Fresno-based AmeriGuard Security Services is still hiring due to increased demand, and also has purchased new security vehicles. Photo by Frank Lopez

The pandemic has made us more aware, through social distancing, face-masks, and hand washing, of public health and safety, but with many “non-essential” businesses closed, and shelter-in-place orders still in effect, concern for security might be on the backburner for most.

While there may be 20.5 million people unemployed due to the spread of Covid-19, security companies are hiring more guards to keep up with security demands.

Allied Universal, one of the leading security companies in North America, announced in April that it would be hiring more than 30,000 security professionals, adding 1,000 to their existing 15,000 workforce in California.

In the Central Valley, business owners that have had to temporarily close their doors don’t want to leave their empty properties vulnerable to break-ins, vandalism or property destruction.

Lawrence Garcia, president and CEO of AmeriGuard Security Services, Inc., a nationwide security contractor headquartered in Fresno, said that the last time he saw such an influx of business was right after 9/11.

“It appears that when people are in panic, scared, or worried, the economy is down, jobs are down, people tend to want to protect what they have,” Garcia said. “Even before the coronavirus, a lot of people own businesses that they would close on a weekend and come back Monday and hope to not have their windows crashed in or computers stolen.”

Business owners normally worry about their shops or industrial warehouses being broken into, and during a time of crisis, Garcia said they turn to security providers to mitigate that fear.

AmeriGuard also provides home security alarm and surveillance systems, and with schools shut down indefinitely, more parents are leaving their children at home alone, some at inappropriate age levels, Garcia said, and checking in them remotely through security cameras.

As the prices for home security and surveillance technology dropped, and it became more convenient, Garcia has really seen an uptick in demand with an even split between residential and commercial services.

Because of the increase in demand for patrolling, Garcia said he has had to buy new security vehicles for his units in Fresno and the other states.

Garcia said that since the shelter in place orders took effect, he is not only hiring in Fresno, but also in the eight other states that AmeriGuard has a presence in.

Garcia said that security officers at AmeriGuard are being asked to wear safety gowns, as well as to take forehead temperatures, ask basic health questions and act as the frontline for businesses.

Security guards are affected by social distance rules as anyone else, Garcia said, but they are in the line of work where they have to come in contact with people that may pose a physical risk.

Many companies now have voice and video security systems at their front doors to screen people at office entrances, and Garcia said that there is also an uptick in that from commercial clients.

“Security is necessary and it is needed now more than before,” Garcia said. “We are providing piece of mind and allowing you to set your alarm at night and be able to make a quick decision while you and your loved ones are at home.”

At DSS Private Security in Fresno, CEO Michael Wirtz said that they saw a slight jump in activity at the beginning of the pandemic due to lots of businesses being shuttered and empty. The company is also continuing its hiring efforts.

However, as many authorized businesses that are still in operation have seen drops in revenue, they are looking to cut costs, and that could include security services.

DSS provides services for event centers, festivals, parties and concerts, but since all large group events are currently banned in the state, that revenue is not streaming.

With more people staying home due to “shelter-in-place” orders, Wirtz said that there has been in an increase in noise complaints and altercations between neighbors where security has to be called out.

Security companies are always trying to stay on the cutting edge of security technology and techniques, and demand for motion sensors, cameras and alarm systems are going up as well,” Wirtz said.

“I think there’s more of call than ever for everybody to be safe and lookout for each other, not leave it to the guards tasked to do so. We should all be aware our surroundings and of each other and the needs of those around us.”

A local company is bringing technology to the forefront of businesses to help ensure the health and safety of its employees and its customers.

OnDisplay is a local software company in Fresno with a focus on advertising. They create digital menu boards, digital kiosks, in-venue displays and video walls, and now SafeScan, a thermal temperature scanner with a digital display to be used in businesses.

Robert Morris, a managing partner at OnDisplay, said that with the nature of the company’s work, they were able to quickly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and design the temperature scanner and finish the coding in about two weeks.

“This is something where we just tweaked our software a little bit — we already had a lot of time spent and a lot of lines of code for face recognition and adding thermal was a no-brainer,” said Morris.

Each one sells for $3,200 and Morris said that he is getting a lot of orders for the SafeScan product. OnDisplay is getting calls from other states for orders.

A customer or worker simply stands in front of the scanners camera, and their temperature is taken to see if it is at a safe level for entry into the establishment.

A number of local restaurants have already purchased the scanner including Yosemite Falls restaurants, Sakura Chaya restaurants, No Surrender Laser Tag and GB3 gyms. More businesses have ordered the product, but Morris said he wants them to be the first to announce it.

All of the code is written by the company’s engineers in Fresno, and it is manufactured by local company Quantum Machining and Design Inc., with services in designing automated machining, metal forming and fabrication, laser cutting, manufacturing, and more.

Morris said that Fresno has been a good testing market for SafeScan, and the company is ready to continue its efforts in going national.

“We invent stuff. We invent tools that businesses use,” Morris said. “I thought, ‘What do businesses need right now, and what’s the challenge ahead of all of us’, and this is only one safety measure. It doesn’t solve all the worlds problems, but it’s a good step, and gives a little piece of mind that someone