GARDENA, Calif. — A company that specializes in temporary security installations is helping to protect a Southern California landmark while it is being renovated.
CPS Security Solutions, headquartered in Gardena, Calif., has been providing constant video surveillance and monitoring of the construction site in and around Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory. The space museum and planetarium, which sits on the Hollywood Hills, is undergoing an extensive renovation that began in late 2002 and won’t be completed until May 2006.
Unlike most electronic security companies, CPS specializes in temporary video security and alarm installations that protect commercial and residential construction sites, as well as special events such as parades and sporting activities. The focal point of a typical CPS installation is its mobile surveillance units (MSUs) that feature digital color cameras, motion sensors, floodlights, full on- and off-site recording and wireless technology in a weather-proof trailer that is monitored from CPS’ central station.
Despite the unique application, Kathleen Sowder, vice president of CPS’ eCamSecure division, says her company’s customers demand the same from them as the customers of traditional alarm firms. “The fundamental obligation to protect is the same — to protect people and property,” says Sowder, a 28-year veteran of the security industry who previously held positions at ADT and Westec. “I spent many years in traditional security. This is the future of the business.”
