La Crosse - Per Mar Security

ALERT
Issue 14 | July 2016
THE
Keeping our team sharp inside the shield
Branch Feature:
La Crosse
Inside:
Officials Share Tips to Prevent Child
Abduction
Welcome Neighborhood Patrol, Inc.
2016 SDM Top 100 Ranking
Brad Johnson & Randy Mulder
We Welcome Neighborhood
Patrol, Inc.
Effective, July 1st Per Mar Security Services has acquired Neighborhood Patrol, Inc. (NPI Security Services) of Urbandale, IA.
NPI Security Services, founded by Brad Johnson in
1978 in Des Moines, Iowa, specializes in security officer and mobile patrol services. The addition of NPI
Security Services further strengthens our full-service
security presence in Central Iowa. Mark Kirchner
along with 140 employees have joined the Per Mar
Security Services team.
We are very excited about the opportunities this
brings to both our employees and customers.
2016 SDM 100 Ranking
We are honored to be recognized as one of the nation’s top 100 security companies in the SDM report
for the 26th consecutive year. Per Mar has been rapidly growing as illustrated in this report. We moved
up three spots this year to #26 and are in the top one
third of all security companies in the U.S.
Thank you to our great team and customers for making Per Mar Security one of the top security companies in the country.
ALERT
THE
Keeping our team sharp inside the shield
Larry and Dave Swanson
Honor Flight
On April 18, 2016, Dave Swanson, Material Handler for
the Cedar Rapids Branch, had the honor and privilege of
escorting his father Larry Swanson on an Honor Flight to
Washington, DC. Larry proudly served our country during
the Korean War.
Dave commented that every part of the Honor Flight process was done in a professional manner that truly honored
those being recognized. It started with an orientation for
the honoree and their guardian at Kirkwood Community
College. This included a review of the itinerary for the day,
guardian duties, what to bring on the flight, and other pertinent information.
When the honorees and guardians arrived at the Eastern
Iowa Airport for the flight, they were greeted by the color
guard and the Cedar Rapids Fire Department flying the
American flag high from the ladder of their fire trucks.
Upon arriving on the tarmac at Reagan International airport, they were greeted in the same manner. Hundreds
of people greeted these men and women who so bravely
served our country. They boarded buses, and a police escort guided them to multiple sites in the Washington, DC
area. They visited the WWII, Lincoln, Korean, Vietnam and
Women’s War Memorials before heading to Arlington National Cemetery. There they had the privilege of witnessing
the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They continued on to the Marine and Air Force memorials before heading back to the airport for the flight home.
Back in Cedar Rapids, more than 800 well-wishers welcomed them home at 10:00 p.m. that evening. Once again,
they were greeted by a color guard, the CRFD, bag pipes
playing, people singing and outstretched hands.
It was a day that a father and son will never forget.
Anywhere, Anytime
Shawn Lytle and McKenna
Professionalism without
Hesitation
I would like to take this time to commend Shawn Lytle for
his fast thinking and fast response to a very serious situation involving my granddaughter.
At the Old Capitol Mall on Friday May 27, 2016 at about
1500 hrs, I was with my daughter Kayla and granddaughter McKenna, who is 3 ½ yrs old. I had seen Shawn Lytle,
who was a previous employee with the STS account in
West Branch. We were standing away from the escalator
having a conversation on his new job assignment.
Suddenly I hear my granddaughter yelling for her mother,
I look over and McKenna is being dragged up the outside
of the escalator, her hands in a death grip holding on to
the rubber hand rail. I am yelling for her to let go and drop
into my arms, but she is too frightened to let go. She is
hanging on, rising higher and higher to the top of the escalator, her mother frozen in fear. With all this happening in
seconds, Shawn turns runs to top of escalator and literally
gets to the top of steps just as McKenna arrives. Shawn
pulls McKenna up and over the rail to safety just in time.
Thanks to Shawn Lytle’s fast response, what could have
been a tragedy remained a happy family outing.
It is Shawn’s professionalism that while being social with
me, when there was an emergency situation he was able
to respond without hesitation.
It is action like this that makes Per Mar Security and their
employees outstanding in their field.
Laura Waldorf
Account Manager
West Branch, IA
On February 1st of this year, my family and I
were at 1 South Park Street in Madison, Wisconsin. My Mom had to go for an MRI, which she had
been dreading for more than two weeks. Since
she is claustrophobic, this was a very troubling
thing for her. The test was supposed to be one
to one and a quarter hours. It ended up starting
twenty minutes late and lasted a full two hours.
All of this was stressful enough! To make matters
worse, when we were finally able to leave, we got
to the parking lot only to discover that our car’s
battery was dead. We went back inside to call for
a tow, which, to our dismay, could have been up
to a four hour wait.
This is when your security guard, Geno, came
out to greet us. He asked if everything was O.K.
We then explained our situation to him. He was
very courteous and kind. He said he was just
checking and asked if there was any way he
could help. When he came back later to check
on us, he said we were welcome to wait there for
a while, but he needed to lock the doors in a bit.
Since my Mom uses a walker, he reassured us
that he would help us to a nearby exit, but that
if we preferred, we could wait where we were.
He repeatedly checked in with us. During the
course of one of these conversations, we found
out that this was not his normal location and that
he is usually stationed in Milwaukee. He had
driven into Madison because this location was
short-handed. After we finally got the car started,
I went to thank Geno for all his help. He inquired
if we felt that the car was in good enough condition to drive. He said he was almost finished with
his shift and was going to offer to follow us home
to make sure the rest of our evening went without
incident.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude
to Geno and request this letter be placed in his
permanent file.
Sincerely,
Christine Jones
Bob and Bobbi Jones
Officials share tips to
prevent child abduction
William Petroski
Worries about the potential for child abduction in
warm weather months are prompting Iowa officials
to urge parents and others to be vigilant for sexual
predators in their communities.
“With the school year soon coming to a close, children are outdoors more often participating in activities and sporting events, which take their focus off of
their surroundings, making them more vulnerable to
abductions”, said Iowa Public Safety Commissioner
Roxann Ryan.
She said law enforcement officials are reminding Iowans to be on the lookout for potential child abductions in spring and summer months and to provide
information to law enforcement when they see something that looks unusual.
Officials recounted to the case of two Evansdale
girls, Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins,
who disappeared in July 2012. Their bodies were
found months later in a wildlife area near Readlyn
and Dunkerton.
They also discussed the case of Kathlynn Shepard
of Dayton, who was abducted and killed in May 2013
by a convicted sex offender.
Tips to Help Keep
Children Safe:
•
Be aware of the common tricks used to lure children (free puppies, parent injured, etc.)
•
Speak up if someone makes you feel uncomfortable. Screaming is OK.
•
Tell children who to call if they feel they need help.
•
Make Online safety a priority.
•
Do not leave children alone in a car.
•
Carry current pictures of your child.
Emergency Evacuation Plans
Dear Abby:
I am the building manager of a high-rise office building. Every year we perform a fire alarm test to determine that all our
fire alarm systems work properly.
“We would really like to make sure that none of those
happen again,” Ryan said.
Two years ago, a very overweight woman told me she had a
heart condition and could not make it down the stairs during
the drill. I told her to proceed to the stairwell, have one of her
co-workers give me her location and in the event of a fire
I’d send a fireman up to get her. Now 10 other women have
asked to be added to the “list.”
Ryan was joined Monday at an Iowa Capitol news
conference by Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim
Reynolds.
I have a call in to my local fire chief to see what he/she thinks
I should do. Have you any thoughts on this matter?
— Worried Building Manager
They encouraged parents and others to pay attention to unusual activity and to immediately call 911 if
they think a child could be in danger.
Dear Building Manager:
Cases of stranger abductions are not common, but
they do occur. Ryan said Iowa officials annually receive about 15 to 30 reports of attempted child abductions. These cases usually involve sex offenders
she added.
Many of these attempted abductions are not reported because people don’t want to make a big deal out
of it,” Ryan said.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety last year established a Child Abduction Response Team that is
trained and equipped to respond to child abduction
cases.
Employees who are disabled need to know the evacuation
plan is place for their safety. If others are taking advantage
of the system set up for people with disabilities, it is unfair to
everyone.
I took your question to Austin, Texas, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae
Kerr, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs
(IAFC), and to Allan Fraser, senior building code specialist at
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Both expressed concern that you would create a “list,” because lists can become out-of-date or misplaced.
NFPA offers a free Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide
for People With Disabilities, available for download at www.
nfpa.org/ disabilities. Chief Kerr and Mr. Fraser recommend
you get it. I hope you will take them up on the suggestion,
and be a stickler for compliance.
Austin Skiles and Randy Mulder
Members of the Lacrosse Per Mar
Security Branch
Austin Skiles: Security Officer
of the Quarter
Lacrosse Celebrates 20 years
with the family.
Austin Skiles was awarded Security Officer of the Quarter for his outstanding performance and professionalism
at his assigned location, Mercy Hospital in Des Moines,
Iowa. The following letter from Jill A. Huygens, House Supervisor at Mercy Hospital, describes Austin’s assistance
in extracting a struggling patient from the pool.
Out Lacrosse team celebrated their 20th anniversary at
Big Al’s pizzeria for food, drinks, and tall tales. Everyone had a great time.
“On Saturday, 1/30, a Medical Emergency was called for
the Wellness Center pool. A woman suffered a seizure
while swimming and was in significant distress.
Dr. Cameron Allen, Internal Medical Resident, was in the
pool with his family enjoying a day off when this incident
occurred. Dr. Allen responded and was able to keep the
woman’s head above water, thus protecting her airway.
Public Safety Officers Wade Fridley, Barb Saville, and
Austin Skiles also responded and pulled the woman from
the pool.
The code team stabilized her, and she was subsequently
taken to the Emergency department for evaluation.
I wanted to share this with you, not because it is unusual
or extraordinary, but because it is typical of Mercy employees to jump in whenever and where ever needed. We are
fortunate to have such exceptional people, and I wanted
to recognize them. Thanks,”
Jill Huygens RN, BSN
House Supervisor
Off Shift and Weekend Operations
As recognition for his assistance in this situation, Austin
has been deemed Security Officer of the Quarter. Keep up
the hard work, Austin, and thank you for all you do!
Team Member of the Quarter:
Jarren Getchel - Green Bay
Jarren Getchel has shown great dedication to his job
duties throughout the past months, and because of
this, he has earned the honor of Team Member of the
Quarter for the Green Bay branch.
Getchel has been picking up open shifts to help fill the
schedule, working an incredible 27 days in a row without a day off. Jarren also assisted fellow Per Mar team
member Jena Huth by staying late when she was unable to make it to work.
Jarren is a team player and communicates well with coworkers. Getchel also does a good job training employees, offering feedback and advice to those he trains.
He has also taken initiative to update documents that
are a part of our job duties such as Fire Protection.
More than that, Jarren has a good personality and gets
along well with his coworkers, the client, and visitors.
Thank you, Jarren for all of your hard work and dedication to the success of Per Mar Security!
Award Winners
These individuals were honored in May for their
commitment and dedication to Per Mar Security.
Thank you for all of your hard work!
The honorees received a certificated presented to
them by Justin Ellyson, Security Account Manager
at Per Mar in West Branch, IA.
Our May award winners include:
Keaton DeWulf receives his 5 year anniversary award from Justin Ellyson.
• Keaton Dewulf - 5 Year Anniversary
• Paul Walker - 5 Year Anniversary
• Larisa Flock - Team Member of the
Month
Corridor Business Journal:
#BestSecurityCompany
Thank you to our 2,000 plus employees
spread across our 24 service locations for all
of your dedication and hard work in earning
this award. This honor would not be possible
without you.
“
“
Paul Walker receives his 5 year anniversary award from Justin Ellyson.
Due to our wide reputation for providing
clients with the best in security needs ranging from surveillance systems to background
checks for over fifty years, Per Mar Security
has earned the Corridor Business Journal
#BestSecurityCompany Award for the 2nd
time.
Per Mar is unique in its ability
to provide full-service security
offerings, from alarm systems
to security officers, without
having to rely on outsourced
portions of the service.
Brian Duffy
President of Electronic Security, Per Mar
Larisa Flock receives her Team Member of
the Month award from Justin Ellyson
P
Lauren and Grace after the JDRF Walk
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation
Lauren and Grace are good friends who attend the
same school and are on the same sports teams. Lauren is the daughter of Nathan Boynton, Sales Manager
at our Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids branches. Lauren
and her friend Grace were both diagnosed with Type 1
Diabetes a few years ago, and participated in the JDRF
walk to raise money to help find a cure! Per Mar donated to their team, and the girls even put the Per Mar
logo on the sleeve of their team shirts. Way to go girls!
Baseball Hall of Fame
Modern Woodman Park in Davenport, Iowa was selected to be the first stop on the Baseball Hall of Fame
Tour, “We are Baseball”. The Baseball Hall of Fame
tour was in Davenport for a week, and Per Mar played
a big role in securing the attraction.
Our security guards met the trucks when they arrived
in town at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. We monitored the equipment and memorabilia 24/7 until the
event opened on July 3rd. Once the event opened, we
provided security coverage over night when the event
was closed to the public.
Security guards from our Milwaukee Branch will be repeating this service when the Baseball Hall of Fame
brings its tour to Wisconsin.
The Baseball Hall of Fame Tour Truck
LIF M
E
Wellness Corner
In the middle of these hot summer months, it is important to drink enough water. Any healthy person can
become dehydrated on hot days, when you’ve been exercising hard or working outside. Take care of yourself this
summer and stay hydrated!
Remember: the best way to deal with dehydration is to
prevent it. Make sure to drink enough water in situations
where you might become dehydrated. For those caring
for small children or older people with conditions that can
lead to dehydration, Dr. Guralnik of NIH’s National Institute on Aging advises, “You need to prompt the person to
drink fluids and remind them often. It’s not just a one-time
problem.”
DEHYDRATION: WHAT TO DO
If you suspect someone is suffering from dehydration or a
heat-related illness:
• Get the person out of the sun and into a cool place.
• Offer fluids like water, fruit and vegetable juices.
• Urge the person to lie down and rest.
• Encourage the person to shower, bathe or sponge off
with cool water.
• Watch for heat stroke, which is especially dangerous
and requires emergency medical attention. Look for a
body temperature above 104° and symptoms such as
confusion, combativeness, faintness, bizarre behavior, staggering, strong rapid pulse, dry flushed skin,
lack of sweating or unconsciousness.
Visit our social sites!
Congratulations & Many More Years….
March
Brian Dombrowski- 10 years
Wayne Hilgart- 10 years
Michael Skalecke- 10 years
April
Sean McCombs- 5 years
Joslin Hoyt- 15 years
Brad Griffin- 15 years
May
Keaton Dewulf- 5 years
Samuel Huntington- 5 years
Paul Walker- 5 years
Philip Kasal- 5 years
Kristy Curran- 5 years
Brian Conolly- 10 years
Julie Coney- 5 years
Matthew Poling- 10 years
Lance Collins- 5 years
Kenneth Larsen- 5 years
Richard Roberts- 5 years
Robert Andrews- 5 years
Robert Anglemter Sr.- 5 years
Ronald Bechler- 5 years
J Chris Bentley- 5 years
Ronald Bowers- 5 years
James Brady- 5 years
Dale Brown- 5 years
Jerry Carpenter- 5 years
Tim Cripe- 5 years
Larry Dalton- 5 years
Michael Dellinger- 5 years
Glen DeMien- 5 years
Kasey Eck- 5 years
Kimberly Eck-5 years
Cozetta Elliott-5 years
John Frankfather- 5 years
Nancy Geist- 5 years
June
Pamela Maher- 5 years
Kelvin Moore- 15 years
Gerald Oestreich- 10 years
Alexander Jarnagin- 10 years
David Sharp- 5 years
Paul Boynton- 5 years
Edward Rosser- 5 years
Joseph Bertram- 5 years
Jeremy McKinney- 5 years
Joshua Jenner- 10 years
Dennis Gerdes- 5 years
John Gerschoffer- 5 years
Dennis Gilbert- 5 years
Brian Gove- 5 years
Ronald Gove- 5 years
Robert Grable- 5 years
Barry Greenfield- 5 years
Kent Griggs- 5 years
Ronald Gump- 5 years
Nancy Houston- 5 years
Christopher LeCount- 5 years
Michael Lochotzki- 5 years
Mona Lowman- 5 years
Joel Martinez- 5 years
John McCarty- 5 years
Cynthia Mendez- 5 years
Ronald Metzger- 5 years
Debby Mobley- 5 years
Robert Schoof- 5 years
Steven Smith- 5 years
Tim Sommer- 5 years
Timothy Stern- 5 years
Margaret Vervynckt- 5 years
Justin Warren- 5 years
Robert Wheeler- 5 years
Pamela Wiltfong- 5 years
Todd Pelot- 10 years
Security Officer Team Members of the Month/Quarter
April
Anita Bagg - Cedar Rapids
Andrea McPhail - Chicago
Lindsay Patrick - Des Moines
Kayla Krone - Eau Claire
Michael Harris - Madison
Ashley Roehl - Mercury Marine
Lisa Macaione - Milwaukee
Jared Kellberg - Omaha
Kenneth VanDusseldorp - Quad Cities
Robert Morgan - Quincy
Michael Vang - Twin Cities
Doug Stapleton - Wausau
May
Shawn Lytle - Cedar Rapids
Kevin Hanik - Chicago
Shirley Wilmeth - Des Moines
Gary Toms Sr. - Eau Claire
Bobby Lawrence - Madison
Jarren Getchell - Mercury Marine
Kevin James - Milwaukee
Debralee Stratton - Quad Cities
Jayden Sutton - Quincy
Michael Lochotzki - South Bend
Michael Vang - Twin Cities
Joshua Jenner - Wausau
June
Anthony Meighan- Belleville
Kelvin S. Moore- Cedar Rapids
James Hardy- Chicago
Mike Moser- Des Moines
Curtiss Whitehead- Eau Claire
James Steinberger- Green Bay
Alisha Poole- Madison
Michael Stehling- Mercury Marine
William Albury- Milwaukee
Kevin Brogan- Omaha
Fred Schoon- Peoria/Rockford
Matthew Baker- Quad Cities
Stuart Sonstegrad- Twin Cities
Charlie Dosher- Wausau
Team Member Special Offer
If you’re not taking advantage of our great employee purchase program, why not?
Call your local office for details.