The Security Excellence Awards 2002 was certainly a night to remember. Organised by Security Management Today and sister Builder Group Ltd title Security Installer, last November's event was a record-breaker. Sixty per cent more entries, more categories than ever before (no less than 13 this time around) and a record number of sponsors – with Dedicated Micros and Intrepid Security Solutions joining Awards stalwarts Southern Monitoring Services, the id technology group, Prima Corporate Wear and Third Millennium.
Although the Black Tie event had a serious purpose as always – honouring the very best companies and individuals in the business – there was also a touch of glamour and fun. The evening was expertly hosted by Sean Connery-lookalike Hugh Lewis, who cracked a few timely gags to celebrate November's launch of 007's latest adventure 'Die Another Day'.
Post-event comments suggested that Lewis was a worthy compere for the evening, ably mixing his own Bond-isms and observations on everyday life with a more serious agenda – namely recognising the splendid efforts of all the 2002 entrants in raising the public profile of the security industry.
Much deliberation on the part of the Judging Panel had whittled down a substantially increased number of entries on the 2001 event, enabling the assembled throng to raise a glass or two to the Best Security Manager, the Best Guarding Company, the Best Training Initiative, the Best Security Manufacturer, the winners of the Best Customer Care Initiative and the Best IT Initiative. Also honoured were the winners of the Best Partnership Initiative, the Best Security Consultant, the Best Security Innovation, Best Security Installer, Best Security Client, Best Security Promotional Campaign and the Best Integrated Security Solution.
Once again, this year's Judging Panel covered a broad spectrum of the industry – all of the individuals concerned rightly seen as experts in their field. Sitting on the Panel for 2002 were: Peter French (managing director of SSR Personnel), Inspector Kevin Mann (secretary of the ACPO Security Systems Group), Professor Martin Gill (director of Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International), Richard Flenley (group security manager at Canary Wharf), Anthony King (director of King's Security), Stefan Hay (general manager at the Security Industry Training Organisation), Ian Johnson (principal consultant, Ian Johnson Associates) and Bovis Lend Lease head of security Nigel Winham.
As ever, the Panel was completed by Security Management Today's Editor Brian Sims and Alan Hyder (Editor of Security Installer).
Management and guarding
The Best Security Manager and Best Guarding Company awards really taxed the minds of this year's Judging Panel.
Deservedly, Stephen Daniels (security manager for Wembley London Ltd) scooped the Best Security Manager Award. Stephen – who is responsible for all aspects of safety and security at the world-famous Wembley complex – centralised all functions as part of 'Project 2000'. CCTV now covers the whole complex (which takes in Wembley Arena, the 3,000-seater Conference Centre and the Elvin House offices), proximity card access is used in all buildings and a centralised Control Room monitors the entire site.
As a result of Stephen's efforts, crime on the complex has been reduced by 86% and targeted operating budget savings of £113,000 have been made year-on-year. Excellent!
SMT also congratulates the runners-up in this category, namely Geoffrey Northcott (head of loss prevention at book and video retailer Borders International), Jerry Carter (head of loss prevention at the House of Fraser Group), George Mensah of Noble Security Services and Mark Edis, a contract security manager from Wilson James working for Capital One.
The Best Guarding Company Award was hotly contested in 2002, with more entrants than ever before. Shortlisted were Wilson James, First Security (Guards) – the 2000 scheme winners – Noble Security Services (the Widnes-based contractor involved with the Trafford Guardsafe officer training scheme), Securiplan, Whitehall Security Services and the London Keyholding Company.
Wilson James triumphed, the Judges commenting that director Stuart Lowden's well-known outfit is "one of the few companies truly addressing the 48-hour working week, as well as line management training and educational issues". Congratulations to the team at Wilson James from all at SMT!
Consultancy and training
The Best Security Consultant Award is presented to an individual or consultancy practice that has demonstrated excellence in the field when it comes to leadership and participation in the wider security community.
According to the Judges, Arup Security Consulting won the day in 2002 due to "a very good spread of expertise coupled with a diverse customer base".
Operating out of London and New York, Arup's consultants provide a risk-led and holistic service to their clients using a combination of security management techniques, resilience reviews and diligent planning – thus ensuring that security is considered at every stage in building design.
Runners-up in this category (all of whom impressed the Judging Panel no end) were 2001 winners TPS Consult, VIDEF Security Management, Pat Howgill Associates and SecuredByDesign. Well done to all of our shortlisted finalists.
As far as security training is concerned, the 2002 Judges were eager to see award entries that demonstrated the active promotion of good working practices thanks to effective training programmes.
Thankfully, they weren't to be disappointed – with ADT Fire and Security, Sainsbury's Supermarkets, The Corps, Video Controls Ltd, the Vision Security Group and the Trafford Park Security Initiative all showing strongly in their entries for the Best Training Initiative.
Alas, there could be only one winner, and it was... the Trafford Park Security Initiative – the fulcrum of which is the Guardsafe training programme operated by contractor Noble Security in tandem with SITO and the Greater Manchester Police. "Guardsafe is very much a manned security training module that could be transposed across the industry. It's progressive, and impinges on the wider community". So said one member of the 2002 Security Excellence Awards Judging Panel.
Rewarding manufacturer innovations
As well as recognising work well done, we hope the Security Excellence Awards are a great motivator for companies to drive standards upwards. Nowhere is this more important than in the areas of product development and innovation. After all, without the right products and security systems to hand everyday life for the in-house security manager would be fraught with potential risks.
It's good to know, then, that a whole host of UK-based concerns are rising to the challenges laid down by the Best Manufacturer and Best Security Innovation categories. Ademco Microtech walked away with the former Award for its excellent Galaxy control panel range, while the innovation 'gong' went to Securitrac for its Activetrac RFID system that prevents theft in hospital environments.
IT, partnerships and customer care
The Best IT Initiative Award recognises the individual or company that has made the most positive use of Information Technology in the security sector.
Developed by Photo-Scan, the company's 'Infonet' Intranet system was the victor in 2002, having been developed and implemented by the technical team to provide a company-wide information service. An excellent idea, with strong contenders Borer Data Systems, Video Controls Ltd, Securicor Security and Anchor Security Services the close runners-up this time around.
Baxall came top in the hotly-contested Best Partnership Initiative, pipping Wilson James, The Tag Company and King's Security to the post due to its exploitation (alongside IndigoVision) of the CCTV technology of tomorrow... Video-over-IP.
"The development potential for Destiny-IP and the Video Bridge technology is huge," said one of our Judges...
They must be doing something special at Dedicated Micros, as the company ran away with the Best Customer Care Initiative Award – for demonstrating how to deal efficiently and effectively with over 100 calls and 200 e-mails per day from installers, distributors, consultants and end users.
In the Best Security Installer category – where Galago, King's Security, Pearl Fire and Security, Reliance High-Tech and Security Design Associates (SDA) were all excellent contenders – Intruder International plc won the award for "providing an expandable, fully-integrated system [at London's Royal Exchange] while minimising disruption to the fabric of a Grade I-listed building".
In one of our new categories, Newport City Council ran out winners of the Best Security Client Award thanks to its efforts at stemming vandalism in schools. Working closely with Axis Communications, Bewator and Farsight, the Council is now able to monitor and report on 20 different sites (where crime has subsequently fallen). The perfect end result.
Best Promotional Campaign went to BT RedCARE for its pioneering work on the ACPO 2000 Security Systems Policy, while Encrypta Electronics scooped the Best Integrated Security Solution Award.
Both SMT and Security Installer magazines are already looking ahead to the 2003 Security Excellence Awards. Details on how to submit entries for each category will appear in forthcoming editions of both titles.
Remember... Next time it could be YOU or YOUR COMPANY being honoured, so take time out to fill in those forms when they arrive!
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SMT
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