A major weather event visited British Columbia in mid-January. That blast of snow and record-breaking cold made life riskier on sidewalks and roads, at homes and businesses. Western Canada Security witnessed an unprecedented level of urgent demand over those wintry days. We want to commend our guards and managers for their diligence and dedication. Thanks to their flexibility and tireless efforts, we deployed resources to meet every request successfully.
Many clients asked for extra patrols to safeguard properties unreachable by owners and staff. Condo and apartment towers needed our people to stand twenty-four-hour watch (when fire-suppression systems failed). Buildings on Vancouver Island often lack the insulation needed to keep water moving in extreme cold. Water freezes instead. Pipes burst. And the outflow can wreak havoc. Waking up to a sudden snow day in Greater Victoria can feel like an adventure. But excitement turns to panic if your home has no heat or water. We heard from owners and property managers distressed over safetysystem failures. Supporting long-standing clients and first-time callers in a speedy fashion, Western Canada Security officers stood fire-watch over tens of thousands of residents: in Sooke and Sydney, in Victoria and the Westshore.
All over the region, people cancelled plans and work shifts. Public buses were out of commission, and traffic tangles made streets hazardous. Our region’s drivers tend to use summer tires year round and (just as dangerously) have little experience with snowy, icy roads. To make sure guards arrived for duty on time, dispatchers deployed our entire fleet of patrol vehicles. Drivers travelled to team members’ homes for pick-ups and drop-offs. Along the way, they dropped off warning signs and supplied equipment to officers for clearing sidewalks and spreading salt. Heaters and hot drinks were delivered to officers standing watch with holstered air-horns, needed to reassure people and alert them of danger in place of electronic alarms.
Across all levels of the company, our team stepped up by taking on overtime, overnight, and unusual shifts. We thank them all for their courage, fortitude, and good humour. Their dedication to public safety was so appreciated, by company leadership and by our valued clients as well.