Fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed by a team of 80 highly skilled responders, ADT Security’s 24-hour Grade A1 monitoring centre is a hive of activity.
Dan Castro is Monitoring Team Manager and has been with ADT Security for 17 years. He’s watched the industry progress from traditional hardwired systems to the latest wireless security technology, complete with integrated automation and remote access capabilities.
Despite the technology advancements, one thing that has remained constant over the years has been the dedicated team that functions as the backbone of ADT Security’s back-to-base monitoring centre. These team members work 24/7, always ready to respond to alarm alerts.
Security alerts are triggered by residential home security systems, personal duress buttons, monitored smoke detectors or emergency signals from a commercial complex, such as a bank or government facility.
According to Dan, his daily priority is compliance, “ADT’s monitoring centre is bound by strict Australian Standards (AS2201.2-2004) and is regularly audited by the Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL). To remain compliant, intruder alarms must be responded to within 180 seconds regardless of the time of day and the facility itself needs to adhere to a strict set of criteria relating to its construction, access and communication protocols.”
Working on the front line
Acknowledging that every action could have lifesaving repercussions, the industry’s mandatory 180 second alarm response time is taken very seriously by the team, with every alert treated as a genuine emergency.
Dan is also quick to point out that as technology evolves, so does the level of customer interaction. In an average week, the ADT monitoring centre handles approximately 10,000 calls, of which approximately 5,000 are high priority events. The team also manages 25,000 customer interactions via email, SMS or mobile push notifications.
“If there’s an issue with the alarm itself, the team always tries to undertake some basic troubleshooting over the phone before booking a technician to attend the property. It’s important to understand that what works for one person may not be the right approach for someone else, so we offer extra support where it’s needed,” explained Dan.
Dan enjoys coming to work every day and is passionate about what he does. “Protecting people and property, and providing customers with peace of mind is what we do every day. I enjoy my job because I feel I’m making a difference to someone’s life,” said Dan.
