This article originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of Security Business magazine. Don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter if you share it.
Every year, Security Business honors and recognizes a handful of the many integrators who are dedicated to giving back to their communities and supporting local and national charitable organizations. That said, there are hundreds upon hundreds more acts of kindness and charity that go unreported. Our hope is that this annual article will continue to inspire more security companies to consider the importance of community and charitable efforts as part of their missions. Here’s how security gave back in 2024:
American Digital Security (ADS) gave back to the community through various charitable efforts and service involvement. The company contribued to organizations like Giving the Basics, which provides essential hygiene products to those in need; the Heart of America Patriot Foundation, assisting veterans and their families; and Embrace, a group focused on supporting the vulnerable. Beyond monetary contributions, ADS encourages employee involvement in community service, whether by sponsoring events like the Hillcrest Hope Giving Thanks 5K, or participating in initiatives that promote safety and security for local nonprofits. Their sponsorship of events like the American Digital Security and SourceIT Golf Classic demonstrates their commitment to both client engagement and charitable support, as proceeds from these events benefit local charities.
According to Dan Boyd, President of Boyd & Associates, “We believe that security goes beyond protecting homes and businesses – it is about fostering a sense of community and giving back to the neighborhoods we serve.” This year, the company made a meaningful impact across Southern California, including support for: St. Mary Magdalen School’s golf tournament and Pennies From Heaven fundraiser; the Monsignor Hughes Classic Golf Tournament; the Oxnard Police Department’s breast cancer awareness campaign; the Lady Classic Golf Tournament; Boys & Girls Club Schools for Success Program, Boy Scouts of America’s Annual Shoot Out; Big Brothers Big Sisters Golf Tournament; the City of Ventura’s 4th of July Parade; Casa Pacifica’s Wine, Food & Brew Festival; Catholic Charities Las Rosas Gala; Spark of Love Food & Gift Donation; the Ventura County Sheriff's K9 Foundation Golf Tournament; and more.
Brady Integrated Security has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for more than eight years, assisting in making affordable homeownership a reality for local families in need. As a veteran founded and veteran focused company, Brady has also strengthened its partnership with the 3rd Special Forces Group Warrior Fund. Brady has also continued to aid other organizations such as Camp Carefree and the Tanger Center for Performing Arts.
This year, Chimera Integrations strengthened its commitment to community by supporting the United Way through service, fundraising, and volunteer work. Company President Casey White serves on the United Way’s board, helping to guide its impactful programs. The company hosted a charity raffle for United Way and team members joined the United Way’s Day of Caring, working together to clean up a local Syracuse property. “Experiences like these remind us that we’re part of something larger, contributing to the community we call home,” White says.
During its 23rd annual Social Responsibility Day, nearly 10,000 Convergint global colleagues spent a full workday giving back to their local communities – volunteering at food pantries, completing beautification projects at local parks, and more. As a result of their efforts, more than $3 million in payroll and more than $500,000 in labor and equipment was donated by Convergint colleagues, partners, and families. Convergint also completed its largest STEP Up project to date, providing free interior and exterior security system installations (including cybersecurity and fire systems), to the Douglas County School District in Castle Rock, Colo., as well as additional schools around the world – all at no cost to the schools. With a mission to further its social responsibility efforts and support not-for-profit entities, Convergint donated state-of-the-art security systems to two of our nation’s critical landmarks – for the National Park Service at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and at the Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. Most recently, Convergint held its Leaders Meeting in Las Vegas, where colleagues raised more than $55,000 for the Convergint Cares Foundation, the Ken LaChance Colleague Emergency Fund, and Convergint Women Connect’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser.
CPI Security proudly gave back to nearly 100 charities in 2024, such as St. Jude, JDRF, Victory Junction, and several area police foundations. In addition to monetary donations, CPI involves its employees in volunteerism throughout the year. CPI employees packed hundreds of craft kits for children who were too ill to attend summer camp; the company held a back-to-school supply drive where thousands of supplies were donated to local charities; and during the holidays, employees raised money and shopped for children who may not have received gifts otherwise. Most notably, CPI stepped up to help its employees, customers, and neighbors after the devastating Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina – including a pledge to invest $1 million in hurricane relief efforts and sending weekly crews of employees to help with relief at customer and employee homes.
In 2024, Custom Alarm continued its tradition of volunteering and charitable giving, keeping its adopt-a-highway location clean, and upporting local law enforcement and first responders through participation in Safe City Nights and our “Month of Thanks” initiative every November. The company is also heavily involved in Night to Unite, where it provides sponsorships, donates to local neighborhood parties, and attends various gatherings. Employees take pride in cooking and serving meals to families at the local Jeremiah Program and Ronald McDonald House. They also supported the Adopt-a-Family program during the holidays, where employees give back to local children battling cancer. In all, the company contributed more than 450 hours of volunteer work, supporting more than 15 organizations in and around its community.
For the past seven years, Doyle Security COO Kevin and his family have traveled to the Dominican Republic with one of his daughter’s softball teams to volunteer and give back to the local community. This year, their efforts went even further to support the town of Bani, enhancing their security by installing 12 video surveillance cameras, two monitors, and an NVR – many of which Kevin installed himself. They also supported a local nutrition center by helping to install and maintain a water system that now generates income for the community. Recognizing that girls and softball are often overlooked in the Dominican Republic, where the focus is primarily on boys and baseball, Kevin and his team organized clinics to empower young girls interested in softball. They also donated an impressive 7,000 pounds of collected sports equipment.
Everon believes in “being the difference” by giving back to local communities and those who serve our country. Employees packed care packages through Soldier’s Angels, filling 1,011 care packages with snacks and toiletry items. Assuming one care package impacts 10 soldiers, it made a small difference in the lives of around 10,110 deployed soldiers. Additionally, by dedicating time to giving back at its biggest meeting of the year, with top leaders from across the organization, we empowered and inspired individuals to foster this culture within their respective teams. What followed was a series of community service events across the organization.
The dedication of the First Response Security team and their families was instrumental in making a life-saving blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross a resounding success. This year’s event was particularly noteworthy, with 95% of donors being first- timers. The company not only hit its goal for the number of appointments, but also exceeded its target for units collected, achieving an impressive 138% of its goal.
Guardian Protection employees helped raise $5,460 for UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and have raised more than $20,000 for the hospital since the company effort began in 2019. Additionally, employees raised $1,800 to cover the cost of a new adaptive bike for four-year old Michael Mackie, son of 25-year Guardian employee Patrick Mackie. Michael, who has disabilities, will now be able to know what it feels like to ride, thanks to the adaptive bike which was purchased through Variety the Children’s Charity. This marked the seventh Great Guardian Bike Giveaway underwritten by employees, who to date have raised $24,600.
This year, the team at Holmes Security Systems gave every customer they saw a free first aid kit and a can of the new First Alert EZ Fire Spray, leading up to the company’s Security Gives Back Day on June 7. “Our customers appreciated this small gesture, and it was an easy way to help reinforce our passion for life safety and security within our community,” says Lynnie Guzman, Director of Sales & Marketing. After the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, Holmes employees made water deliveries from its Fayetteville, N.C. offics to fellow security companies Fleenor Security Systems and Southern Alarm – knowing they were closer to the impacted areas and equipped to help deploy the water to those in need.
Integrated Protection Services’ “IPS Gives Back” efforts included a toy drive for Dayton Children’s Hospital, where the Child Life team uses these items for birthday presents, end-of-treatment gifts, distractions tools and to stock play and waiting areas. IPS also particiapted in the #ClearTheList fund drive for back to school 2024m ciluding more than $500 in team member donations that allowed the company to donate supplies from Amazon wish lists to 11 different teachers in various regional markets that it serves.
In June 2024, Johnson Controls held its first-ever Global Volunteer Month, focused on creating healthier, smarter and more sustainable communities through volunteerism. The company challenged employees to complete 10,000 volunteer hours during the month-long campaign, and more than 2,400 employees across 34 countries stepped up to make a difference. Together, they recorded an impressive 21,217 total volunteer hours. Through its global volunteer program, Johnson Controls also makes a donation on behalf of employees when they volunteer.
The Kern Group discounted the design, installation and monitoring of a school lockdown alert system for Concordia Lutheran School of Peoria IL. The system is designed to audibly and visually alert all building occupants of both soft and hard lockdown events. Each facility/staff member is equipped with a wireless panic button that can activate the alert. In past years, Kern Group has provided no charge Axis video surveillance and access control systems to the school.
According to Kimberlite/Sonitrol President and CEO Joey Rao-Russell, “We sponsor a lot of things through out the year but my favorite is always when we sponsor a Pre-k classroom as Mr. & Mrs. Soniclaus. We sponsored 67 kids who may not have had a Christmas otherwise.” Employees also participated in trunk or treat events this year, where they dressed up to hand out candy for a safe Halloween. The company also sponsored a golf tournament to raise money for the families of fallen officers.
Over 26 years of support, LVC Companies has donated more than $600,000 to support Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) across multiple states. The funds help the organization provide lodging, meals, and more to families with seriously ill children seeking medical care away from home. LVC also supports the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, Angel Fund, Tee It Up For The Troops, multiple other charities benefiting armed forces, veterans, and first responders. LVC financially supports and participates in local chambers, trade associations, and other business groups, and it also supports educational programs like the Minnesota and Wisconsin Joint Apprenticeship Training Courses (JATC), a joint venture between the IBEW union and the National Electrical Contractors Association that provides workers with debt-free education covering security, life safety, and communications technical training while providing full-time employment.
As part of a commitment to giving back, Pavion proudly participated in two significant initiatives this fall to support vital causes. At the end of September, the company joined Cycle for the Cause, partnering with Blackstone for the annual three-day, 275-mile bike ride from Boston to New York to raise funds and awareness to help end AIDS. Four dedicated Pavion cyclists – Steve Fazio, Will Seifert, Lewis Strange, and Cicily Wright – took on the incredible ride with enthusiasm and resilience. The company also organized its “Pavion Goes Pink” program in October, rallying its team for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The company-wide initiative raised funds to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, supporting research, awareness, and resources for those impacted by breast cancer.
In July, Per Mar Security Services raised funds to donate 6,500 meals to the River Bend Food Bank, supporting families and individuals in need. River Bend fights hunger by rescuing, safely storing, and distributing nutritious food through more than 400 hunger-relief partners in 23 counties in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
In 2024, Preferred Technologies (Pref-Tech) made significant contributions to the community through various charitable initiatives, including: Montgomery ISD's Back to School Bash, providing 150 backpacks with supplies and volunteering at the event; the CenterPoint Energy BBQ Cook-Off, serving meals to more than 700 attendees and raising funds for the Don D. Jordan Scholarship Fund.; the Break A Clay for Candlelighters and Pull Together for Security BBQ and Clay Shooting events to support families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Locally, Pref-Tech organized a blanket and jacket drive for the homeless in August and an employee toy drive in November.
This year across the nation, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety teams rallied to volunteer time and resources to support their communities through hurricane and storm relief, care kits for local firefighter departments, holiday toy drives and other local programs. This year, Pye-Barker also dedicated support to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and to the Wounded Warrior Project.
This holiday season SAGE Integration was honored to join the Love Thy Neighbor Mission Group for the third year, helping brighten the holidays for two local families. Throughout the year, the company also engaged in the SIA WISF CAN DO Challenge, contributed backpacks and school essentials to Title 1 schools across Ohio, Texas, and Georgia through Mission 500, and supported Dress for Success by providing professional attire and resources to empower women in the workforce. SAGE's supports the mission of K9s for Heroes through fundraising; and early childhood literacy with Akron Children's Hospital's Reach Out & Read program by donating new and gently used books for young children.
Securitas Technology partnered with K9s United during the Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2024 in Septemberm making a significant charitable contribution to bolster K9s United’s mission of providing essential training, equipment, and resources to support law enforcement canines. Throughout GSX 2024, Securitas Technology donated for every visitor badge scanned at its booth, successfully engaging clients and attendees while making a meaningful contribution. “These remarkable animals and their handlers are on the frontlines of keeping our communities safe, and we are proud to support their ongoing efforts through this donation,” said Tony Byerly, Global President & CEO of Securitas Technology.
Team Silent Guard and sister company Team Davis HVAC Experts were honored to play a small role in the Mullins Miracle Project. “Our commercial fire manager Eric Young shared a heart-touching story about a project that the community was trying to organize to assist one of his best childhood friends, DJ Mullins and his wife Cindy,” explains Dwight Sears, Silent Guard President and CEO. “Cindy Mullins was a healthy 41-year-old mom of two when she went into the hospital for surgery for kidney stones. Sadly, an infection ultimately led to her losing both arms and both legs.” The Mullins Miracle Project focused on building Cindy and her family a new 3,000 square-foot smart home in only 10 days. “When Eric first brought this project to our attention, we knew right away that we wanted to be involved,” said Taylor Sears, Silent Guard COO. “Of the 50 employees between our two companies, we had 48 different teammates on site during those 10 days. Cindy is such an amazing individual Just her attitude toward life and her attitude toward being positive. I feel like we gained more than anything we were able to give her and DJ.”
Stone Security rallied behind one of its own, whose daughter is bravely battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Employees participated in a charity bike ride fundraiser in Hennefer, Utah, where participants chose distances from 15 to 100 miles. Team Stone came together to donate, ride, and spread the word to help raise funds for CF research and support. “It was a meaningful and impactful way for our company to give back to a cause close to our hearts,” says Director of Marketing Patrick Kilbourn.
