It’s a bit odd wondering how people “see” security. Do criminals case homes and businesses? Television shows and movies would like to have us think so, and studies done by police have reported that a protected home tends to be bypassed by burglars in favor of a more vulnerable home (lights not on, no security sign in the yard, tall bushes where someone breaking in could hide).

Conversely, here at H&S, we’ve found that security cameras provide a visual assurance to our customers. They like being able to “see” the cameras and know their premises are protected, capturing activity that can be played back on their phones or computer screens.

The tangible feeling of security drives many customers to seek a camera solution. People gravitate to visualizing. Cameras provide liability protection.

They are also important for general surveillance. You never know when something might occur near your home or business, and you can help law enforcement keep your neighborhood safer by providing them with clips of suspicious activity.

Liability protection is a BIG issue for business. False workmen’s compensation claims, for example, can be addressed through video clips. The bigger your business, the greater the possibility you could face that risk.

We’ve found in discussions with customers that they often sell themselves on our cameras. They SEE the clarity and coverage, and while no one wants to face a compensation claim, if it does happen, you’ll be glad you have cameras strategically in place.

Give us a call to check on H&S’s camera capabilities in central Wisconsin at 715.344.0727 or southeast Wisconsin at 262.574.7777.

Like other industries, the electronic security business changes to keep pace with technology. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes gradually. What does this mean for our customers?

Whether you are looking for a security system or already do business with H&S Protection, you might know just from looking around at retail establishments or manufacturing facilities that the use of cameras is on the rise. One major variable driving this growth is the ease of viewing  cameras remotely.

Managers wanting to keep a closer eye on security concerns or their processes can  quickly and easily see video footage from home or from their phone.  Ten years ago, quick video access through the internet was not so easy.

A second change is that technology is both easier to use and install. This holds advantages for you to consider when assessing whether you want to employ some form of security system. When you know your staff can learn  and utilize a system quickly and with minimal training, that makes a big difference. H&S is here to help you with that process.

Finally, training itself has changed and continues to evolve.   With our new hands-on training station in Pewaukee , WI, we can now work with customers remotely to explain how to more effectively work with the technology we install.

H&S is here for you. Reach us in Stevens Point at 715.344.0727 or Pewaukee at 262.574.7777.

We knew it had to come. It happens with everyone at some point: time to hang up the spikes and see what comes next in life after a long and successful career. We bid goodbye to Lonnie Miescke a couple of weeks back after a 22-year career with H&S Protection that started with her working at Sentra Protection Systems before the company merged with Horgan Sales and Service to become H&S.

She had a great run with us. Many ups. Many laughs. She’s earned her retirement, her time to enjoy the next step in life. As owners, we’re  thankful to have had Lonnie on board. She was a rock in our Pewaukee office, always caring for customers, joking around with employees and those who came through our doors. She was an integral  part of our company.

We didn’t send her off empty handed at her retirement party. There were many gifts – some funny, others heartfelt. There was a stuffed pheasant in Mike Solomon’s office that she became quite good friends with, petting  it when she stopped by. After many indications she wanted the pheasant, we felt it only appropriate she got to take  her feathered friend  as a reminder of the fun days she had with us.

We saved a Packers doll for her as well, one of those bad luck charms that we hope transforms with Lonnie’s magic touch to become a good luck charm for the Packers in the years ahead. She also received a nice caricature with some of her amusing sayings engraved. We put together a memory box for her, and personal notes from all our employees. Our Stevens Point Office gifted her a camping care basket.

Her retirement party garnered quite the turnout, with over 30 current and former employees attending, along with significant others, as well as others she touched with her unique style. We held the event at Albanese’s Roadhouse, an H&S customer in Waukesha.

H&S will miss Lonnie’s smiling face. We already do. When you entered our Pewaukee office, you knew you’d be greeted with a smile. That meant a lot to us and to our customers. Thank you, Lonnie.

Mike Horgan and Steve Garritson

H&S Protection Co-Owners

Think about this: having a system to train your security team remotely, giving access to all the functions necessary to bone-up on newer technologies. H&S Protection has that system, and it benefits our customers AND staff.

Any good training system should help your people get better at their jobs. Simple concept. In turn, as employees improve, their ability to design new systems, install them expertly, troubleshoot, and cleanup any issues  benefits the end user – you, the customer. You get a system that operates more consistently and effectively.

We’ve been slowly building our in-house training capabilities the past several years at our Pewaukee  WI office. If we were to wrap up what our training system can do, we’d say: Demo This! We can demonstrate how technologies work  and experiment with them — giving our staff a much greater degree of comfort in working with customers as the world of security technology rapidly evolves.

For example, we can demonstrate five different types of Video Management Software (VMS). In the training area, our new technicians do their programming, getting the touch and feel of these systems. They can work by themselves or with a senior member of our team one-on-one. They can work from home and access the training as well. That allows for self-training. Sometimes we’ll even find a member of our sales team taking the reins to improve their knowledge.

From the field, our team can remotely dial into site cameras through alarm.com. We might have a team member up in Grafton, and they can unlock a door in Pewaukee. They can access the customer system and sometimes work through problems remotely.

For our smart home devices in alarm.com, we teach team members how to install before they head to the field. We also bring customers in for demonstrations so they can look and feel how to operate the systems and compare one to another. That’s a big advantage we offer customers! It’s a clear side-by-side comparison, letting the customer determine their preference by seeing how the system works. This gives customers an instantaneous feel for access control/video.

Our training demonstration area started out as a traveling board, and just got bigger and bigger. As Covid hit in 2020, we found we could add more products, and we now have a cloud-based access system set up in Waukesha to show all the functions available.

Another benefit this provides the customers of H&S is when we introduce a new product to the market. We learn and master the product from the vendor before introducing it to customers.

Our training area is an investment in our people, products and technology. It’s another tool we believe helps us perform better, and, quite frankly, we’ve found it’s a morale builder as our team learns together, figures out how to solve a problem, and sometimes even have a little healthy competition. An engaged workforce makes for a healthy and productive workplace, we believe.

We all know there are some people who don’t like change. We get it. They don’t want new technology. “Just give me what I always had. I know how to use it,” seems to be the refrain. But, with our demo area, we are able to change some of that perspective. We “show” them what we can do. We demonstrate how easy the functions can be. They get excited. We deliver buy-in. Our sales, technician/installation and customer service staff have found that excitement and we hope to have many more opportunities for customers to join in that excitement.

Moving from a big box hardware store to H&S Protection, Alicia Jensen was able to build on her experience to help her in a new role as Administrative Assistant in H&S’s Stevens Point, WI office. Alicia joined H&S in August of 2020 after 25-and-a-half years with the big box retailer, serving in the Flooring  and Electrical Departments.