Pro-Vigil » News & Events

Introducing Pro-Vigil’s Guaranteed Prevention Plan

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:30:37 +0000

We’re the best surveillance company there is. We know it. We’ve got the Guaranteed Prevention Plan to prove it.

We will pay you up to $5,000 for theft and vandalism that happens under our watch.

Put our guarantee to the test – if your Pro-Vigil protected jobsite doesn’t have the guaranteed prevention plan, call your sales rep today!

Watch these thieves run from a Pro-Vigil protected jobsite.

Here’s the fine print:
The Company will pay actual losses for up to $5,000 per incident of theft or vandalism on a project site monitored by the Company under the terms of this Agreement if all of the following circumstances are met:

a. The incident of theft or vandalism must be in clear view of a camera;
b. The incident of theft or vandalism must have occurred during monitoring hours;
c. The Client must have exercised reasonable prudence on its part in securing items on the site;
d. The Client must have filed a police report regarding the incident of theft or vandalism within 24 hours of such incident, and provide a copy of such report to the Company; and
e. All of the Client’s accounts with the Company must be current within 60 days.

Pro-Vigil’s Live Monitors Save a Life

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:28:37 +0000

This story comes from Pro-Vigil Security Consultant John Malpass:

“Over the holiday weekend we made an arrest at one of my sites. Our monitors saw someone entering the site. They activated the sirens and strobes. We called the police and the first emergency contact. When the police showed up they found a women on the 24th floor of the building about to jump off…

“They were able to stop it before it happened. Thank God that we were able to stop that.

“Our monitors did a great job in responding to the threat and saved a woman’s life.”

At Pro-Vigil we are grateful for the hard work and quick response of the police. We wish the best to the woman whose life was saved by our live security monitors.

Pro-Vigil “Busted” at the ABC So-Cal Chapter Golf Tournament “Big Kahuna”

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:59:49 +0000

That’s us, caught on camera at the 33rd Annual Big Kahuna Golf Tournament put on by the ABC So-Cal Chapter…

Left to right we have: Jeremy White, Kris Brackin, Rodney Bleam, Richard Elliott, Eugene Bacheldor of the Pro-Vigil, Inc CA Division!

If we’d known California was this much fun, we would have started here first ;)

That’s the Coyote Hills Golf Course by the way, over in Fullerton, California.

Building Industry Show Free Pass: Join Us at BIS in Long Beach, California

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:30:49 +0000

We’re proud sponsors and vendors at the 2009 Building Industry Show in Long Beach, CA, demonstrating why our pro-active video surveillance is cheaper and more effective than security guards!

When: Nov 19th, 20th
Where: Long Beach Convention Center
Why: There is nothing like the power of industry-direct networking. Equally, education plays a role in the evolution of the building industry. BIS offers DRE certified courses, builder direct feedback, and green-focused seminars.

Learn More: BuildingIndustryShow.com >>

Register: register for the BIS online >>

Use Promo Code for Free Pass: Check your newsletter or contact us for the promo code!

We’re excited to bring Pro-Vigil to the builders, contractors and construction companies of Southern California at the Building Industry Show!

Video Camera Surveillance Under Fire as a Tool for City Improvement

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:33:56 +0000

A surveillance project fulfilled by Pro-Vigil partner ProGuard Security Services in Chandler, AZ has come under scrutiny from some of Arizona’s local news outlets.

photo by Darryl Webb, Tribune

The project, run by the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership (DCCP), consists of a single mobile surveillance video camera unit placed on private property at “the northeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Buffalo Street, just north of Dr. A.J. Chandler Park.” The DCCP only contracted for video recording, not for live video surveillance.

The DCCP chose to monitor that particular corner in part because the location serves as a makeshift pick-up point for day laborers. Traffic and parking on the street become highly congested during the morning pick-up times. Further, day laborers who don’t find work continue congregating for the remainder of the day.

The city’s preferred location for day laborers to meet employers is behind the nearby Light & Life Free Methodist Church, through the Light & Life Day Labor Center, which is “designed to be a hub where the transactions can happen away from the street.”

In addition to the traffic congestion, the DCCP said they’d use the mobile surveillance unit to gather information on parking and traffic for downtown planning as well as to test “whether the cameras might have a deterrent effect on crime in the downtown, as well as to create a sense of safety…”

It should be noted that, “According to a 1996 California Research Bureau report on public-video surveillance, as reported by Alex Salkever in the article Too Many Unseen Cameras? the overwhelming majority of cities that use video in the US say it has helped cut crime.” (source)

The news furor over the video surveillance project likely stems from the city’s partial funding of the DCCP – and their attempts to publicly distance themselves from the group. As one city official said, “We felt like it would come across as ‘Big Brother.’” The city’s officials apparently fear the response of their citizens.

In an interesting twist, it appears that 70% of Chandler, AZ citizens favor the surveillance project, based on a poll conducted along with the news story.

And why not? As one citizen commenter stated: “It seems from the story that this camera is to combat what is a potential safety issue. The city should be responsible for paying for studies on how its streets are being used, to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians. Furthermore, if the city cannot keep the traffic flowing and is causing harm to the surrounding businesses, the city will eventually lose the tax revenues because the business will leave and seek better locations for their success.”

News Coverage of Video Surveillance in Arizona:
Chandler group’s cameras watch day laborers
Is ‘Big Brother’ watching downtown Chandler?
Video: Cameras in Chandler look for day laborers?

Stolen Fork Lifts Used to Rob ATMs

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:01:45 +0000

In the wake of our article on skid steer loss prevention comes news of thieves stealing forklifts and front end loaders from jobsites and then using them to steal ATMs…

Here’s an image from a security camera outside of the bank (obviously not a LIVE MONITORED SECURITY VIDEO CAMERA…):

Is this yet another sign of a rising recession theft trend? We’ll leave that up to the pundits. We’re too busy stopping potential ATM thieves:

Theft News:
Help sought in brazen ATM theft
Forklift used to snatch ATM from Montgomery bank

Construction Security Articles by Pro-Vigil:
A Model Home Security Plan: 10 Tips that Prevent Burglaries
9 Ways to Stop Construction Theft During Holidays and Vacations
How Secure is Your Construction Security Fence? 11 Questions to Ask
Secure Jobsite Boxes: 4 Key Features to Look For
5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site
Security Questioning Tactics for Your Construction Site
A Pre-Job Checklist That Improves Your Job Site Security
How to Analyze Your Job Site’s Security Needs BEFORE the Job Begins
Job Site Security: Establish Your End-of-Day Routine

Construction Stimulus Overview: Resources, News, Opinion

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:45:06 +0000

This article provides an overview of stimulus related resources for those seeking to better understand where the stimulus dollars are going. The opinion section provides some insight into what construction industry analysts think about the situation.

If your business already works in the public sector then you will probably see some growth, particularly in highway and bridge construction.

If you’re in the private sector, well, here’s the positive spin on the situation: low material costs, low interest rates and low wages make this a great time to build if you or your clients can get the cash. One construction industry analyst noted that “smaller-scale loans from regional and local banks are going forward for commercial projects.”

Construction Stimulus Resources
We compiled these resources to better aid your understanding and possible benefit from the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009″ as it relates to construction projects.

Construction Stimulus Special Section by Construction.com
This special section by McGraw-Hill’s Construction.com pulls in construction-related stimulus news stories from their properties as well as other news sites. This page provides an overview of the stimulus impact, though it’s biased heavily towards McGraw-Hill properties.

The Stimulus Bill, Sector by Sector
“A look at the House Appropriations Committee’s explanatory report on the bill shows substantial funding for a wide range of construction programs across many federal departments and agencies. Stimulus aid for buildings is especially widespread among agencies.”

Stimulus Flows Into Patchwork of State Transport Projects (includes state by state breakdown)
This is a news story from NYTimes – included because it has a state by state breakdown of where the funds are going. Look on the left side for your state.

Stimulus Watch
This site provides an overview of how states spend their stimulus dollars – it’s more of a grass-roots site. In their words: “StimulusWatch.org was built to to help the new administration keep its pledge and to hold public officials to account. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects.”

Where Are Texas’ Highway Stimulus Dollars Going?
“Over the past several days, the Texas Transportation Commission has been sorting through TxDOT’s Agency Recommended Stimulus Projects list, deciding where to best spend the state’s $2.25 billion in ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) highway and bridge stimulus dollars. The recommended list proposed by TxDOT is composed of 21* new highway construction projects and 266 maintenance projects.”

Taking Apart the $819 billion Stimulus Package
This image provides a grasp of the scale of the package along with visuals to help you “see” where it’s all going. The second graph, spending over time, helps illustrate some of Mr. Jim Haughey’s arguments below.

The Stimulus Plan: How to Spend $787 Billion
“A detailed look at the final package passed by Congress, based on estimates by House and Senate committees and the Congressional Budget Office.”

Federal Stimulus Construction Project Leads
These are for-pay leads from Reed Construction Data. We are not affiliated with them, nor have we utilized their service. This is purely an informational link, not a recommendation.

Construction Stimulus Opinions
We’re sure you have opinions on the stimulus. For now we’re pleading “no-comment” and defering to the pundits most familiar with the economics of the construction industry.

Construction gets a temporary boost from Obama recovery plan
Mr. Jim Haughey, chief economist at Reed Construction Data, provides dire, thoughtful criticism of the stimulus. In a nutshell: “…temporary spending on public facilities and social programs, unlike permanent tax cuts, does not produce the permanent jobs when people are hired to produce goods or services that others voluntarily buy. The Obama solution means that we will have to choose in about two years between ending the $400 billion /year temporary spending or raising taxes to pay continuing it. Either choice will restrain economic growth.”

Construction stimulus: A quick shot in the arm or long, slow recovery?
An interview with Mr. Haughey. Provides more insight and reality checks for those who may be overly hopeful or enthusiastic about the stimulus.

Stimulus Package: “Saving Grace” for A/E/C Industry in 2009, Says Economist
Robert Murray, McGraw-Hill Construction’s chief economist, spoke recently and this coverage of his talk says: “Thanks to the $130 billion earmarked for infrastructure and building projects, the overall decline in spending on construction starts in 2009 will be 11 percent—compared with what Murray estimated would have been a 15-16 percent decline without the stimulus “cushion.””

Will infrastructure stimulus create jobs?
A CNN news story, interviews with a laid off construction manager who’s hopeful but about to get laid off from one of his part-time, non-construction jobs.

Some suggestions on how to spend $800 billion
Ideas from an architect regarding how to spend the stimulus. It has sparked quite a storm of response.

More Resources:
In case you need to brush up on your highway construction terminology: Road Design and Construction Terms (PDF)
Highway Construction Cost Increases and Competition Issues
How To Get Paid on Construction Projects — Before a Company Goes into Bankruptcy
Foreclosed Home Security: How to Protect Vacant Homes from Burglary
Recession Crime: 21 Ways to Protect Yourself from Recession Theft in 2009

Free Passes to the Industrial Fire, Safety and Security Expo in Houston Feb 4-6

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:39:15 +0000

Join us at the INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY 2009 Expo in Houston. We’ve got free passes to the exhibit hall valued at $100. Please call 866-616-1318 or contact Kris.Brackin@Pro-Vigil.com to learn more.

You can also visit http://www.IFSSevent.com/

INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY 2009
Houston, Texas from February 4-6, 2009, at the Reliant Center

INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY 2009
Why is it The Must Attend Environmental * Security * Emergency Planning & Response Hot Spot?

Largest Gathering of Municipal, State and Federal Regulatory, Training Organization, Energy Company Operators and Industrial Emergency Response Leaders in North America. Approximately 1500 are expected in Houston.
Most Comprehensive set of “Real-World” Conference Sessions, programmed by the industry…for the industry.
Houston Places You Right in the Action, Discounted Hotels, Value-Priced Registration Options, and Valuable Pre-Conferences/Training Workshops.

Over 70 speakers, 35 sessions and experts over three days! Federal Regulators, State Agencies, Industry Majors, Responders and Contractors are all represented.

Mean, Green and Lean: International Builders Show 2009 Round Up

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:57:49 +0000

Pro-Vigil fielded a booth at the 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas. This was our third visit, and as usual we came home with new insights into the industry and a reconfirmed enthusiasm for our mission to end jobsite crime. Thanks to all of those who requested free 2009 IBS passes – it was great to see you out in Las Vegas!

From our conversations on the showroom floor we found that the 2009 builder’s show was mean, green and lean…

Mean:
We heard a great deal of concern around the recession’s impact on rising construction site crime rates. The crime rate realities of this recession are keeping us very busy.

Also see: Recession Crime in 2009

Green:
In particular we saw extreme interest in the Scarecrow, which delivers solar powered jobsite crime prevention. In fact, the demand for “green” solutions of all kinds was our biggest takeaway from the show.

Also see: Green Finds From the International Builders’ Show
Green Trend Is Behind Products At Builders’ Show

Lean:
We don’t have official confirmation, but from our experience far fewer people attended IBS 2009. This was our observation from the floor. We heard rumors that the numbers were as low as 45k, which is about half of 2008 attendance. We called on Monday the 26th but official numbers had not yet been released.

Also see: Attendance is down at Vegas builders expo

Thanks to Jason Hawkins, Pro-Vigil director of operations for contributing to this write-up.

We aren’t the only ones writing about the IBS… here is more coverage for anyone who wasn’t able to attend:

More International Builders Show 2009 Coverage
IBS Economic Forecast: Housing Will Continue to Struggle in ‘09
IBS Economic Forecast calls for difficult 2009
IBS 2009 – Is it 2010 (2011, 2012 …) yet?

Green trend behind many products at builders’ show
2009 International Builders’ Show Coverage (Consumer Reports)
International Builders’ Show 2009 Product Preview
Holding on in Las Vegas–Pulte Goes Solar

IBS 2009 (Day 1): Sunday Fun Day
IBS 2009–Day 2: Manic Monday
IBS 2009–Day 3: Touring on Tuesday
Dwell on the 2009 IBS
IBS 2009 – Top products of Day One

Free Tickets: Join Pro-Vigil at the 2009 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:38:13 +0000

It’s the biggest and best so of course we’ll be there… The IBS “is the largest annual light construction show in the world—over a million-and-a-half square feet of the latest and most advanced building products and services ever assembled.”

Join us January 20-23, 2009 for the annual International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, NV… As vendors we have a limited number of free exhibit hall passes which you can request through the IBS page >>

You can visit Pro-Vigil’s virtual booth at the International Builder’s Show here >>

We couldn’t find much 2008 coverage, but HGTV did a great job of capturing the feel of the show in their 2007 coverage:

2007 International Builders’ Show (IBS), Day 1

2007 International Builders’ Show (IBS), Day 2

2007 International Builders’ Show (IBS), Day 3