Security Today
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SECURITY CONSULTANTS SIZE UP SPECTATOR SAFETY AT ANAHEIM ARENA
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ANAHEIM, CA - Anaheim Arena officials decided early that a single company would be responsible for providing all of the security systems for the $103-million, 19,000-seat sports facility.
Realizing this would be quite a tall order to fill, Anaheim Arena General Manager Brad Mayne invested extra scrutiny in the process selecting exactly the right company for the job.
After a preliminary round of talks with various firms, three remained in the running. One of them was JMG Security Systems, a five-year-old Fountain Valley company founded by two former executives of a major national private security firm.
Much was at stake here for both Anaheim Arena and JMG. When it opens next summer, the arena will draw fans by the tens of thousands and will house hundreds of employees, not to mention the entertainers and sports teams plus their entourages.
Maintaining the safety of everyone in the building and on the grounds presents an immense challenge, so having the right security systems, correctly installed and properly serviced is of great importance.
Leaving nothing to chance, Mayne sought out and personally talked to a number of clients previously served by JMG and its two rivals for the contract. What Mayne learned was that, of three finalists, JMG had the best record of reliability, responsiveness and experience to implement the security plan.
For JMG founders Ken Jacobs and Mike Christensen, Mayne's selection of their firm was confirmation that the company's approach to security is right on the mark.
"We work to establish a real sense of customer security based on service," says Jacobs, who believes that conventional alarm companies with emphasis on volume business aren't able to provide the kind of individual account service and awareness sought by clients like Anaheim Arena.
"Our approach is succeeding, as evidenced by the many testimonials Brad Mayne received from our customers," says Christensen.
One of the endorsements that helped persuade Mayne about JMG came from Jerry Shumard, the man responsible for security and parking control at the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park.
It seems that Knott's building security system suffered an equipment failure last year. Shumard, a retired law enforcement officer who spent 31 years collaring crooks before coming to work at Knott's in 1983, was anxious to get the system back up and on line. Unfortunately, the alarm company the park was using at that time failed to make good on its service promises.
"We waited more then a week and then turned to JMG," says Shumard, who had become impressed with the firm after it made a bid to provide security at two Knott's-owned restaurants in Irvine and Moreno Valley several months earlier.
Shumard's wait for service abruptly ended as soon as he gave JMG the green light to proceed. The company arrived on the scene almost immediately to address the problem.
"The malfunction in our existing system could only be corrected by the company that installed it because of the proprietary design of the equipment," says Shumard. "They were the only one who understood it."
JMG acted to quickly remove the failed system and replace it with different equipment that Knott's in-house technicians would be able to fix on their own should it malfunction at some point in the future.
Shumard told Mayne that he enjoys peace of mind thanks to JMG.
"JMG has met out expectations and we look forward to a long association with them," Shumard said in response to Mayne's inquiry.
As part of its service implementation strategy, JMG maintains a system of checks and balances that is built around frequent "call-back" program augmented by strong technical support.
"During my 20 years in the security industry, I recognized that a salesman's promises only as good as the technical support he receives in the field," says Jacobs. "We're dedicated to providing the promise as well as to delivering the performance. We keep current on technical developments by attending industry seminars and product introductions whenever they occur."
" Actually, Mike is the most deeply plugged into the new technologies. His experience gives our sales agents and their customers the assurance that we're providing state-of-the-art electronic detection and protection systems and that they are properly installed, maintained and in operating order at all times."
Mayne was among those attracted to the technologies prowess of JMG.
"I recognized our plan of operation could change over the years and we would need a security system that could accommodate change," Mayne says.
Current plans call for Anaheim Arena to have three main entrances into the building and three concourses to permit people to move easily about the facility. One of the concourses will be the exclusive club level where 82 luxury suites and 1,700 exclusive club seats will be located.
What Many found in JMG's proposal is a system that featured state-of-the-art video, alarm and detection equipment, which could be expanded or upgraded after installation if operational requirements warrant or if advances in technology become available.
"Anaheim Arena will be state-of-the-art in every respect, from the high-quality spectator amenities to the operational equipment for the touring attractions," says Jacobs. "We are very gratified to be chosen among the national and regional companies who were competing for the Anaheim Arena security system contract."
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