Green strobe light acts as a beacon of safety and security

Being a part of the security industry day in and day out affords me some very unique conversations and learning opportunities about security projects. Take the city of Detroit, their Project Green Light and Guardian Alarm, as an example.

For those of you who may not know or need a refresher, Project Green Light started in 2016 when the Detroit Police Department (DPD) partnered with eight gas stations installed with real-time cameras, connected directly to police headquarters. This was the beginning of a different type of partnership, one that would take the city, businesses and community on an unprecedented security journey.

“Project Green Light is a really unique project; it is a very progressive approach to video verification of real time emergency events,” Jason Tague, director of business development, explained. “The way it operates, when a 911 call is received from a Project Green Light location the Detroit Police Department has the opportunity to verify emergency action in real time, and once verified, they are able to direct the nearest police officer or first responder to that location because of video verification.”

Businesses invest in systems under the agreement that DPD will have access to video cameras to help better protect them, just in case. Businesses are literally “marked” as Project Green Light participants.

“There's a select signage package that DPD has trademarked - a logo, along with the name - and program participants have requirements to post a certain amount of signage on their place of business,” Tague said. “Also, there is a green strobe light outside of each business - a 'beacon' if you will - that flashes. This creates awareness in communities that it is a place that's connected — a place that's safe.”

The vendor approval process is rigorous, as DPD is very selective about the vendors they partner with, putting great emphasis on standards, policies and procedures in terms of what is expected of and from a vendor. Tague believes Guardian was chosen based on their 85-year tenure in the security industry, being a well-known brand in Michigan, having a broad, established customer base and offering a full-service solution. Perhaps this is why Guardian was chosen for the community's beloved Don Bosco Hall, a private, non-profit agency that provides services to enhance quality of life for the community's youth and their families.

“We were honored to be chosen to work with the community center [Don Bosco Hall],” said Tague, “because it was a complex environment and we had to be very mindful of the environment during installation.”

During the installation, things didn't stop moving at the hall. Children were changing activity/classrooms, even when cable was being pulled in an antiquated building.

“It's [pulling cable] is a very daunting task,” Tague said, “but we navigated that gauntlet quite well and were very mindful of the environment. The children took interest in what we were doing, so it was a little bit of an educational process along the way.”

Ultimately, Tague said that it's nice to know the playground and the outer corridor where the children go out to play offers a sense of security beyond the actual walls of the building itself.

One of the questions I enjoy asking security professionals is “what else would you like my readers to know?” about any topic of discussion. In this case, Tague concluded with a solid piece of advice that I feel all security integrators should take to heart: keep it simple.

“We make it easy for Project Green Light participants. Our team has been really great at explaining and helping people understand the process step-by-step, so there are no surprises and everything goes according to plan — everything.”

So, how do you and your team keep things simple for your customers? Excited for your replies!