Over the years, we’ve been a proud member of the Wisconsin  Security Association (WISA). There are many reasons for this. Because our industry is made of many small businesses such as ours, it’s important to set high standards to follow and ensure consistency. WISA passes down that type of information to its membership and helps us improve over the long run.

For example, classes to certify our technicians in the next best available practices are held annually. We regularly send out technicians to these sessions. We want to ensure the work we provide our customers is the best possible, and our people are up-to-date and properly trained in these procedures. That benefits H&S customers in every installation. Mistakes are minimized. Overall quality improves.

We actively participate in our WISA membership, going to meetings, making submissions to their annual awards program and volunteering in leadership positions. What does that mean to our customers? Again, it demonstrates our commitment to the association which lets you know that we care. It’s important for us to not only do business the right way, but also to help influence best business practices in the state of Wisconsin. That’s our commitment to you.

Sometimes it’s just about fun. We all need to take a breather now and then. We’ll send a team to the WISA annual golf tournament, for example. Yes, we play bad golf. But the day is also about camaraderie and friendship, and over the years at the annual WISA golf tournament, we’ve learned lessons to help better serve you. Sometimes the newest idea comes during a conversation on the golf course or afterwards in the clubhouse catching up with a colleague.

Our WISA membership means a lot to us. It should mean a lot to you as well. We’re better because of it.

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Dave Kwasinski recently received a referral from an existing customer of H&S, who was building a new home. He had the blueprints. He didn’t know much else. He walked in the door, not knowing the homeowners were hearing impaired.

Dave, a Security Consultant in our Pewaukee, WI office, was taken aback. He didn’t know what to do. What happens when the alarm goes off? How do you design a solution for a hearing-impaired family? When the alarm goes off, there’s a challenge – how will I make sure they are notified effectively, safely and efficiently?

Dave dug in. He worked on a security system based on the blueprints he was provided. He worked with electricians on a few wire runs in new house. He researched. He knew this: When the alarm went off, the homeowners wouldn’t hear the siren.

What to do? Designing a device for a hearing-impaired family was the solution. But how to go about that? Dave didn’t know. He thought of how a clock could vibrate a bed. Perhaps alert the family in a novel way.

He sat down with our partners at Alarm.com. They have multiple products and services to deal with fires, floods, break-ins, sound, lamp modules. They must have something to turn on and vibrate a bed, right?

Maybe not. Dave explored options with a manufacturer of equipment that provides a product line specifically designed for hearing impaired people and together with Alarm.com, came up with a solution: A bed vibrating device that would trigger when the alarm system went off due to an intrusion or a fire; including wireless strobe lights in the bedroom and living room. This would wake the homeowners. Sounds kinda simple, but it took a lot of exploration, discussion and innovative thinking.

“It was a learning curve for us. We spent a lot of time on it. It took multiple trips to troubleshoot different solutions. Now someone who is hearing impaired can be safer in their home, knowing that we have designed a system that would work specifically for them to help them get a better night’s rest” Kwasinski explained.

“It’s pretty neat. It was quite a learning curve but an amazing experience,” he said.

Now, the family has a health and well-being system, and will be notified even if they are sleeping. “They were very appreciative of it,” Dave observed.

H&S is a custom security company. We offer solutions using all our tools.

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A special message from H&S Protection Co-Owners Steve Garritson and Mike Horgan:

The current chaotic climate with the coronavirus worries all business owners, including us here at H&S Protection. What you SHOULDN’T worry about is whether our security systems are protecting your premises. Our technology and service commitment to you will never waver during this extended disruption to our routines. We will be there for you.

That’s why homes and businesses put in security systems, whether access control, cameras or an alarm system – to protect the premises while they are away (and even when you are there). If your business has had to close due to the coronavirus, our system continues to give you a peace-of-mind solution so you know what is going on when you’re not there. We offer the ability for you to monitor through your smart phone. Our monitoring service can cover you for your fire or burglar alarm.

Though we too are constrained in the current working environment, our doors aren’t closed. We remain available to take your calls, especially in emergencies. We recognize these are uncertain times and some businesses may not want anyone from the outside into their facility, home or building. We will work with you to address any operational issues in these situations over the phone or remotely, as necessary, or by developing a schedule that gives you the protection you seek for your team as our technicians work to resolve any issues.

We also would like to assure all our customers that we are taking all the recommended precautions by our state and federal officials: keeping a proper distance; regular hand washing; mandating employees stay home if any symptoms of the virus emerge; self-isolating if they know they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive; cleaning the surfaces regularly both at our two offices and when we are onsite for a job.

During this cautious period we’ve entered, we pledge to remain available to address any of your concerns. We have our sales staff taking new training to be better prepared to serve you in the months ahead. We have staff working from home to ensure social distance. We have webinars set up for our employees to learn more about the products and services we offer you. All of these help us better serve you.

We will not waiver in our customer support. We will help remotely, as necessary, work onsite. We WILL continue to provide you the service you’ve come to regularly expect from H&S Protection.

H&S Protection doesn’t install your father’s security system anymore. While the wireless/cell aspect of today’s  systems is important, the main emphasis behind “not your father’s security system” is that they do so much more today than they did even 10 years ago, much less 25 years ago. And those changes are designed to provide customer convenience and options.

Wired systems reliant on your home landline telephone are more and more a thing of the past. Wireless connectivity is the next generation. It’s the here and now, and where the electronic security industry is headed in terms of the products and services we offer our customers. At a recent  home show in Stevens Point, H&S Sales Consultant David Horgan spoke to an audience on this changing environment, the pluses for our customers (by eliminating a land line, you can save on that monthly bill), and the other new options we provide our customers.

Working with Alarm.com, H&S provides a host of services through your smart phone. The goal is to integrate your security system with home automation. A “one-stop app” is another way to look at this. You have all the functions necessary through Alarm.com.

That means through your phone you get interactive security, video monitoring (just  open the app to view  clips), energy management (set your thermostat), or even automation (put your lighting on a timer). Each of these, and more, are designed to provide our customers convenience, protection, savings (better home or business energy management) and peace of mind (Oh, it’s a security system too!)

Gaining greater awareness and control over  home devices provides our customers convenience and security. They can make the changes they want when they want. Staying abreast with technology is why we’re no longer your father’s security system. We’re embracing the next generation.