A condominium construction project is challenging at the best of times. Managing the complexity of large-scale capital repairs or upgrades, and accounting for the sheer number of logistical considerations to eventually arrive at a successful outcome, can tax even the most experienced condominium manager.  During the coronavirus pandemic, those already daunting obstacles have become far more difficult to clear—and underscores the important role that a condominium’s security team can play throughout a construction project.

Damage related to water, fire or mould, or even long-term concrete and other forms of building deterioration, are just some of the many factors that can compel a condo restoration initiative in the first place. Remediating these issues is always expensive. They often arise unexpectedly and create an immediate sense of urgency—noise, dust and dirt, amenity closures and other disruptions including building access limitations can quickly heighten tensions while the project is underway. Careful planning can help mitigate those and many other issues that can compromise residents’ lifestyle experience and enjoyment.

Take the time to think about your property’s long-term security requirements.

The current complication, of course, is that the constant flow of tradespeople onto and off of a property can create COVID-19 exposure risks that must be minimized in order to protect an entire condominium community. The question is, how? Here are several ways that condominium property managers can utilize their security personnel to make a property restoration as comfortable and efficient as possible for all parties involved:

Take a team approach

The first step is understanding that it takes a team to manage a construction project during a pandemic. Your general restoration contractor and their various trades and sub-trades will comprise the bulk of that group, but it’s essential to also include your security firm in the process. They’ll be on the frontlines managing, monitoring, and ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the property—but also working with residents to address their concerns. In other words, they’re not simply construction site security guards, they’re your frontline community managers. If an unforeseen situation relating to the restoration suddenly emerges—a trade accidentally cuts a gas or water line, for example—they’ll likely be the first ones on the scene and alert first responders and/or the construction contractor. If a resident complains about noise or has questions about how the job is progressing, they’ll likely be the first ones asked to listen or pass along information on the condominium manager’s behalf.

Remember that this isn’t merely a building, it’s home to scores of people. Providing outstanding customer service is an expectation at any time, but aconstruction project is an opportunity to demonstrate that as a condominium manager, you take clients’ happiness to heart. Security staff can be instrumental in driving that message home and reinforcing it through their day-to-day interaction with residents.

Leverage your security guards’ diverse skills

Security personnel are the bridge between the parties affected by theconstruction (e.g., residents) and those involved in its rollout (e.g., the trades). Your construction site security guards should have a full list of all tradespeople involved in the project from start to finish, if only to be able to verify their identity as needed. They should have a full schedule of work slated for various stages of the project. They should also be present when briefings are delivered to the condominium board. While their job is to ensure the safety and security of the property and the people occupying it, it’s also to help foster the right atmosphere and understand how the project is progressing—particularly important in luxury condos where a premium is placed on the resident experience.

As part of that process—and beyond having a general awareness of the project implementation plan—security guards will need to conduct regular contact tracing in case an outbreak occurs. Having that information at the ready and being able to deliver it to public health officials and both your management team and the condominium board could mean the difference between containing COVID-19’s spread across a community, or seeing it rage out of control and impacting both resident health and theconstruction project’s successful completion.

Security personnel are the bridge between the parties affected by the construction and those involved in the rollout.

Give them what they need

It’s essential that construction site security guards have the necessary tools to do their job and community liaison experts during a condominium restoration. That means providing them with adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety. It’s the best way to keep your security team healthy and on the job. PPE should be kept in a central location and made available to staff at the start of every shift.

It’s also important that they have access to efficient and effective contact tracing software that’s both user-friendly and robust enough to collect and manage the information of hundreds (maybe even thousands) of residents. Having a way to handle the reams of data they’ll be acquiring will help manage or prevent COVID-19 outbreaks if they occur while managing the inflow and outflow of tradespeople and reducing the risk of potential security breaches.

Think a step ahead

No matter the reason for your restoration project—and even though we’re in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic—take the time to think about your property’s long-term security requirements. If the restoration is particularly extensive, such as in the case of a major flood or fire damage, you may find an opportunity to implement new security technology infrastructure (think biometrics or ultra-HD surveillance cameras), or perhaps even designing security-friendly spaces to accept the flood of food deliveries and e-commerce packages currently inundating so many condo lobbies. That volume is only poised to grow in the years ahead as more of us shop and dine online. Work with your security provider to not only manage your community and provide the best resident experience possible throughout the restoration but to also look ahead and develop a comprehensive strategy that protects your property’s security requirements five to 10 years into the future.

In the end, proactive thinking will save money and position your condominium as an even more desirable place to live.

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Winston Stewart

President and CEO, Wincon Security