Successful Leadership
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Sep 01, 2017
Putting together the proper leadership team may be an
overwhelming task. It has to be created carefully and
properly, and it has to work to be successful. Bastion Security
Inc., headquartered in Portland, Ore., has made it
work both at the headquarters office, and at branches in
Southern and Northern California.
Bastion has an operational heritage of 14 years, but it became its
own brand in 2016, with the core leadership team coming together
less than two years ago. Led by Josh Daniels, Bastion Security’s solution
is video monitoring technology with security expertise, all rolled
in together. That means serious security at a lower cost for the end
user or customer.
Daniels is the president and CEO of Bastion Security. Previously,
he served as the president and CEO of AlphaCard from 2005, until
the 2015 sale of the company to Cortec Group. Security isn’t new
to Daniels, and neither is successful leadership. Bastion has its challenges
but nothing that a 90-minute plane ride won’t fix as one of the
five-member management team is located in California. Four team
members are located in Portland. The leadership tries to meet at least
once a month person to person, and obviously more often via phone.
“We have a lot of activity in California, so we’re active on conference
calls and remote messaging,” Daniels said. “We’re leading the advance
in next-gen security; a smarter use of manpower matched with
the right technology, to keep assets protected and people focused on
running their businesses.”
A PIONEERING SPIRIT
Bastion Security pioneered the camera tower solution and was the
first to deploy units in California. The company currently holds nine
U.S. patents on security tower technology. They have a long and successful
history of protecting property and assets.
Their team has decades of security experience, and some of the
best minds in the remote video security space. Brett Kerekffy is chief
sales officer; Karissa Aleskus, chief financial officer; David Raske,
chief marketing & business development officer; and Anthony
Moore, director of security operations.
DRIVEN BY PARTNERSHIPS
Partnerships are critical to the success of Bastion Security, but a joint
effort has to be mutually beneficial; a partnership where both parties
bring something different to the table and both parties walk away
with a better business understanding.
Daniels said within the security space, there are numerous opportunities
for growth, and he is not worried about cannibalism within the
monitoring space because this vertical is still in nascent beginnings.
“A key component of our active security monitoring services is
our Video Central Station,” Daniels said. “This secure facility is built
with power and communications redundancies. We monitor hundreds
of sites and process thousands of alarm events every day.”
FOCUS ON GROWTH, FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
Bastion Security, like any other successful business, has a narrow focus
on the broader vision. They have three areas that comprise their vision.
Business growth. Acquisitions are an attractive possibility but
today the focus is on organic growth. The management team talks
about growth every day, whether during an onsite visit or conference
call. “We’re always looking for growth opportunities, but we want to
make sure there is quality, and a strong business model,” Daniels said.
Leverage expertise. The Bastion Security Video Central Station is
open around the clock. The 24/7 operation is based in Corona, CA,
and company leadership believes that because of the expertise already
invested in the company, growth will happen. “We have experienced
and seasoned technicians, who understand the mission of Bastion Security,
and quality customer service. It is the right combination out in
the field,” Daniels said.
Research and development. The patented camera tower solution
is only the beginning. Bastion Security R&D is working tirelessly on
putting together software and hardware technologies to offer features
they feel the company wants to provide for the end user. “We’re not
bashful about going to a manufacturer and letting them know what
we need in order to be able to do our job better,” Daniels said.
UNIQUE SOLUTION AND BENEFITS
The tower solution was only the beginning. Today, Bastion Security
is well known for its interactivity with the criminal element. It is not
exactly what you think. When an operator in the central station is
alerted that a possible crime is in progress, one key element in play is
the voice down process.
If an intruder comes on premises, the central station operator lets
the trespasser know they have been spotted and that they don’t belong
on site. It is really an opportunity to stop crime before it happens
because the intruder hears the voice, and it may be possible that the
operator can detail who the person is by the clothing they are wearing,
and they are told to depart the premises.
“Our operators have the expertise to alert someone that they
shouldn’t be in the area,” Daniels said. “Another important differentiator
of our security monitoring center is that all operators are based
in the United States, and there are many staff who are bilingual.”
Unlike some other security providers, Bastion Security focuses
solely on video monitoring services, which requires a very high level
of experience, nuance and attention to detail.
“Our operators must complete an intensive 6-month training program
that goes above and beyond what is mandated by state regulations,”
Raske said. “They quickly gain an intimate familiarity with a
customer’s site, and if requested can call the customer with an incident
assessment before calling police. Most operators have backgrounds in
the military, law enforcement, and commercial security, and are highly
professional whether interacting with our clients or police.”
The mission is to combine the best technology with the most
experienced people, and provide client-tailored security monitoring,
for what company officials cite as a typically 75 percent savings
compared to traditional security guards. Company goals are to
offer high-performance service, customized for each site, enabling
security staff to protect large, complex or dangerous sites that other
companies simply cannot. Services are completely turnkey, from
initial assessment and equipment installation to monitoring and
communications.
WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS
Because this is a customer driven industry vertical, Bastion Security
intently listens to customers’ specific needs, and then designs a costeffective
solution based on operational requirements and a recommended
security plan.
What sets Bastion Security apart is their attention to detail, or let’s
say the custom protocols that are involved in every customer’s site.
The concept is to approach every site with a plan specific to its various
needs, and what it will take to secure that particular site.
The use of video analytics, for instance, allows the company to
protect customers with people loitering around the secure site, facility
or assets. Coupled with the audio voice down feature, video central
station operators are able to quickly engage and deter someone who
is loitering at a given site. Each system has its own defined parameters
for deployment.
Who are the customers? Bastion Security typically works with clients
from the utility (gas and electric) services, construction, education
(campus), manufacturing, warehousing and other industrial or
government sectors. They work on both temporary, monitoring and
fixed monitoring projects. Temporary sites are usually monitored for
two years or shorter, when a particular site is undergoing a change for
refurbishment, is under construction, or is in a remote area. Firms
with finished facilities would typically need a fixed security solution,
where security cameras, speakers and equipment are installed and
monitored by the Bastion Security team.
On temporary projects, the customer can expect use of the Bastion
Security 14 foot tower, with security camera and the voice down
audio feature. Setup on a site with a modular concrete base (4 foot by
4 foot footprint), the NVR backup power supply, router and cellular
service are all housed inside a locked, weather-proof box. Each time a
security tower or smaller format “Watch Box” is set up, the field team
configures and tests the equipment to ensure it is working properly.
Security of this type is competitive, but Daniels said it is a wide open
landscape and once people recognize what Bastion Security offers,
they are able to gauge a remarkable return on investment.
“People see the class of service we offer, and determine this is the
type of security they need,” Daniels said. “They also become aware of
our expertise, and the technology we deploy. We do work closely with
local police departments in the four states we service.”
Working with local law enforcement, Bastion Security operators
work closely with local dispatchers, and are able to walk them
through any given scenario because they have a live incident on their
screen and are able to relay information about a trespasser or criminal.
Of course, all remote monitoring solutions are custom designed
to accommodate the client’s needs and protocols.
GETTING INTO BUSINESS
Bastion Security has grown steadily over the past two years. Currently,
there are roughly 50 employees, and the company is actively hiring
for several positions. While it can be a challenge in the industry
to recruit and retain security center staff, company officials have approached
staffing from a different perspective. While most new hires
do have security industry experience, the company targets candidates
that are technologically inclined and customer-service oriented.
Daniels said the monitoring industry has been stable for so long,
people can and should consider this type of employment as a career
move. The company makes every effort to hire, train and educate it
staff to keep them invested in security. Part of the enticement to work
at Bastion Security is the technology and training they offer.
Bastion Security services are available in California, Oregon,
Washington and Nevada, where clients can view live video from their
own sites through the Bastion Security remote video server. They also
offer backup video storage that can be accessed later, if necessary.
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Security Today.