2007 First Line of Defense Award

HSM Electronic Protection Services Earns First Line of Defense Award

Irving, Texas, April 20, 2007 – The air was electric as central station operators at HSM Electronic Protection Services worked tirelessly to help police apprehend three would-be thieves that had broken into a customer’s store. Their persistence and dedication to their customer was what earned HSM the 2007 First Line of Defense Award.

This store in Houston is just one of approximately 280 Sports Authority stores Steve Walker is responsible for the monitoring of as director of HSM's ProtectionNet customer service centers in Plymouth, Minn., and Santa Ana, Calif. Photo by Paul Howell for SDM

The First Line of Defense Award is presented annually by the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) in conjunction with SDM Magazine to the company that goes above and beyond the call of duty to save lives and property.

The First Line of Defense event took place on Sept. 8, 2006 at a Sports Authority store in Houston, when three suspects entered the premises after hours through a roof opening and tried to make off with merchandise.

The first burglar alarm, an interior motion alarm, was received at the HSM central station around 10:36 that evening. Within seconds, HSM dispatcher Toni Brask received the signal and immediately contacted the location. Upon receiving no answer she contacted the Houston police and then proceeded to make the appropriate customer notifications.

When the Houston police arrived at the location they could see no visible sign of a break-in and cleared the call as a false alarm.

“We continued to receive alarm signals in clearly defined patterns that suggested someone was walking around inside the store so we contacted the police and requested that they return to the location and take another look, said Steve Walker director of HSM’s ProtectionNet Customer Service Centers in Plymouth, Minn. and Santa Ana, Calif..”

Steve Walker stands inside a Sports Authority store. Photo by Paul Howell for SDM

At this time the store manager called into the HSM central station and provided an update that he was in route to the store and would meet the police on location.

After the store manager arrived at the site several police units with well over a dozen officers showed up with a helicopter circling overhead. Three suspects were quickly apprehended. Police canine units were used to search and secure the area. All of the stolen merchandise was recovered.