Heroes Walk Among Us

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When I reflect on 9/11 — which amazingly already sees its seventh anniversary this month — I am as stupefied as I was watching those ghastly events unfold on TV like some all-too-real disaster movie. It conjures up other emotions as well, such as steely resolve that we can never let something like that take place on American soil again, guarded relief about our prevention success since that infamous day, and a wellspring of pride from all the heroes who rose above the chaos and destruction in and around Ground Zero.

While many of those ordinary folks who committed extraordinary acts were recognized for their bravery, generosity and selflessness, the majority — as is often the case — were not. The fact is most heroic deeds go largely unheralded, which is typically fine with those people as notoriety is seldom the motivator. It may sound corny, but truth be told, if you look hard enough you can find heroes all around you. Heck, you may even be one yourself since the electronic security industry is full of them.

Sure other lines of work — such as firefighting, law enforcement, the military and medicine — may get the lion’s share of credit for being heroic, but for my money, designing, installing and maintaining systems that safeguard people’s lives and their belongings is on equal footing. Think about it, our industry’s security solutions touch and affect millions of Americans on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, the public is for the most part oblivious to the significant and sometimes critical role security systems integrators and dealers — let alone other industry professionals — play in our society. It does not help that mass media’s coverage of the security industry (especially alarm dealers) is overwhelmingly negative. More often than not, it’s system failures or rogue operators that attract their pens, microphones and cameras.

That’s why this month we spotlight some of the far-too-commonly untold stories of the people and systems that fulfill the electronic security industry’s reason for existence in Jennifer Houser’s “Heroes of the Industry”. Last month, I wrote about AIREF’s landmark study demonstrating the proven crime deterrence of residential burglar alarms. Materials like that and the “Heroes” piece are powerful instruments that can help generate positive publicity.

As part of the 2008 Corporate End-User Study, responding security directors/managers were asked to identify what makes a systems integrator a hero in their eyes. Naturally, their responses were more focused on business than altruism, but the feedback is fascinating and valuable nonetheless.

The top three attributes selected were: being knowledgeable and able to identify their customers’ needs, offering good customer service, and finishing projects on time and on budget. One end user commented: “Willing to come when required and service the system; standing behind the products they sell; having technicians skilled on the systems they sell, where one call and the problem is resolved, not several visits; fair price and excellent service.”

Other sentiments included:

“Installation of devices that are not overly technical and above the general operating expertise level of concerned employees.”
“Keeping me (the end user) completely informed about the good and bad during the installation, and in a timely fashion.”
“Putting my needs first and not worrying about what they want or have to sell.”

As you can see there are many facets to being a hero, and degrees — from subtle to overt — of heroism. The ways you help make the world a better place are up to you, but just being a part of this industry means you already have a pretty good start.

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About the Author

Scott Goldfine

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Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].