Neil Ricketts

Trigion Security, the specialist security solution arm of Facilicom UK, is delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Grist as its new Security Director. He assumes responsibilities on 16th July 2018 and will succeed Neil Ricketts. Grist brings many years’ experience and knowledge to his new role and will be responsible for sales, marketing and strategy. He will be supported on Electronic Security by Dave Bonci; and on Manned Security by Sean Titheridge, who also joined Trigion earlier this month. Contributing To The Growth Of Security Division Grist comments, “I am very much looking forward to building upon Trigion’s good name to further strengthen and develop the company’s presence throughout the UK.”  Jan-Hein Hemke, Managing Director of Facilicom UK, comments, “We look forward to welcoming Paul Grist to the team. I am confident that his experience and skills will contribute to the continued growth of our security division over the months and years to come.” Grist joins Trigion from Insafe International where he was Head of Electronic Systems. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of Swift Alarms Group.

With the value of scrap metal only heading in one direction recently, dealers are having to turn to ever more advanced security solutions to combat theft and break ins. Security specialist Trigion is now providing high-tech solutions at a major Kent scrap yard in the UK, including the use of thermal cameras and a ‘virtual perimeter’ system. On a site such as a scrap metal yard, there can be a lot of material on view, and it is not always easy to determine exactly what is happening on a standard CCTV camera. Simplifying Intrusion Detection Thermal cameras make it clear where a heat source is and when it moves. They can also display an electronic trail showing where motion has taken place; making detection much easier. In addition, by setting a virtual perimeter on screen, specific areas can be monitored more closely, and an alarm triggered if someone enters it. This perimeter can be altered remotely to meet changing situations, such as the arrival of a greater quantity of metal.With scrap metal prices consistently rising over the past year or two, dealers are increasingly being targeted by unscrupulous elements" Neil Ricketts, Security & Technical Services Director at Trigion, said: “With scrap metal prices consistently rising over the past year or two, dealers are increasingly being targeted by unscrupulous elements intending to cash in. We work with our customers to design the best solution for their individual needs. We’re not tied to any supplier or manufacturer, so can ensure the customer gets what they really need." "In the case of the scrapyard, the thermal imaging gives a much clearer picture of the situation, and staff at our remote monitoring station can ensure the site is secure at all times.”

Trigion Security Services has won the contract to provide security at The Hive in Worcester, a community facility with 10,000m² of public space, which receives around a million visitors a year.  Requiring Specialist Security Neil Ricketts, Security & Technical Services Director at Trigion said: “The Hive describes itself as the first joint public and university library in Europe, but that sells the facility short. It also offers a cafe, exhibition spaces, theater, archive and archeology  service, and landscaped environment, with terraces and gardens, among other things. “Such a varied operation requires specialist security in order to deter those people with less-than community minded activities planned and provide a reassuring, but unobtrusive, presence for everyone else. “Our ability to provide a mixture of electronic security solutions alongside manned security means we are perfectly placed to meet the client’s varied requirements. All our guards are trained in Hostmanship – or the art of making people feel welcome – which is essential in this type of environment.”

Trigion Security’s combined service offer of manned guarding and electronic security is proving popular with customers across different industries, and across the country, as the company announces new business growth of 20 per cent in the second quarter of 2017. Trigion’s tailored solutions – including its own remote security operations centre – mean it is not limited by sector and it has been able to secure contracts with the manufacturing and distribution sector, as well as publishing, food production and construction companies. The development is in line with Trigion’s plan for substantial growth in 2017, and it has won contracts in Bristol, Cambridge, Northampton and Peterborough, as well as in its home county of Kent. Neil Ricketts, Trigion’s Technical Director said, “We have made substantial investments in our commercial department and supporting structure to drive our targeted growth, and are delighted to see this surge in demand. Manned guarding makes up a significant part of these new contracts, and we are expanding our workforce to meet the increased demand. We are also able to complement this solution with our electronic options. We self-design, install, maintain and remotely operate all our systems and are experts at delivering the blended solution of electronic and people power. Our Designed Solution pricing model has also been popular with many of our new clients. By removing the need for Capital Expenditure for the system installation and spreading the costs throughout the length of the contract, we’re able to meet our clients’ needs without them having to use their budget upfront.”

Trigion was on hand to share its security expertise and technology solutions at the launch of the Crimestoppers charity's summer campaign at a conference at Leeds Castle in July. Trigion’s expertise lies in delivering a blended solution of manned guarding and electronic solutions and it had a wide array of equipment and devices on display, including facial recognition and thermal sensing equipment. Solution For All Needs Neil Ricketts, Security & Technical Services Director, explained, “We self-design, install, maintain and remotely operate our systems, meaning we have the solution whether it’s a shopping center, office block or even a castle that needs protection. We’re pleased to have been able to support this important event and share our crime prevention expertise.” More than 50 delegates from the police – headed by Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott – community safety organizations, tourism businesses and local authorities attended the Crimestoppers in Kent conference. The launch was part of continued efforts to help make our communities safer by encouraging more people to speak up and report crime anonymously via Crimestoppers, and to highlight combined crime prevention efforts throughout the summer. At the launch, Crimestoppers in Kent presented three initiatives - the Digital Most Wanted campaign, the Ambassadors Program, and Crimestoppers’ Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking campaign.

Trigion UK has secured a new contract to provide security services to Domino UK—the Cambridge-based industrial equipment supplier—thanks in part to the cleaning services provided by Trigion’s sister company, Facilicom Cleaning. Domino has been using Facilicom Cleaning Services for several years and the hard work and dedication of those operatives was recognized as playing a part in Trigion being able to bid for the security contract. Electronic Security Solution The new three-year contract will see Trigion supply a ‘Designed Security Solution’ which offers the best of security officers and electronic measures to deliver an enhanced service. Neil Ricketts, Trigion Technical Director stated that, “Trigion’s expertise in delivering the blended solution of electronic and people power, and the fact that we self-design, install, maintain and remotely operate our systems was an attractive proposition for this client. This is along with not having to CapEx the system installation costs thanks to Trigion’s Designed Solution pricing model, a winning combination.”

Making the decision between electronic security, manned guarding or a combination of the two has just been made easier thanks to a new streamlined solution introduced by security specialists, Trigion. The company has always offered a technology plus people approach as it feels the combination usually satisfies its clients’ needs most successfully. However, until now they have operated as two services and been managed and invoiced separately. Reducing Capital Expenditure Costs Recognizing that investing in security equipment means high capital expenditure at the outset, Trigion’s new offering combines a technical and manned security solution that spreads the cost over the length of the contract. This means clients benefit from immediate savings from the commencement of the integrated security contract. Unlike standard security contracts which are based on manned guarding hourly rates and equipment costs, the single solution price means that the overall costs are reduced. In one case Trigion estimates it has saved a client over £2m over two years, while still providing 24/7 security coverage. Neil Ricketts, Technical Services Director at Trigion, explained: “While some companies opt to only supply one form of security, we’ve always felt it is best to be able to offer our clients a more joined-up approach, matching the levels of technical security and manned guarding according to their needs.” “The next logical step was to integrate them so that clients really are getting an ‘all in one’ solution, that can protect their premises 24/7, and which they pay less for, with lower upfront costs.”

Trigion’s security solution featured fixed low-light HD cameras, long-range low-light units and ANPR cameras Beaulieu’s world-famous International Autojumble, held in the grounds of the National Motor Museum, in the New Forest National Park, took place in early September under the watchful eyes of security staff from Trigion UK. The Autojumble now hosts around 2,400 stands, spread over 25 acres of Beaulieu’s parkland, in a two-day show which attracts over 39,000 visitors from all over the world. In addition to stands selling all kinds of vintage and classic motoring parts, accessories, literature, tools and clothing, there is an automart with vehicles for sale. Centralized CCTV Control Room Trigion supplied a bespoke security solution for the event. This included creating a centralized CCTV control room so that event security could be coordinated with onsite staff and the local police. The onsite equipment featured a combination of a number of fixed low-light high-definition cameras, combined with long-range low-light units and automatic number place recognition cameras, designed to monitor everything from potential criminal activity to lost children. Large-Scale Security Solutions Neil Ricketts, Technical Services Director at Trigion, said, “Keeping people and property safe at an event of this type, size and scale is a challenge, but we are experienced at providing security solutions for temporary use as well as the longer term. We used electronic security equipment and provided manned guards, meaning the Autojumble was protected by the best of both worlds.” Save

Trigion is working with a number of prestigious theatres across London to provide electronic security solutions Trigion Security Services is working with a number of prestigious theatres across London to provide electronic security solutions that keep staff, patrons and property safe in an unobtrusive manner that doesn’t deflect from the enjoyment of the performance. With large crowds and high profile buildings to protect, the theater owners were looking for a security company that could offer top level support and Trigion fitted the bill. Neil Ricketts, Technical Services Director at Trigion, said: “Theaters offer a number of rare challenges with large groups of people arriving and leaving at the same time, numerous staircases and corridors, as well as the main auditorium to protect. There are also a number of bars and concession stands so we need to be able to keep an eye on the cash being handled. Using a variety of electronic security equipment – operated remotely from our security operations center – we can ensure there is always a high level of security in place, even when the curtain has come down and everyone’s gone home.”

The two-day Heritage Security event included Argus+ anti-terrorism training for the attendees With the summer holidays now well underway, various attractions across the country are enjoying higher numbers of visitors; bringing in important revenue, but also increasing security risks. Trigion Security Services recently hosted the first Heritage Security Forum designed to help owners and managers keep England’s historic buildings safe from modern security threats. Heritage Security Forum Highlights The Forum took place at Leeds Castle in Kent and was attended by representatives of Treasure Houses from across the country. The two-day event – introduced by Leeds Castle Chief Executive, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel KBE DL – included Argus+ anti-terrorism training for the attendees. Neil Ricketts, Technical Security Director at Trigion Security Services, said: “These days the security threats are rather more sophisticated than when castles could be defended with boiling oil and archers. With priceless artwork and antiques to protect from thieves, and the current threat level for international terrorism in the UK assessed as severe by MI5, it is important that iconic buildings, such as the Treasure Houses of England, take all reasonable security precautions to protect their staff, visitors and the buildings themselves.” The Treasure Houses offer a number of challenges for security experts, including maintaining the structural integrity and feel of a building, and managing large crowds at events. Save Save

The building is monitored remotely at Trigion’s security operations center Thanks to the innovative use of technology by Trigion Security Services, a leading insurance company based in the City of London no longer needs manned guards operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The ‘remote reception’ facility operated by Trigion means that while guards continue to work during the day, interacting with staff and visitors, they aren’t required outside office hours. Instead the building is monitored remotely at Trigion’s security operations center. Nominated individuals can still enter the building when they want to thanks to ‘entry call points’, which Trigion uses to visually verify their identity remotely. The result is that guards no longer have to work unsocial hours or attend the building on call with keys to grant access. The ‘remote reception’ also produces savings of around £50,000 a year on guarding costs for the insurance company; after the first year when the costs of the system installation have to be accounted for. Trigion Remote Security Benefits Neil Ricketts, Technical Director (Electronic Security) at Trigion Security explained: “Although the City of London may not be considered a hotbed of crime, there were nearly 6,000 reported incidents in the Square Mile in 2015, and burglaries accounted for 248 of them.” “When you have expensive equipment and more importantly thousands of customers’ sensitive personal data, it is vital that your premises are completely secure. Our innovative ‘people plus technology’ solution means that constant security is maintained in a more cost effective manner.” As well as the direct savings on security, Trigion estimates that there are savings of £13,000 a year on electricity alone now that the building can be unoccupied overnight and at weekends.