Security update

Home owners might have noticed a new Fidelity branded golf cart and quad bike doing the rounds on the Kingswood premises. These recently acquired additions to the estate’s comprehensive security measures are just one way in which the company contributes to residents’ peace of mind.

According to Wayne Groves, branch manager of the Fidelity Services Group in charge of the estate’s security, the golf cart is used for night patrols, and the quad bike during the day. ‘Previously, we used quad bikes after hours as well, but the resulting noise level disturbed the peace and quiet. The golf cart works 100% in achieving discreet, high-level security at night,’ he said.

In addition to the golf cart, a Fidelity ADT vehicle patrols the estate at night. This armed response is part of the suite of benefits of the new security contract – at no extra cost to home owners. ‘The electrical fences with cameras are one of the positive aspects of Kingswood,’ Wayne said. ‘The cameras are monitored in the security office, so, should there be an incident, the armed response and supervisor can be dispatched to it immediately.’

In January, the whole Fidelity team attended an intensive, three-day on-site training course presented by an estate security expert. This fine-tuning of their skills and knowledge will contribute to more effective responses to security-related incidents.

Wayne chairs a monthly security meeting during which technical issues, such as access control, are discussed. Usual attendees include Kingswood CEO, Willem Jacobs, Kingswood Community Manager, Dan de Wet, Fidelity’s site manager at Kingswood, Warren Frances, and Fidelity’s regional executive, Fred Louw. Lately, the focus has been on a planned project at Entrance Four, the entrance for the new phase that is currently under construction.

‘Our technical advisors are in the process of compiling a proposal to present to Willem, who will in turn submit it to the trustees. It is, mostly, about the access control system for the new entrance,’ said Wayne.

In terms of Fidelity’s new contract with Kingswood, they will also be responsible for law enforcement – mostly regarding traffic offences. ‘We especially focus on stop streets and enforcing speed limits,’ Wayne said. Residents caught not stopping at a stop street will need to pay a penalty of R500, and speeding will likewise lead to punitive action. This operation is implemented at least twice a month.

As part of the new contractual provisions, the guards are equipped with push-to-talk (PTT) radios that also work as tracking devices. If the guard notices an irregularity on the estate, and pushes the button, their colleagues in the control room can immediately pinpoint where the incident is, and react accordingly.

Furthermore, Fidelity’s technical advisors do quarterly security audits. This is a measure to ensure that everything works the way it should and that safety is maintained.

Strangely, the George branch of Fidelity used to be part of the Eastern Cape division, but it will become part of the Western Cape division as of 1 March, and all reporting will be to the regional director of this division. ‘Things are going well in terms of Kingswood’s security,’ Wayne said. ‘There have been no serious security breaches in the recent past regarding outside access to the estate.’

He’s excited about Kingswood and the way forward. ‘There is so much new technology surfacing these days to make people safe. We want to stay up to date with all of it, ensuring excellent security solutions.’