Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

While most businesses had to batten down for Hurricane Dean, losing millions in revenue, most security firms creamed off earnings from additional business which came their way during the period.

Based on interviews with security firms, we estimated that most security firms did on average 10 per cent more business than normal during the period of the hurricane, which battered mainly eastern and south-central parishes on August 19.

They said concerns about looting and general safety during the passage of Hurricane Dean resulted in additional requests for security by citizens and businesses.

It is not clear how much more revenue came in during the period for the security providers, but it seemed firms which had contracts with industrial companies benefited the most as these businesses stepped up security to protect property.

"For the clients who have the round-the-clock security, we planned and made preparation, but the unforeseen came when clients concerned for their safety of assets and the looting requested additional attention," explained George Overton, president of Jamaica Society for Industrial Security and the director of operations for the Guardsman Group. He said the disaster also attracted new clients.

Additional demand

"These clients sprung on us as an additional demand and we had to meet those," he continued, stressing that there were no reports of looting on his locations.

Although his company met all the requests, Overton said there were challenges with finding transportation for personnel to the various locations due to the increased demand.

"It went up to more than 10 per cent," he told the Financial Gleaner as he stressed the level of increase in business. "People wanted additional location checks, like the financial institutions, for example."

Overton said the demand from business and residential clients for alarm visitation went up by 30 per cent during the hurricane.

"We didn't lose any business. About a good 30 per cent of clients requested additional service and we had persons on stand by for non -existent client we could not accommodate everyone," operations manager for Allied Protection, Donovan Callum, told the Financial Gleaner.

He explained that people were being proactive and that the additional requests were expected. Callum estimated that his company gained an extra eight per cent in business.

Another security firm which did not want to go on record said: "We had no problem. In most cases business increased. A lot of our existing clients asked for additional services."

But it is not all gain for some security companies as they pointed to increased costs associated with acquiring specialised vehicles to transport personnel and loss of business for certain services.

For Guardsman, there was fallout in business for its armoured truck service. "We would have lost revenue due to inactivity in this area," he said.

Managing director of King Alarm Services Ltd, John Azar said his company, which received an influx of calls during the disaster, spent in excess of $1million to rent fleets of SUV's for patrols inareas that may be flooded or on roads strewn with debris.

He sai the calls came from a specific type of clientele, there were hidden costs linked to doing business during the hurricane.

Overton pointed out further that the hurricane period has always had a negative impact on some areas of business.

"The core of our business is centred on other people's business being opened. It's a handful of people who have the resources to hire round-the-clock security.

However, Callum pointed out: "We have a lot of industrial complexes and people, even though they lock down, will need security to patrol these complexes."

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com