If you were our Security Armed Reaction Officer on duty, how must we treat you?
Daily, I will slab the Alarman Security Systems COMMUNITY PATROL Magnet Stickers to my car and drive slowly through our area, wandering what appreciation does my fellow citizens have for protecting them? One night I wrote down these mind flashes after I apprehended a suspicious vehicle for the third time in 50 minutes.My First Question to myself was?What would I like to hear from my community, for doing this!
Show Respect – Good day Officer, welcome to our premises!!Show Appreciation – Thank You for the work you do!
Show Acceptance – We are glad you are our Officer!
Show Comradeship – Here is a cold juice to our “Lonesome Ranger” while you proactively “clean” our area
Tell him, he is part of the solution – “We want to assist you in cleaning this area”!
My next question was?If I then get injured for somebody unknown, while on patrol? Will it be worth it? Will my community at least come to my hospital bed with flowers or at the worst, to my funeral? Will thy carry on with this worthy deed I did for them? I just wondered?
Alarman will protect you anyway. It is the right thing to do!Please involve yourself in your community, it is worth it!
You must remember Alarman Security Systems is not an Armed Reaction Company. We do this for our community and our own family!
What are YOU doing for your community?47 MINUTES
Chubb Armed Reaction please reacts to the following incidence and put your cards on the table!!!!This letter was send to Alarman by one of our beloved clients to respond to. Thanks Marion!
This letter was placed without alterations!Here is my story. I’ve put it together this way as every time I tell it I’m filled with such anger over the events – and at the way my wife and I have been treated by Chubb security – that I’m useless for an hour afterwards. I have a lot of friends, and?a lot to say: so here goes.I received a call from Chubb stating that the panic alarm had been activated from no. 12 Montreuil Street, Montroux, Gauteng. I told them that instead of phoning me (considering it is a PANIC alarm) I thought they should be sending personal to my property to investigate. The time of this call was 12.30 am on the 2′nd November 2007.
I phoned my wife immediately to check whether she was alright- but received no response from her number. I immediately jumped in my car as I had a bad feeling about this. I called her 3 more times on the way, but still no response. I had left my work from 5, 7th avenue in Parktown North. I arrived at my residence in ten minutes.
I entered the premises through my remote gate, walked around the side of the house- looked into the kitchen and noticed the fridge door was ajar…
I walked round the front of the house to the other side, noticing an empty bag on the lawn. I then saw that my wife’s’ study window was smashed, to the right the security door to the lounge was bent out of shape. I immediately phoned Chubb control room as no one from Chubb had arrived yet. The time was 12.40. I told the operator that a burglary was in progress, that it had already been noted by Chubb and was there personnel was. She made no effort to help or direct my call. I phoned the SAPS and told them of the same, they said they would send a vehicle immediately. I ran back into the courtyard, shouting for my wife. She responded hysterically from the bath room at the end of the house. I asked her whether the intruders were still in the house- she responded that she didn’t know. I phoned Chubb again. I got through and received no guidance or help from the operator. My work colleague phoned me at that time to find out if all was ok. I told her what was happening and she said she had phoned Chubb also, and they said they were still on their way.
Panic stricken and concerned for my wife’s’ safety I entered the building with a fire extinguisher as protection…talking to my wife the while time telling her where I was- she met me in the hallway and we exited the building and ran to the front garden…We were confused and frightened and decided that driving away from the house would be a safe option. Our next door neighbor spotted on the road, and upon finding out what happened, offered us her house as shelter…we were inside for
several minutes until the first Chubb response car arrived. I was furious! All this time had passed since the initial call! The officer entered the property as I waited in the neighbors’’ house. Another Chubb vehicle arrived at the scene and the first officer and the new arrival met in the road. I immediately went outside and confronted them as to why they had taken so long to respond considering it was a PANIC alarm! One officer was affronted by my aggressiveness and proceeded to scold me
as to why i was talking to them in such a manner. All things considered I had every right to be upset. They were FORTY MINUTES LATE! FORTY MINUTES!
I realized this was a no-win situation and told them that they should do their job and we would discuss this at a later stage…
I asked my wife what had happened: She had been sending an e-mail on her computer and heard a sound outside. Upon opening the blind she saw two men crow barring the security gate to the lounge. She told them to stop and go away. They looked at her and moved quickly to the window of the room. She knew at that moment that they would break it and enter the room. She grabbed the panic button, pressing it several times she ran to the bathroom at the end of the passage. The intruders broke through the massive window and proceeded to kick down the door, shouting to her that she better not be phoning anyone. She said she wasn’t – and assessing the situation – decided to open the door. She pleaded for them not to hurt her as she was 8 months pregnant. The one intruder grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her from room to room demanding her laptop (which we don’t have) jewels money etc… He proceeded to remove her wedding and engagement rings from her fingers…They told her to go back into the bathroom once they had finished and left….
After the Chubb personnel reappeared it was apparent there were no intruders on the property any more. I decided to make a recording of my conversation with the Chubb officers. The time was 13.22 PM. FORTY SEVEN MINUTES after I received the initial call from the Chubb control room.
Another officer arrived: Johnny Molai the area superintendent…the police arrived also. We all entered the house where the police questioned my wife on the events.
My wife told me the following day that the female police officer had asked her- who is 8 months pregnant- to move from the couch and sit on the window sill, so that she could be more comfortable as she filled out the docket! No fingerprints were taken. I offered the detectives footprints of the intruders that were on pieces of paper left scattered in my wife’s’ study. The said they weren’t needed. The Chubb personnel hung around the dining area filling out paperwork, and seemed unperturbed by the event.
They left the scene an hour after- whereupon Molai gave me a few pieces of paper?that he asked me to fill out. It was about Chubb service and how they responded. I was shocked…the audacity!
In the interim my wife had been picked up by my work colleague and taken to the Linkwood Clinic to check that our child was ok. We spent that night with friends as there was no way we were staying in the house anymore. Our thoughts of being secure with palisade fencing, and armed response were shattered.
The following day I took matters up with Chubb.? I was passed around from operator to operator- eventually ending up with the Johannesburg division.
I spoke to Claudine and the conversation was recorded. I wanted to know, firstly why it took FORTY SEVEN MINUTES to respond to a PANIC ALARM and why- after the ordeal and gross negligence on their behalf, Chubb had not sent a vehicle to patrol the road, or phoned me- valued client-? to see how I was. I am under the impression that this private security business is about people, and service…NONE OF WHICH CHUBB HAS! I asked to be put through to Molai- as he was the overseeing officer at the event…He was off that day. They had no record of yesterday’s events…they hadn’t reported it, or filled anything out…. I was put through to Jan Bredenan: I asked him the same questions: Why, after standing at my window for the past 3 hours had I not seen ONE Chubb vehicle, and have had no follow up whatsoever? He said he would look into it. Surprisingly 2 vehicles arrived half an hour later. I introduced myself to Officers Joel and Richard. They said they had been dispatched by Chubb and would be patrolling the street with regularity. They stayed in their cars for approx 40 minutes and then drove off. I didn’t see them again until that evening, when a Chubb vehicle parked in my driveway and was gone 10
minutes later. Since then I have not seen ONE Chubb vehicle in MY AREA- LET ALONE MY STREET! it is the 9th of November 2007.
I received a call on the 7th November 2007?from Eric from Chubb. After losing my temper with the obvious lack of commitment and false promises made by Chubb, he said he would look into the matter. I told him not to phone me until I could speak directly to the CEO of Chubb – who could explain to me how they could be so CRIMINALLY SLACK on delivery yet still accept my regular payments for my protection?
I haven’t heard a thing. I actually didn’t expect to. This is the attitude that pervades our country. This is incessant buck passing and lack of societal responsibility.
I told Eric that if i didn’t hear anything i would send this e-mail to EVERYONE I KNOW. I would try my best as the downtrodden “little man” to make a stand against this terror that holds our country to ransom. Please send this mail on. You won’t get any special surprises after you send it to three of your friends, your luck may never be rewarded- but you will be doing your bit, however small, to stand up for our consumer rights and maybe, just maybe put a stop to this abuse.
Kind Regards,
Yves Dei-Conti
Tel: 011 327 6871 | Mobile: +27(0)72 701 2664
Here is our comment!1. Yves, are you active in your community and residence association activities? Did you check your premises for burglary markers?Do you have Active Outdoor Early Warning Alarm Protection?
Was the outdoor early warning alarm activated?
Only then, can you seriously complain!
2. This incidence will explain why Alarman security Systems cc did not link many clients to Chubb Armed Reaction the last 23 Months (to date 27 Nov 2007). We really did not have the professional “hart” to recommend somebody (Chubb in this case) that, to our opinion had one of the slower reaction units to our knowledge (compared to ADT Pretoria & Midrand, Monitor Net in Centurion and other local community patrols in Gauteng). Personally, we are with Chubb Armed Reaction Pretoria and our own experience on the Plot (3 km from one of their nearest standing points) is ± 15 minutes response time from Chubb Armed Reaction with the odd 10 & 45 Minute spaced in-between. We must give them credit also. (Plots are not the easiest to respond to. It is like small farms and not always clearly marked. Our plot in contradiction to some others is CLEARLY marked and the whole 137m street-front is well lit. After all, we practice what we preach!) Their control room performs pretty ok, they count among the best (±85%) but that is where it stops on this stage! Chubb management is working on the logistics to improve the reaction time. Alarman Security Systems cc asked Mr. Watton of the Chubb Pretoria office some time ago to comment on the progress to date and did not receive a date and time for the completion of the project. They promise to implement measures to prevent similar previous occurrences in future! It is too being asked when Chubb’s future starts, day and date and when does it end!! Their comments now start to sound like a politicians promise?On 28 Nov 2007 Chubb Armed Reaction responded to one of Alarman’s clients, after the alarm activated. (African Dynamics in Centurion) Chubb reported all in order!. The next morning my client found he was burgled and all the computers in the one factory were stolen! The wall was broken down to obtain access to the premises. ALL IN ORDER!3. Alarman Security Systems cc must note that this type of incidence can happen to any person, any time & anywhere.No mention was made of positive early warning systems to wards the protection of the premises or that it was activated and bypassed by the Burglars! Palisade fencing still works but how did thy really accessed the property?We, who live in the industry, hear this almost on a daily base from various resources! The reaction as at stake, this time, Chubb Armed Response Company can also happen to any other Reaction Group. We cannot predict what circumstances will prevail the minute just before a Critical Incidence occur! We don’t know what happened the moment before this occurrence happened?
4. What was the attitude of the Reaction Officer due to the circumstances that occurred moments before this incidence? Etc. The Reaction Officer reacting to the premises is actually risking his life for a total stranger! Will you do this? Consider his tactical training. Motivational talks from his Management and reading letters of appreciation from grateful clients will improve the Reaction Officer’s attitude towards his JOB. If I “heap on your head” the whole day, you will also feel a “big heap” for me!
5. Be positive towards live! Let Alarman assist you towards a Early Warning Alarm System!Create well out of the bad! I don’t detect indications of severe bodily injury or physical harm towards the above persons, be glad! Thank God, whether you know him or not!Be prepared for the unexpected! Have your home emergency procedures ready and in place!
6. Read the Alarman Security Systems Security tips on this web site. It will save Lives!
?Contact Alarman for more information
