In cooperation with the global security consultancy Guidry Group, Fireman's Fund is now offering an unique service, providing optimal protection against theft and burglary: personalized vulnerability assessments of private property.
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company
Novato, California, May 28, 2008
In 2007, news reports detailed many burglaries and home robberies in which the victims were high-profile, wealthy individuals such as investors Warren Buffet and Ernest Rady and socialite Anne Bass. According to a Wall Street Journal site, the most recent FBI data show that residential robberies, which include home invasions, rose nearly 13 per cent in 2006 from 2002, even as violent crime overall decreased 0.4 per cent.
"People of wealth are targeted all the time," says Gary Raphael, national director of Risk Management Advisory Services for Fireman's Fund. "In today's celebrity-obsessed culture, some individuals will go to extreme, and potentially harmful, lengths to get close to wealth and fame." These extremes include garden-variety burglary, as well as more exotic crimes like identity theft, stalking, kidnapping, and extortion, all of which are on the rise.
Assess your vulnarability in three steps
"Because they are more vulnerable, people with significant assets need to have a more sophisticated understanding of best security practices," says Michael Guidry, CEO of the Guidry Group, a security firm based in Montgomery, Texas. "Prevention is everything, and the key to prevention is awareness."
Fireman's Fund teamed up with the Guidry Group to provide personalized vulnerability assessments through a tool developed exclusively for Fireman's Fund customers. Guidry Group consultants will assess the vulnerabilities of a customer's home with a process that unfolds in three steps: online, on-call, and on-site.
- Online
The online tool is hosted by Guidry on their secure website and walks users through a series of security related questions. The answers are only visible to security experts at Guidry. The questions typically take 10-15 minutes to answer and address issues ranging from home security systems to the visibility of the residence and the presence of personal property in the home that might be coveted by others.
- On-Call
Once the complimentary online assessment is completed a Guidry consultant will analyze the responses. Within 72 hours a customized report is produced that notes vulnerabilities and offers advice on how defenses can be strengthened. The consultant is then available to discuss these findings in greater detail and review potential solutions. This review is also complimentary to eligible Fireman's Fund policyholders.
- On-Site
If the first two steps uncover a need for a more in-depth assessment, the customer can opt for an on-site review. The consultant will walk through the residence, testing the performance of physical security systems and do a detailed interview on the customer's habits and those of the people who have access to the home.
Security is about awareness, education and common sense
The online and on-call steps provide a precise framework for dialogue, while the on-site step is the most thorough form of assessment. Guidry Group's high level of expertise is part of what makes this opportunity unique. The company is staffed by former members of the U.S. Secret Service and Armed Forces, who discreetly guard some of the world's top executives and celebrities as well as major events, including two Olympic Games, a soccer World Cup, and an NFL Super Bowl.
"Most of the time, security is about awareness and education and common sense," says Guidry. Gary Raphael adds, "Most people don't consider all the ways in which they are vulnerable, taking action only after a loss occurs." The new online tool, coupled with this opportunity for Fireman's Fund customers to dialogue with a sophisticated security firm, will lead to less incidents and a safer environment.
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