Rapid Response Prepares for Expansion in N.Y. and Calif.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Rapid Response Monitoring Services based here plans to hire 60 to 70 new workers within the next two months as it prepares to complete an $11.3 million expansion to its operations. The extension will add 22,000 square feet to the company’s headquarters.
Rapid Response opted to expand its operations to increase capacity to support its dealers’ growing subscriber bases. Additionally, the firm wanted to improve the work environment by adding larger workspaces, break rooms and restrooms. The expansion also allows the monitoring company to develop a spacious training center, Morgan Hertel, vice president of operations for Rapid Response tells SSI.
“The net result of this will be to allow Rapid to be much more agile and responsive to the needs of our dealers,” he says.
To complete the construction project, the company received a $2.5 million grant last year from the New York Empire State Development Corp. Additionally, the Syracuse Common Council unanimously granted Rapid Response payment-in-lieu-of-taxes for the expansion.
The firm plans to hire control center specialists, customer service representatives, data entry workers and technical staff support. Interested parties don’t necessarily have to be familiar with the security industry to gain employment with Rapid Response.
“We’re looking for solid, professional people who want to grow with the company,” he explains. Rapid is unique in that most of our staff come to us from other industries. The majority of them have extended education and professional experience in other non-related disciplines and we are able to move them from operations to the discipline they are experienced in. And, even new hires did have industry experience; they would still have to undergo the same training that everyone else receives.”
The monitoring company also plans to open a second location in Corona, Calif., says Hertel, noting that redundancy needs are the main driver for the new operations.
“We have great redundancy here in Syracuse,” he explains. “Even with all that we have at the headquarters, with a West Coast facility we could transfer all processing in real time to a completely redundant monitoring center.”
Rapid Response plans to develop a 10,000-square-foot facility and intends to hire 30 or so employees in the coming months.
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