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Virtual Guard Services Video Surveillance Access Control |
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SARASOTA - A new high has been reached in number of employees at a specialized security company that protects gated communities. There's a new record, also, in how many pools it guards.
"We started out with five employees," said Tom Swain, vice president of Envera Systems (www.enverasystems.com). "Now we have more than 40," the most in the company's history.
Most of these employees are certified operators at a central station in Sarasota, FL, who greet guests and residents at the front gate of communities via a PA system, and verify their identity through live cameras before granting or denying entry.
Envera Systems also monitors the pool areas and clubhouses of communities after hours when sensors go on, catching vandals in the act. This security feature has driven Envera's rapid growth, allowing it to reach a record 50 community pools this month.
"We are going live with the 50th project -- Spring Lake Village -- next week," said Tori Piltz, central station manager at Envera Systems. The sensors will help stop vandalism overnight by the pool area at Spring Lake Village by instantly alerting Envera's virtual, or electronic, guards when intruders are present.
"We let trespassers know they must leave or police will be called," Swain said.
The virtual guards communicate with potential vandals via a PA system, rather than in person, avoiding liability. They are believable because they can identify the intruders by what they're wearing through live cameras, and once they tell intruders how they are garbed, trespassers usually take off.
Many communities throughout Florida rely on Envera to guard their amenities and also to keep residents safe.
The system archives video images of the driver's face and tag in a secured database, along with details of how long their stay was and when it took place. These files can be brought up at any time.
According to Piltz, Envera currently protects the gated entrance of 19 subdivisions, and that number will rise to 21 in the next 60 days.
Some communities choose to replace their guards with Envera's virtual guards all together.
"Whether you have a community of 2,000 homes or 400 homes, you're still paying $130,000 to $150,000 for guards," said Swain. "We can scale that amount down based on the amount of traffic we think the subdivision is going to get."
Residents can use Envera's Web site to list regular visitors or add temporary ones. A phone call by the homeowner can also grant quick access to someone, such as a food delivery person.
Envera Systems' telephone number is 877-936-8372. Their Web site is www.EnveraSystems.com, e-mail is info@enverasystems.com.
