ASP Staff, Author at ASP Security Services

By Elizabeth Warwick, Operations Manager

Calgarians are no strangers to extreme and rapidly changing weather conditions. On June 13, 2020, however, the city experienced a particularly severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, strong winds, and tennis ball-sized hail.

In some areas. the wind gusts were up to 100 km/h, with multiple reports of tornadoes near the city. Although the storm only lasted approximately two hours, it resulted in significant property damage throughout areas of the city, including smashed-out car windshields, damaged home exteriors, major flooding, and electrical issues. The estimated total costs for the damages are near $1 billion.

As you can imagine, a severe storm such as this has significant impact on airport operations, and our ASP security team reacted quickly to assist airport operations personnel. A special thank you to the SOC Operators, Airside Patrollers and Supervisors who were given additional duties during the storm and in the recovery period which followed. They all went above and beyond to assist while equipment was repaired, and operations returned to normal.

By Cliff Sampogna, Regional Manager - Residential/Commercial

As you all know, Residential and Commercial Division has been growing immensely over the last few years. With growth comes infrastructure change and growth as well.

These changes have inspired positive change and growth that has allowed our team to take the next step.

I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Vasilis Androutsos as the new Operations Manager for Residential & Commercial Division. Vasilis has over 18 years of safety and security experience, specializing in large sporting events, concerts, and residential/commercial properties, as well as over 10 years of operations management experience, with emphasis on efficiency, quality, cost, service, and employee relations. He completed his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from Fairfield University and is currently pursuing his CPP certification.

Vasilis will be responsible for the oversight and management of the security services contracts for Residential/Commercial Division.

I am looking forward to seeing the work Vasilis will do for our organization and how he will help us to get to the next level of our business successes.

I am proud and honored to have Vasilis as part of our team and I look forward to watching him grow in this role.

By Tanya Gautam, Human Resources Administrator and Recruiter

At YYC, we have a team of passionate and enthusiastic employees. Our employees are not only passionate security professionals, but also have a caring heart for their colleagues.

Two of our YYC employees have set an example of teamwork and care for the community, during the COVID pandemic period, when people are stressed.

Kamalo Suleiman started his journey with A.S.P in February 2019 as a Casual employee and became Full-Time Access Control Guard in April 2019. Since then, he has worked hard to deliver quality service.

In May 2020, Kamalo, along with his wife, bought individual pizzas for all his shift members. This gesture of Kamalo sets an example of a real team player. That moment when employees were enjoying their pizza, sharing a positive vibe, not only brought them together but also relaxed them with a smile on their faces. Special thanks to Kamalo’s wife.

Kamalo has always shown interest in the company’s activities, and yet again, he planned his break to attend the Townhall. His regular participation in company activities and contributions towards his team is commendable.

Radowan Chowdhury has been working with A.S.P since September 2018 as Access Control Guard. He has demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment towards his duties and the team. Radowan bought sweets and food for the team in June and helped people to bond and spread positivity in the group. He received appreciation from his team members, supervisors and managers for his team spirit.

Radowan is also an active member of the Health & Safety Committee. His regular participation and contribution to the meetings are valuable.

We thank all the heroes of ASP who are taking an extra step to create a positive environment in this challenging time of the pandemic, bringing our people together and providing a quality service.

By Tanya Gautam, Human Resources Administrator and Recruiter

With all going on in the world, I’d like to step back and focus on some positivity in our RES/CIC Division.

As challenges continue to arise across all avenues of our business, our team continues to rise above it all and push forward. I’d like to point out two of our amazing team members in particular.

First off, our Administrator, Tamana Bhatia. Tamana has been with ASP since August 2018. She started as a front-line guard supporting our commercial business. Tamana quickly showed her value and worth, through her dedication to ASP and the many extra hours she put in to keep the operation running. By December 2019, Tamana was such a valued asset that it was an easy choice to bring her aboard the administrative side to support not only the front of the house, but the back end as well.

Today, Tamana has helped evolve the day-to-day administrative duties with our Crossing Guard contract, Respite contract, and all back-end support that we could not do without her. She has been a valuable team member and her behind-the-scenes efforts are truly a support to all of us here at RES/CIC.

We all appreciate and thank you Tamana! Keep up the wonderful work!

Secondly, our Service Delivery Manager, Asad Abbas. Asad has been with ASP since May 2016. He has been a rock for the entire RES/CIC team and especially for me. Asad’s work ethic is second to none. Between many long days in the office, on the road, and from home, Asad continues to plow through all challenges he faces, always achieving positive results regardless of how difficult those challenges may be. His loyalty to ASP and the team shines in his day-to-day efforts, whether it be with our front-line guards asking for professional or personal support from him, or the office team leaning on him for his subject matter expertise in all facets of the business.

To know you can confidently get an answer or an update or just good old fashion hands-on help with something through a simple ask is all a friend or colleague could ask for. Asad is just that guy!

For this reason, I wanted to share my thank you and appreciation for all he does for our team seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

From all of us in RES/CIC, we thank you Asad! I’d say keep up the good work, but I know don’t need to!

By Asad Abbas, RES/CIC Service Delivery Manager

Having good employees make or break a company’s success. Everyone is an employee, even leaders. Most importantly, being a great employee means being a team player. We have so many talented, hard-working team players who are helping us to strive for greatness.

I want to take this opportunity to recognize a member of our team who has been amazing and always goes above and beyond to perform his duties. Kevin Ravindran is not only a team player, who always strive for the betterment of his team, but is also a good leader on site and takes it upon himself to make sure he and his team do their job well.

Kevin Ravindran, Supervisor, Toronto Pan Am Centre

Kevin Ravindran is working as the Supervisor of Toronto Pan Am Centre within ASP Security. He joined ASP in January, 2016 as a guard. He worked very hard and he is always willing to learn more. He was promoted to Supervisor position in October, 2018. He has more than four years of security experience.

At the time when he was promoted, we had challenges related to meeting and exceeding clients’ requirements. Kevin worked very hard and has shown great leadership and dependability for the past one and half years, with praise from both his coworkers and client. He is instrumental in training new guards and implementing new policies on site. He is always willing to go extra mile in protecting ASP’s interest and reputation by helping his team and fulfilling the client’s expectation. He is a very important member of our ASP family and I wish him best of luck!

By Angus Wilson, Director of Aviation Services

With all the chaos that is happening in the world, I am delighted to share some good news with you. One of our long-serving managers got married!

Please join us in congratulating Garinder and Amanpreet Grewal, who got married on Sunday the 5th July 2020. It was a simple ceremony in front of close friends and relatives.

It all happened so quickly, but we want to wish Garinder and Amanpreet our heartfelt congratulations on starting their new life together.

Teresia Mungai has worked at Calgary International Airport (YYC) for the past 12 years. She joined ASP in 2018 as Access Control Guard. Teresia is a hard-working employee who finds joy in meeting people, offering customer service and security services at the airport. ASP’s YYC team is proud to have Teresia on board, as she is not only a successful security professional, but also a great colleague to work with who believes in creating a happy work environment. During COVID-19 pandemic, Teresia had to face changes in her job duties and responsibilities, which she handled with grace and ease. She continued providing excellent customer service and security services.

We thank all the heroes of ASP who are taking an extra step to create a positive environment in this challenging time of the

pandemic, bringing our people together and providing a quality service.

By Dean Lovric, President and CEO

There are times in the evolution of our lives in which we meet people who propel our cause forward at lightning speed.
They become friends, guides, mentors and leaders. As such, they have the innate ability to support and inspire, while building confidence in our relationships with them, and, more importantly, helping us develop and build confidence in ourselves.

James (Jim) Catney is one of those people. His impact to many of us at ASP has been one of pivotal value and has helped lead and transform ASP into the organization it is today. His relationships have developed into new and exciting opportunities with many of our aviation and commercial clients. He’s built bonds with our unions and our people, all of which have led to great experiences.

Jim’s teams have earned his respect and he has proven his worth and earned theirs. He’s guided ASP towards success while maintaining a strong family-type environment through a “DAD’s” approach to his leadership teams. It’s a uniqueness in style which was unprecedented in the 20-year history of our company.

When Jim advised me that it was his time to ‘retire’ from ASP, I knew we wouldn’t be able to replace him. He has had a tremendous personal impact on my life and as much as I learned from him, I hope he leaves learning a little something from us. I did know one other thing…I knew that we would be just fine.

Jim’s business teams are super competent; he’s shared his intellectual capital and all at ASP that have been touched by him are a part of and bought into our vision for a great company filled with great people and partnerships. We have learned and have applied his teachings and guidance to our business daily. We are also independently strong, and we know our craft. We are kind, compassionate and ambitious. We will continue to use the tools he provided and add to them ourselves.

Jim, on behalf of the ASP and the ICTS teams, we wish you a fond farewell and happy retirement. Our doors are always open to you.

With Jim’s departure, we welcome new and great leaders such as Sarah Northrup, Vince Bozzo, Vasilis Androutsos and Tom Lawson. We have carefully restructured and selected our people, built new teams and modified assignments to compensate for the gaps Jim’s absence will create. ASP is resilient, and, with the continuing partnerships we share with our people, the stars that have been with us for so long will continue to shine.

So, for all we will do to make up for Jim’s absence, there is one indomitable feature that will be absent from our day to day…his friendship. That will certainly be sorely missed by all those whose life he touched. So, while Jim is golfing on some far away island in the Caribbean or at home in small-town Ontario, feel free to reach out and call him for a quick hello. Just do me a favour, call just before his most critical chip off the fairway, preferably on a day he and I are playing. I need the skin.

From Jim Catney, Vice President, Aviation and Transportation

Some of you may know that I made the decision to retire earlier this year, prior to the change in the world that we are currently experiencing. And some may think that it’s an even easier decision to retire now as we deal with the complexities of our changing environment day to day. I have to honestly say that this is not the case.

For the last 2 months, I have been leading the ASP Incident Command team and I have witnessed how a crisis can really bring people together. I have been so impressed with the ASP team, from the front-line OSRs and security personnel, to our staff behind the scenes in departments like Human Resources, Resource Planning and Finance. There have been some extremely difficult decisions made and we know that they are impacting people’s lives, and yet at every corner I see examples of resilience, grace and loyalty amongst our team of employees.

When I started with ASP 9 years ago as an Operations Manager, I can remember being apprehensive; I was used to working in larger organizations and I wasn’t sure if ASP was going to be interesting or challenging enough. I could never have imagined then how life-changing this opportunity would be. Besides being a part of making this company a national presence and bringing in new types of jobs and contracts (and dogs!), I have met people who have changed the way I think and lead and made life-long friends.

It was and continues to be a difficult choice for me to leave this company that I am so proud to be a part of. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, seeing more of the world and exploring new hobbies. I can do this with confidence because I know I am leaving ASP with a dedicated group who care as much about the business, as I always will.

It has been my pleasure to work with all of you. Thank you. I hope to have the opportunity to see many of you before I take my final leave in July. Stay safe and be well.

By David Ramlagan, Training Coordinator, Aviation Security

Although e-learning has existed for several years as an alternative to classroom learning, it is quickly becoming the new normal. For ASP, it is uncertain when classroom training will resume while social distancing considerations remain in place.

For large classes, it is likely that recertification programs will take place in a virtual classroom. Many will welcome this change, due to the convenience of a more comfortable learning environment of your choice. However, there is a misconception that online courses are an easier way to learn rather than a more convenient one.

You must dedicate your attendance, time, and concentration just as you would for a regular in-class course. Security professionals are highly self-disciplined, and must be able to carry that quality into any environment they choose to learn in.

For those that are not tech-savvy, we can assist with connecting to an e-learning session or provide alternative learning methods. When learning in a virtual classroom, it is important that you have reliable internet access. Connection issues during a live session means missing out on important content that you may be tested on. It is also important to have a dedicated study space that is quiet and distraction-free. Your attention to the instructor should be given just as much as it would be in the classroom.

We will keep you informed of updates regarding the development of our e-learning plan. Keep safe and we’ll see you online!

By Noman Butt, Client Support Manager

The GTAA will be starting a construction project on May 4th to replace concrete slabs on Taxiway H. Originally, the project was supposed to start on April 20^{^th}, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This project requires 4 D AVOPs, 2 DA AVOPs and one Airside Access Control guard.

ASP will be providing the Access Control guard for this particular project. As the project unfolds, more guards might be required. This project is a 24/7 operation; however, the majority of the work will be completed overnight. A vehicle will be provided to the guard if there is no booth available at the construction sites.

The guard will be responsible to provide access to the GTAA’s subcontractors according to post orders. GTAA is looking into prioritizing this project, which will subsequently lead to more Taxiway/Runway work this summer. The work has been planned in three phases and could last until September. In order to make this project successful, we would require the help of our Airside Access Control guards and our supervisors.