Construction security and wireless tools

My clients at HBMG have created a new process that helps construction firms protect onsite property from vandalism and material theft. The following is a press advisory to my friends in the Denver media. Note: I spent nearly six years at Lowry AFB.

Story idea: Saunders Construction Company is turning over Prairie View Middle School to Brighton's School District 27J, June 4 after a 13-month construction project. While the addition of a new school is not newsworthy, the fact that the school construction was completed without the loss of materials or heavy equipment is significant considering the rising cost of construction materials and the increased amount of theft on major construction sites.

Background: When Saunders Construction Company completed construction of another Denver area high school, vandalism and on-site theft cost the firm over $100,000 in materials and created a two-month delay. Yet, thanks to the folks at Silent Solutions, a Jefferson County based security firm, Saunders recently completed this construction project without any theft of valuable construction materials such as copper or steel. When some teen vandals tried to sneak into the school, the Silent Solutions’ security infrastructure caught them as they entered the construction site late at night.

What keeps Prairie View free from theft or vandalism? Silent Solutions deployed armidaware, a video wireless security system that allowed the staff at Silent Solutions to constantly monitor the school at all hours. William Phillips, Director of Operations at Silent Solutions, configured the security network to alert him at anytime the security cameras detected an after hours intruder. As armidaware uses a wireless solution to transmit video security signals from cameras, Silent Solutions was able to move their video detection units within each phase of the project from the initial construction to the final stages of interior finish.

How bad is the problem with construction materials? The National Equipment Register estimates that the loss of stolen heavy construction equipment hovers annually at $1 billion per year. So far, there hasn't been a study that reports the loss of materials, but Phillips said that he expects that American construction sites lose more than $1 billion per year. "With the rising cost of copper, thieves target unsecured construction sites to steal these materials," he said. "In most states, you can drive to a recycling lot and easily resell the material to them," he said.


Visuals: Saunders Construction and Silent Solutions will tear down the last part of their security package on June 4. As well, Silent Solutions has some video tape of the two teens trying to sneak into the building.

Contact: Matt Scherer, Scherer Communications, 210-325-4130 or Athena Villarreal, 210-215-0882 if you wish to arrange an interview with the staff at Saunders Construction or Silent Solutions.