Allied Security, Inc. to start work Monday

Allied Security, Inc., the firm the University chose July 27 as the new head of residential security, is preparing itself to officially take over Monday. And the University is expecting a smooth transition. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said yesterday that there will be an "over-scheduling" of security guards next week to facilitate the transition, "to be on the safe side." He added that McGinn Security Services -- which was fired four years before its contract with the University was to expire after several guards were found asleep on the job -- has been "very cooperative" during the transition process. Moneta also said the transition of overseeing campus security from VPUL to the Department of Public Safety, which will continue until December 31, will be "seemless." "Students won't notice the difference," he said. "The level of management change is going to be fairly transparent." Allied, which hires more than 7,000 people nationwide and about 350 in Philadelphia, will be both "hiring and transferring" about 75 guards for the University. "We're looking internally to promote existing employees, and we're also searching fro new employees who meet the qualifications that the University has set forth," said Russ Johnson, regional vice president for the Northeast region of Allied. Depending on the various positions that employees can hold, Johnson said, the University has set specific standards for hiring which Allied must abide by. For entry-level security guards, qualifications must include strong written and verbal communication skills, neat appearance, good telephone and radio skills, a strong customer focus and an ability to exercise sound judgement during an emergency. Supervisors are required to have a post-high school education in addition to several years of security background -- in either police or fire agencies, the military or another professional security firm. According to an Allied brochure, all employees are trained to handle both routine and emergency situations. Allied, whose total 1993 revenue was about $130 million, has 45 offices nationwide spanning four regions. In the Northeast region it serves several other universities, including Chaney University, the University of Pittsburgh Business School, Alleghany County Community College and Caldwell College in New Jersey. The firm claims a 99.975% "reliability rating," meaning that for every 1,000 hours of contracted coverage, only 15 minutes are missed. Johnson said one of the reasons for the company's success is dedication to its clients. "Our customer base goes deeper than who is paying the bill," he said. "At the University of Pennsylvania we feel very strongly that the students are our customers, as well as the administration, the faculty and visitors." According to the Pittsburgh branch of the Better Business Bureau, Allied has never had any complaints filed against it. Johnson, who said he knew very little about McGinn, said that because of Allied's check-in procedures and a supervision system he does not foresee any problems with sleeping guards. "Certainly security officers sleeping on post is unacceptable to us, and its certainly unacceptable to?the University," he said. "I think that the way the security force is going to be structured the likelihood of that happening is going to be very minimal if not non-existent." Allied was chosen from a pool of 14 candidates who were evaluated and rated by a special residential security team, headed by Assistant to the Deputy Vice Provost Carolynne Martin. The company signed a two-year contract with the University. Moneta said the Allied team is eager to start work at the University. "They seem to be very interested in getting off on the right foot," he said.

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