A Blast from the Past: How Emergency Response Associates Uses “Old School” Strategies to Stand Out

The security industry is always growing and sometimes we forget how far back the industry truly goes and how many companies started with a few hard workers and a dream. Many security companies started back as mom-and-pop shops. While some grew and lost that feeling, others embraced it. The perfect example of that is Emergency Response Associates.

Emergency Response Associates was founded in 1994 and has quite a unique story. Originally a property management company, new code requirements mandated which required some fire alarm work. Lucky for them, one of the partners was an electrician and they decided to embark on the work necessary. After successfully installing and upgrading the necessary systems, the owners realized that they could create a business and do the same thing for others from that point on the business was born.

Thirty years later, the company has grown and vastly expanded its offerings. “We started with fire alarms, then introduced burglar alarms, CCTV, Access Control and Fire Extinguisher servicing. Now here we are today.” says Scott Lipner, Partner at Emergency Response Associates.

TASTE OF THE PAST

While some businesses choose to move on from the past, they have strived to find a way to retain the old school principles that the company was founded on. They highlight their core values in simple yet effective terms that give peace of mind.

“We want to go above and beyond to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for both the company and for the client.” Lipner explains. “From a business standpoint, the bottom line is obviously important, but being in the Life Safety industry, we want to make sure that at the end of the day, we can sleep knowing that we strived to do what’s right.”

The “taste of the past” doesn’t end there though. Emergency Response Associates takes pride in its employee retention. In fact, their first technician is still installing Fire Alarms daily.

“It is a priority for happy employees whom we listen to and support. We invest in their training and education, which benefits their advancement and helps us provide great service and keep up with changes within the industry.”

“We’re proud that we offer great benefits to our employees. We have a very good track record of employee retention and go above and beyond to try and hire genuinely good people. Our technicians are our most customer-facing individuals, and we can rely on them to portray our long-crafted culture.”

A PRESENT STATE OF MIND

Not everything can be a taste of the past. Companies must grow and develop and find ways to stand out.

“We design, install, test, and inspect alarm systems which make a difference in people’s lives. Time and time again, we are told stories of lives impacted because the Fire Alarm worked. We are constantly adapting, continuing to stay educated on new codes and offering products that help our clients continue to place their trust in us. We want to be that one-stop shop that they can call for all their Security, Fire and Life Safety needs.”

SNEAK PEEK TO THE FUTURE

Emergency Response Associates is looking forward to growth in the future, both short and long-term. “We’ve done this for a long time now and continue to be committed to this for the long haul. We want to continue to grow as a company in terms of the size of our client base, the size of our jobs, and our team of employees.”

Scott also states that they are actively looking to get involved in new product offerings that are synergistic to their business. He hopes to add BDA/ERCES systems as their next product offering, already securing the necessary FCC/GROL licensure. He believes their history of going from only offering fire alarms to now being a one-stop shop for commercial security has prepared them to take the next step. Emergency Response Associates also looks forward to utilizing their new ESA membership to help with growth and has already joined different committees which will help achieve this.

GROWTH WITH ESA

When asked about what other security professionals miss out on from not having an ESA membership, Scott said, “It’s not so much what they have to lose, but what they have to gain.” ESA was able to help Emergency Response Associates procure General Liability insurance with Security America, which was important due to how difficult it can be for companies in the security industry to not only find insurance coverage but find coverage at an affordable rate.

They also shared appreciation for ESA’s lobbying and advocacy efforts “ESA is lobbying for issues that might seem good for us as a business, but it is also good for safety of our clients or end-users.”

Scott also touched on the knowledge he gained of what ESA has to offer and what else the company hopes and plans to take advantage of. The savings from Security America insurance has now opened the door to additional resources for employee on-boarding, education, training, and certifications.

“There are services ESA offers which we weren’t aware of and are going to support us and our growth. The perfect example of this is ESA’s National Training School. We look forward to utilizing the training and educational offerings to help advance our employees and our businesses knowledge.”

We’re pleased to have Emergency Response Associates as an ESA member and look forward to the offerings they’ll bring to our network of security professionals. If you’re interested in ESA membership each out to [email protected] for more information.