As the school year resumed, so did our School Crossing Guard Services Contract with the City of Toronto.

With no surprise, there were some anticipated challenges prior to start-up due to the infamous global pandemic, COVID-19. Our teamand extended support from other divisions putinmany extra hours daily and on weekends to ensure we would be as ready as possible.

We developed weekly town halls in-class and virtually to support social/physical distancing, we sourced out all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment, we re-vamped schedules, updated our Xguard APP, while, all along, maintaining an open line of communication with our client for full transparency.

The resumption of full services officially started on September 14th, 2020. Even with some last-minute obstacles, the team pulled together once again and we completed the first start day with no open shifts and a full complement of staff.

It is times like these that I truly take pride in having such an amazing team and working for such a wonderful organization. I’d like to personally thank and recognize a few team members that we just would not have succeeded without.

• First, our Recruiter, Alyssa Rizzo, who managed to hire, not only the initial allotment of crossing guards needed, but approximately another 40 within just a few days before start-up. I don’t know how she pulled it off, but she may now be known as Alyssa “The Magician”!
• Secondly, our Employee Development team. Between Training Coordinator Mike Moledzki and National Employee Development Manager Bryan Joly managing to onboard all new crossing guards through extra training classes, weekends, etc., we just would not be ready to go without them.
• Lastly, both our Administrators, Tamana Bhatia/Karen Swanston and our Service Delivery Manager, Asad Abbas. These three worked collaboratively every day for the last few months ensuring everything is tracked, followed-up on, and delivered in a timely fashion from all aspects of the Operation and administratively. They are the face of the Crossing Guard Services Contract amongst the frontline team and I could not be happier about that.

I am very proud and grateful to lead such a wonderful team. I look forward to a strong remaining school year of keeping our students and each other safe. Keep up the great work, everyone!

ASP Security has partnered with Make-A-Wish® and will be supporting their mission to grant life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses.

Wishes give children renewed energy and strength, bring families closer together, and unite communities. Wishes have proven physical and emotional benefits that can give children with critical illnesses a higher chance of survival. By fundraising in support of Make-A-Wish, we have the unique ability to transform a child and family’s life during some of their most difficult trials. Every dollar we raise is crucial to the mission of granting the wish of every eligible child.

To protect the health of wish kids and their families, Make-A-Wish has paused wish-granting that involves travel and gatherings until August 31st. Right now, there are a record number of wish kids whose wishes have been postponed because of COVID-19 — and that number grows every day as this crisis continues.

This means wishes are now waiting. For our wish kids, every day of waiting is one too many. And now more than ever, hope is essential. With your support, Make-A-Wish is committed to ensuring that no child waits even one unnecessary day to experience the hope and joy that a wish brings. Thank you for helping us through this challenging time.

Here are just a few of the wishes granted recently:

If you would like to be a part of this amazing initiative, you can reach out to me at any time at csampogna@security-asp.com.

While we are navigating through these difficult waters, ASP’s Residential/Commercial Division is fortunately ramping up with security services. With that said, ASP prides itself in promoting employees from within the company.

We are looking for a strong set of guards who are looking for advancement opportunities and want to be part of a wonderful family/team. Internal or external, there are many opportunities that currently reside in the commercial division of ASP, just a select few of them being:

• Mobile Patrol Supervisors
• Security Specialists
• Security Guards
• Concierge Guards
• Security Supervisors
• Access Control Guards

If you are interested in transitioning into one of the above positions, or if you are looking for a new start or career path, email jholowatenko@security-asp.com.

Please send an email, with a copy of your résumé, and a small written portion of about yourself and what positions you would be interested in transitioning to.

Please note that most positions within this division will be in downtown Toronto and the surrounding area. We look forward to hearing from you and continuing your journey with you.

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.

A first impression can affect the course of any relationship. As a member of our HR recruiting team, we understand the importance of every first impression during the candidate interview process. After-all, it is not just the interviewee that bears the weight of making a good first impression, but rather the interviewer as well.

While hiring is our primary job function, being an ambassador for the company is an important element of our day. First impressions eventually become lasting impressions, and we want each candidate to get a sample of what life at A.S.P is like. We believe that these positive interactions will help improve our reputation and attract more talented and skilled candidates to join our team.

The world right now is almost unrecognisable from what it was nearly two months ago. Instead of crowded streets and traffic-filled commutes to work, we have empty highways and online meetings. Instead of sameness and routine, we have change and uncertainty. It is like we are in a constant state of culture shock.

Society is so focused on physical health, symptoms, staying safe and healthy. Although it has been mentioned a bit, I feel there needs to be a priority on mental health. As a team, we need to check in on one another. Everyone is handling this unprecedented time differently and although we may not all be showing it, this is taking a toll on each and every one of us.

From the outside looking in, a girl very close to me is very successful. She is the lead of a team at her company, making a difference in the lives of children with autism. She has just been accepted into a Master’s program at Western university, and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this girl is determined, driven, and passionate about what she does.

Now this is one of the strongest girls I know, so she wasn’t going to let this beat her, as hard as it was. She talked to me, she talked to her family, and most importantly, she talked to her doctor and got the help she needed. Days aren’t always perfect for her; she’s tired all of the time and needs to force herself to trust her thoughts again, but she’s got the relief that she needs, and the relief that so many other people may be desperately needing as well.

Over the last several years, ASP has continually experienced organic growth in specialized services. Our reputation and dedication to be the best has always been integral to our success.

I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate the ASP family for the growth within the Residential and Commercial division again.

This contract was awarded to us due to our reputation and the hard work of our field staff over the last several years at our sites. This is a testament to how important it is to always maintain a professional image and attitude.

Congratulations to the ASP family!

The RES/CIC Division ranges from a multitude of positions, from casual guards to supervisors, specialists, mobile, etc. We pride ourselves in not only finding the right fits for these specific roles externally, but also finding these hard-working individuals internally.

Read below for just some of the opportunities the RES/CIC division offers:

• Union Station Specialist: A tactical guard who will be the front-line protection for the largest transit hub in Canada.
• St. Lawrence Market Specialist: A tactical guard who will be patrolling the exterior and interior of St. Lawrence Market and ensuring the safety of all patrons, along with the protection of the building.

These above roles will work directly with the City of Toronto, which could open up doors elsewhere.

• Mobile Patrol Supervisor: This role has opportunities working with the City of Toronto, TTC, and ASP management. The mobile guards are tactically trained and patrol specific designated areas to ensure safety.
• TTC Gatehouse Guard: A guard will be checking all ID badges to grant access into important TTC buildings.

This is for everyone reading this article that has been looking for a promotion, step up, career path, or just a change. Please don’t hesitate to email me (indicated below). I am always more than willing to answer my emails, bring you in, and sit down with you to discuss the options we have. We are always looking to promote within and we have many sites that we could discuss.

The Residential & Commercial Division is offering a newly designed Active Attacker course. We will be scheduling courses at the new North York office and at specific sites. Stay tuned for more details. Please email Mike Moledzki, Training Coordinator (mmoledzki@security-asp.com) for a copy of the training calendars. Contact the Resource Planning Team at 416-481-0022 to schedule your attendance for a course, and be sure to obtain approval from your Supervisor or Manager before registering.

With the new year rapidly approaching, 2020 training calendars for the Residential & Commercial Division are now available.

In addition to the usual course offerings, including Standard First Aid with CPR/AED, Use of Force and Customer Service, we’re now offering the one-day Emergency First Aid with CPR/AED, facilitated by our certified Rescue 7 instructors. All First Aid and CPR courses are available to both Security Guards and Crossing Guards. Several courses are scheduled on school holidays and PA days to allow more employees to attend.

Emergency First Aid with CPR & AED (1 day):

• December 6th, 2019
• February 14th, 2020
• April 13th, 2020 (Easter Monday)
• May 29th, 2020
• June 5th, 2020
• July 24th, 2020

Standard First Aid with CPR & AED Level ‘C’ (2 days):

• January 3rd & 4th, 2020
• March 19th & 20th, 2020 (March Break)
• July 2nd & 3rd, 2020
• July 29th & 30th, 2020