experience to maintain security equipment. "The
technology is complex," Lanni observes. It may
require software updates and licensing renewals. The
electrician who installs light fixtures probably isn't qualified to provide the necessary service.

Condo Media - June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - June 2018