News Release

Commissionaires Raises The Security Standard In The Okanagan

Kelowna, May 14, 2008 – Since 9/11 the demand for highly skilled security providers has gone way up worldwide, and Kelowna and the south Okanagan are not immune to this trend. This, combined with the Okanagan’s growing business scene, led a local security company to raise the bar and train their managers to the highest international standards.

Brian Garvie, Director of Operations in Kelowna for Commissionaires BC, has just received the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation. The CPP designation is awarded by the world’s largest organization for security professionals, The American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). The CPP designation is accepted worldwide as the highest recognition accorded a security practitioner, and conveys professional expertise, demonstrated competency, validated knowledge, and proven skills.

Commissionaires is the biggest security company in Kelowna with over 250 employees. “As far as I know, we are the only private security organization in the south Okanagan with the CPP designation,” says Allen Batchelar, CEO of Commissionaires BC, “we are raising the standard for security companies in the Okanagan.”

As the south Okanagan grows there is a need for the kind of services that come with growth. Highly professional security service is one of these needs, and Commissionaires wants to be ready. “We are seeing more demand for the CPP designation in RFPs (requests for proposals), and from US companies moving into the Okanagan who are more familiar with CPP and look for it,” says Garvie. ASIS certification programs adhere to ISO standards.

Commissionaires can now offer clients a more complete assessment of their risk, and provide the right combination of traditional means, such as guarding, with information technology, to better manage their security. This “convergence” of old and new technologies is a growing trend in security right now.

Another trend in the security field, Post 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, is “service recovery loss” which is planning and preparing for how to carry on doing business after a major catastrophe. “Advances in our industry are coming quickly, especially as we develop new technologies,” says Garvie, “and a CPP designation means I am continually updating my skills and ready to offer clients our full service security planning and implementation. Whatever risks businesses face, from internal theft to natural disasters, such as forest fires, we are ready to help them with it.”

Commissionaires BC
Commissionaires BC is British Columbia’s largest security organization, providing private and public sector clients with complete security solutions. Commissionaires in BC protect air and sea ports, border crossings and government facilities. They work in hospitals, schools and commercial enterprises. Every security solution or professional service that Commissionaires BC provides draws on the proven experience of highly trained former military and police personnel, who are the mainstay of its team of more than 1,600 professionals. More information at www.commissionaires.bc.ca.

ASIS International (American Society of Industrial Security)
ASIS is the largest organization for security professionals, with more than 35,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1955, ASIS is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials that address broad security interests, such as the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits, as well as specific security topics.

ASIS certifications require each credential holder to continually recertify over a prescribed period of time to ensure their skills remain up to date and in line with industry best practices. The CPP conveys professional expertise, demonstrated competency, validated knowledge, and proven skills, all of which translate into a competitive edge in the complex business of security. More information at: www.asisonline.org.

-30-

Media Contacts:
Brian Garvie, Director, Operations, Kelowna, Commissionaires BC
T 250 979 4774
E garvie@commissionaires.bc.ca

Patricia Robitaille, PR Strategies Inc.
T 604-873-0080
E probitaille@shaw.ca

Return to News Releases