#perimeter alarm
Smart security systems.
Back then, in 1995, such objects did not happen often.
A very rich company at that time and well-known throughout the country.
And the facility is not just any office, but a whole base with an area of 2.5 hectares. And we were just starting our activity in the market.
More than 13 years have passed, and this facility remains one of the most beloved, because it was at the very beginning of our active activity in the market that we clearly saw what security systems are, what security service chiefs are, what security contingents are, what security concepts are, what response schemes are.
And if all of the above is at the highest level, then the technical system, built with the real interest and direct participation of the customer himself, starting from the tender and selection of the contractor to the constructive discussion of all working moments, somehow organically fits into this structure of relationships and is a truly effective tool, despite the apparent simplicity of execution.
Perhaps that is why we are now often skeptical about all sorts of “highly intelligent hardware” offered by the market, completely torn away from the “earth”, because back then we saw what a system made intelligently should and could be.
In contrast to today’s calls to minimize the human factor in security systems, that system was diametrically opposed – the human factor was at the forefront. Starting with the head of the security service of this entire large company.
I always remember this person with the best feelings. Even his mere appearance somehow filled the entire atmosphere around him with calm and a desire to think.
His appearance was incredibly far from the poster image of a “security bearer” with a stern expression of extreme concern on his face and eyes “the color of tired steel.”
A completely open look and a good-natured smile – that's how I remember him. And yet he was a professional, albeit retired, of a very high level – a former (although, they say, such people are never former) senior officer of the 9th Directorate of the KGB, which was engaged in the protection of the top officials of the state.
And Fyodor Mikhailovich (I have changed his name, of course) was no more no less than the head of security for one of those 22-24 people (the number fluctuated at different times), whose portraits were hung in all party structures right behind the portrait of the general secretary, and at festive demonstrations they decorated the stands.
These were not State Duma deputies, not members of the Council of Ministers. These were apostles.
And Fyodor Mikhailovich was, accordingly, a super-professional, included, as they would say now, in the rating of the first 25 similar super-professionals of the country.
This was the main human factor in this security system.
People were recruited for the security exclusively from the reserve book, specially started for recruiting personnel in the security service itself, in which each of its employees could enter someone for whom he was personally ready to vouch. When vacancies arose, new people were recruited exclusively from the reserve book. But under the personal responsibility of the one who recommended the new employee.
The security guards' salaries were quite decent at that time, which allowed them to form a truly unique contingent of this very security – almost all of its rank-and-file employees were not only people with higher education, many had academic degrees. And so they served – they were on duty at the facility for three days on and three days off, providing for the material side of life, and in between shifts they continued to advance domestic science, which at that time could not provide them with the necessary material support. At the same time, they all underwent special training and were licensed security guards.
There was also a dog handler on staff.
And service dogs in specially built enclosures.
These dogs were mainly acquired by Fyodor Mikhailovich himself. In particular, he visited all the border units within reasonable reach.
A dog is written off from the border service at the age of about 7 years. Meanwhile, this is a well-trained dog that will live for another five years.
At a base like this, she won't have to endure the physical strain of being on the border: the entire territory entrusted to them is 2.5 hectares. And, in addition, there were dogs bought from not entirely diligent owners – those whose special training of dogs, due to the negligence of the owners, turned out to be the cause of conflicts with the law.
Thus, the dog's life was saved, and conflicts were removed.
These dogs, in my opinion, understood human speech, but obeyed only the security personnel directly.
Looking ahead, I will say that already during our installation work at the site, someone forgot to close the enclosure.
Our installer instantly found himself on the roof of a truck standing under unloading.
He himself did not know how he managed to climb up there, but in order to get back down, he had to carry a huge ladder specially.
It was the security personnel who became my loophole into this site – my childhood friend worked in security – a candidate of technical sciences, who at that time also held the post of head of a sector of a closed research institute.
So he agreed to report to the base director that there was a company that was offering to equip the facility with a video surveillance system and whose representative was asking for a personal meeting in order to introduce himself personally, introduce the company, and express his thoughts on possible equipment. The video was just starting up then, and the base director, and the entire company, according to the information received from my man, always strove to be in the most advanced positions, so my chances were good.
And such a meeting was appointed to me.
We parted after this first meeting, in my opinion, pleased with each other, which added to my confidence in the success of the plan. I was promised that our proposal would be reported to the deputy head of the security service for technical equipment in the very near future and the next meeting would take place with his direct participation.
Back then, we weren't too lazy to carry whole boxes of all kinds of equipment with us to the sites for the first meeting with the customer – firstly, to demonstrate to the customer all the wonders of the new technology, and secondly, so that the customer could be convinced that we really have the equipment we offer him, and he wouldn't have to wait for months for something that exists on the Russian market exclusively in catalogs.
We arrived at this second meeting, loaded to the brim with boxes of cameras, a monitor, a quadrator, and coils of extension cords. Everything was new, so the security room where the meeting was held was full – everyone who could tear themselves away from their official business was there. Well, we were “on stage” with no right to make a mistake.
As already noted, the security contingent consisted mainly of people with higher technical education, many with degrees, so no “noodles on the ears” would have passed.
Everything worked out, and we were offered to prepare the technical specifications, calculations and contract. It was practically a victory to take on such an object. We returned to our company, feeling like real winners.
But everything would have been too simple if that had been all. Fortunately, I had my own person in security, from whom I continued to receive current information on the state of affairs.
And a couple of days later he told me some disturbing news – it turns out that there is a company “A” (we have maintained the friendliest relations with this company throughout all the years that we have been on the market, despite the events described, so I will not indicate its name), which installed video intercoms in the office of the customer company.
And it was the deputy head of the Security Service for technical equipment who came forward to the management with the initiative to entrust them with equipping the base.
That's it!
We came forward with the initiative, held a presentation of the equipment, and others will ride to heaven on our shoulders?
And there were those in our ranks who refused to actively fight for the order, so as not to suddenly spoil relations with a friendly company.
But I did not plan to hand over, even to friendly hands, the result of my own labor of painstakingly going to the site. I went again to the director of the base, who impressed me as a person with whom one can be extremely frank. The information about the initiative of the deputy for technology was confirmed.
His own position completely coincided with ours, but he does not participate in the solution of this issue in any way – this matter is exclusively within the competence of the security service, over which only the general director is.
But he is out of our reach in principle, but he can provide the security chief's office phone number, especially since it is not a secret. Well, we have nothing to lose anyway, so it is definitely worth trying to jump over the deputy's head and go straight to the top.
I prepared for this phone call separately.
Again I started making inquiries through my man. I even asked whether such patronage on the part of the deputy head could be his material interest in the agreement with firm “A”? As he answered me, such a thing is excluded in principle in their firm – the entire potential possible amount of the contract will be significantly less than that for which a sensible person would take such risks. This was encouraging. And even more encouraging was the personal characteristics of Fyodor Mikhailovich given by my friend.
Having thought over the main points of my conversation, possible answers to possible questions, having sketched out a plan of my speech in a notebook, I called.
I assumed his arguments, like, they had already dealt with that company.
But we had also dealt with them and could well compete with them at least on equal terms.
Knowing that it was we who came to this site, knowing that we had already demonstrated the equipment at the site, our partner-competitor kindly promised that all the outdoor cameras that they would install would be of our production.
No way, since they agreed in principle to take the site away from us, we will compete to the fullest extent – we will fight for the entire site!
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