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One of the main reasons people move to residential estates is for the security (although, in our case, the great golf course is a close second). Security is of paramount importance and so, when it came time to renew the security contract, the estate management considered carefully tenders from a number of security companies.
The decision was made to renew the contract with the Fidelity ADT Security Group. They have a proven track record keeping estate residents, their guests and their property safe – following through on their corporate promise of ‘keeping you safe, securing your assets’. So estate management and the HOA have every confidence they will continue to do so.
Security is managed on the ground by Warren Francis, overseen by Wayne Groves, Fidelity’s branch manager. Warren is in regular contact with the SAPS in George, so he is kept well in the loop about crime trends in the greater George area. He has been associated with the estate for over 5 years, and has developed a clear communication channel for reporting, and for dealing with any concerns – big or small.
He is committed to the safety of Kingswood residents, and personally does regular patrols, using a quiet and efficient golf cart.
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‘Many improvements have been made during 2020,’ says regional executive Fred Louw, who oversees security for approximately 160 estates in the country. ‘After doing a thorough internal risk assessment, we recognised the need for constant upgrading of technology – and, of course, continuous training and improvement of personnel. We have focused particularly on the softer skills – something that was so important during the various phases of lockdown.’
But, of course, that friendliness and helpfulness does not detract from the main purpose of the guards on the gate, which is to ensure that everyone entering the estate is carefully vetted and documented.
This has been quite tricky with the added necessity of distancing and sanitisation, so we will be implementing a new contactless palm-reader scanning system that will enable freer movement, as it does away with the delays associated with sanitising.
Communication, says Wayne, is one of the most important aspects of security. ‘The daily support given by the Fidelity Group is imperative in terms of the supervision, operations and management aspects carried out by Warren.’
All security personnel have had extensive communications training, which includes telephone etiquette. As Wayne says: ‘The Fidelity Group has always prided itself on having a hands-on approach – even senior executives like Fred Louw will visit the various sites to ensure that the teams on the ground follow through on our slogan “keeping you safe, securing your assets”.’ And they do it in style! All security staff now have new deep green uniforms with matching golf carts that were designed to suit Kingswood’s branding.
The general motto of estate life is ‘secure living’, but both the Fidelity Group and Kingswood security understand that operations cannot function rigidly, meaning that the ease with which residents come and go is a high priority, and that there is a fine line they must tread to create balance between security and easy living.
