In any business, servicing clients properly and maintaining client interactions is key to success. PRS was recently approached by a publication to weigh in on one of our clients and our quotes will be included in the print version of this article. In the meantime, we are throwing the spotlight on Brad Minnis, Juniper’s Vice President of Environment, Health Safety & Security. We are honored to have been working with Brad for years.
Check out Mike’s thoughts on successfully servicing client relationships over the years. Continue to watch videos on our website for more videos like this one!
Our CEO of PRS, Michael Delamere was featured as a panelist at the MSSGreat Lake Forum. In case you missed the panel discussion, we are linking it here in our blog. Along with Delamere, Craig McKim, Drew Neckar and David Schlecte, Mike talked about the skills security professionals need to have, our usage of behavioral sciences in our hiring process and advice on where and how to utilize social media. A big thanks to Phelim Rowe for featuring our company in this event!
Mike talked about how valuable soft skills as security professionals and how key the ability to communicate with the C-Suite is. We use people sciences when we onboard new hires to clearly define what abilities employees have and what tools they need to be effective and engaged. That ultimately leads to a better level of efficiency in organizations.
The one thing we pride ourselves on at PRS is using our platform to educate. When asked about usage of social media as a way to engage clients and do business, Mike articulated our primary goal. We used LinkedIn primarily and as a tool to share information not fear monger, but to disseminate valuable knowledge. We make it a point to provide original content and do it on a regular basis, so our base knows what to expect and when to expect it.
Listen to the rest of in interview in the video to hear about Mike’s view on business acumen and what the current climate is in higher learning institutions regarding private security. Be sure to visit our website for more videos like this one.
In this week’s video series, we talk about the level of security at stadiums and sporting venues across the country. With the ongoing labor shortage and lingering COVID concerns, security teams at sporting venues are facing an increasing number of challenges. James DeMeo, a sport security consultant and former police officer, knows these challenges well and shares his expert insights.
DeMeo says more now than ever, risk assessments are vital in keeping fans safe and ensuring that sporting venues are doing everything possible to safeguard their spaces with the available resources. One of the most prevalent issues, he notes, is a lack of help. With a shortage of security officers to work large-scale events — including sporting venues — it can prove to be quite difficult. He points to an example of a state fair to illustrate the challenges.
Communities are (in some areas) having to pull in from multiple agencies because of a lack in law enforcement. That could mean officers from many different departments who may have been trained differently or are not used to working with each other responsible for being prepared in the event of an emergency. There’s also the issue of the long days. Some of these officers are working normal hours and then have hours on a bus to help out with events and they show up tired. This is just one of the “new norms” that security is dealing with.
With all that is going on in today’s world, DeMeo wants to not only educate people on the current climate challenges, (in a non-fear mongering type of way), but also present some tips for spectators. James tells us an educated fan is a safe one, so here are five tips for a seamless fan experience:
1. Plan on arriving at the venue well ahead of the scheduled event/performance start time. This way you’ll be able to find parking, gain entry, purchase some soda & popcorn and get to your seats with plenty of time to spare.
2. Know exactly where you parked your vehicle’s location and its proximity to the venue.
3. Ensure that everyone in your family has a fully charged cell phone in case you are separated as a result of a true emergency situation at or near the venue.
4. Make sure you read over the venue’s code of conduct. Located on your Team’s website, you find out if you will be required to wear a face mask, provide proof of vaccination and/or negative Covid-19 test along with other pandemic and safety requirements.
5. Create a pre-determined meeting spot for you and your family in the event you have to evacuate the venue due to an emergency. Always follow the direction and guidance of first responders, law enforcement working at the venue.
DeMeo also addresses Covid and the challenges that is bringing to sports security. Click on the video for more and be sure to continue to visit our website for more videos just like this one!
Are you planning a trip to Vegas anytime soon? I would like to give you a few tips and share my insights. Normally, we stick to security in our blog but Las Vegas is one of our featured cities we provide service for and we love Vegas here at PRS. So, we are taking a minute to help you navigate concerns from a firsthand experience.
Las Vegas Trip Planning
You can see the effects of the pandemic in almost every city in America. That includes Sin City. One of the biggest things I noticed during my recent trip was around employment. Like many businesses, restaurants in Vegas are having a hard time finding enough employees to fully staff a restaurant. So what does that look like? Not as many restaurants are open and some of those are not at full capacity. That means you will likely have to wait longer to receive food or some of your longtime favorites may not even have the doors open (or, if you’re lucky, simply have reduced operating hours). Choices are obviously limited and hours vary greatly. This was especially noticeable during the breakfast hours. I could only find one restaurant open before 9am in the vicinity of my hotel, Vdara, on a Tuesday morning.
We provide security for large events/conventions in Vegas, so I went to look at the new addition to the Convention Center. If you are planning on attending a conference or similar event there, you should know to expect it to be a mostly similar experience to what it was like pre-COVID. Mask mandates are minimal (only if you have not been vaccinated yet). There are no temperature checks. Attendees are ample; perhaps not at the level of pre-COVID yet but more than you might think for not being out of the pandemic just yet.
Rideshare services, while available, cost more than before (expect about double) as there is large demand but reduced drivers than pre-COVID. For instance, a taxicab ride for an equal distance on the strip to that of a rideshare service on a Sunday afternoon was half the price of the rideshare service.
If you’re used to walking the Las Vegas strip and seeing entertainment and people all around, you will find them however not as plentiful as before COVID. In fact, you are apt to see an equal number or more of undesirables walking the strip.
I enjoyed returning to Las Vegas and to what is mostly considered a return to normal however temper your expectations for a full return to normal for likely a few more months time at least.
“…sometimes you can’t avoid the fire, but how you put it out matters.” Tilman Fertitta said this in his book, Shut Up and Listen!Executive Protection is a professional service about how you put out the fire–the customer experience. High Net Worth principals and their families expect a level of service that is accommodating, professional, and discreet.
In Executive Protection operations we will always encumber those individuals who are upset or pushy in an attempt to get their way. This can manifest itself in an operation that individual desires access to an otherwise restricted area or taking a photo of the Principal when the Principal does not wish to be photographed and a myriad of other reasons. The Executive Protection agent is the gatekeeper in such cases. The agent must discern how they will act in their engagement with the individual(s) who are causing distress to or within the operation, all the while:
Protecting the Brand Integrity of the Principal and/or their Business to go along with;
The Life Safety of the Principal and their loved ones!
Executive Protection agents must-have qualities that display and allow for:
Resiliency
Time & Priority Management
Teamwork
Futuristic Thinking
Customer Focus
Systems Judgement
Several others
To go along with these skills and qualities, the agent must have a high level of Emotional Intelligence which will aid them in tempering their response in a stressful situation to allow for the optimal outcome. Generally speaking, the agent must approach situations with empathy and understanding from the other person’s point of view as best possible.
The Executive Protection agent should spin their response to an upset or aggressive individual in as positive a manner as possible, avoiding the use of negative terminology. Doing so will elicit a response back from the volatile individual in a much more reasonable manner as it will help provide a resolution of sorts to their reach towards their ultimate desire.
For example, if an Executive Protection agent is assigned to the CEO (Principal) of a high-profile high-tech company while they are speaking at an event and they encounter an attendee of the event who desires to get close to the Principal to take a selfie with them, and the agent is well aware that the Principal has a strong desire not to partake in such activities this particular day then the agent should respond with something along the lines of “Mr/Mrs (insert CEO name) has a very tight schedule today and is here simply for the presentation only. There are times when he/she does take time for selfies and hopefully you will have another opportunity at future events.” This vernacular should disarm most individuals in such circumstances while presenting hope in the future for the individual’s aspirations (assuming there’s some level of truth to the statement made by the agent). The agent gets their immediate cooperation and compliance with what the operation requires but leaves the individual with positive interaction and recall of that experience.
At PRS, we utilize DISC assessments of our agents to conduct a gap analysis against our customized job benchmark for each and every role (service) we provide. Essentially, we have data sets about each agent that allow us to present the best talent match with a personalized culture fit for our company and our client’s for a specific role, in this case, Executive Protection Specialist.
We are able to provide additional team insights for larger-scale Executive Protection assignments to show each team member’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing the management team to select appropriate personnel who complement each other in a teaming environment.
Ultimately, our clients receive highly reliable services with individuals who are accountable, can anticipate the client’s needs, and adapt to unique environments they may find themselves operating within. The client has less turnover within the operation and a high level of comfort with their personal safety needs being met and brand integrity intact.
You can see the effects of the pandemic in almost every city in America. That includes Sin City. One of the biggest things I noticed during my recent trip was around employment. Like many businesses, restaurants in Vegas are having a 
We provide security for large events/conventions in Vegas, so I went to look at the 
