|
Accidental Death Coverage can become very important to a private security company if one of their employees dies on the job. When a security guard or a private investigation company has one of their employees killed on the job as a result of an assault or accident, the company certainly would like to help out the employee’s family with their loss. Understandably, the company often feels a sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, the economics of the business usually preclude the security operator from providing anything other than what the Workers Compensation Laws of their state mandate. And in most states, that is not very much.
We are pleased to inform our readers that our new Lexington Guard Secure(SM) General/Professional Liability Policy for security guard and private investigation agencies has $25,000 of Accidental Death Coverage built into the form at no additional charge. If one of our insureds has one of their employees killed in the line of duty, it enables them to provide $25,000 to the spouse or family of the deceased employee. This new & unique coverage allows the security company to contribute something besides Workers Comp to the family of the deceased. It is a meaningful amount of money and it comes at a critical time for a family reeling from the death of a breadwinner.
In addition to Accidental Death Coverage, Serious Injury Coverage is also provided under the terms of the policy. If an employee loses a limb, their sight/speech/hearing or is paralyzed while working, coverage is also provided. The exact amount of the coverage depends upon the nature of the injury. Like all Accident & Health products, there are some limitations to the coverage and they are clearly described in the policy.
This discussion of Accidental Death & Serious Injury Coverage was prompted by a wonderfully perceptive article that was recently written by Brian J. Fagan, President of Royal Security Service, Inc. in Los Angeles. In his article, Brian eloquently describes the stark difference in the way our society today memorializes a fallen police officer versus a fallen private security officer. In some small way, we think our innovative Accidental Death Coverage begins to address the seemingly indifferent treatment of private security officers who die in the line of duty. Thanks to this new Accidental Death Coverage, a fallen security officer may not have a memorial fund started in his/her name, but at least the family will receive a check for a substantial amount of money. Brian has graciously given us permission to reprint his article entitled, “FORGOTTEN HEROES” below. |
Exploring the Vast Difference Between the Death of a Security Officer and a Police Officer
By Brian J. Fagan
 Police officers are the backbone of the communities they serve, and often they become deeply integrated in not just the safety of these communities, but in the lives of their friends and neighbors. as well. So when a police officer is killed in the line of duty, it's not uncommon for the entire community to react to the tragic loss, especially the entire law enforcement community. Police personnel turn out by the dozens, if not hundreds, for the funeral services and burial of their fellow officer. Foot patrols, highway patrols, county and state officers, administrative staff, as well as ranked members of police squads from near and far turn out to pay their respects to the memory of their comrade with pride and honor. Uniforms are spotless, squad cars form a memorial procession with flashing lights, an honor guard escorts the casket and widow(er), a gun salute issues a final goodbye and the greatest honor, a US flag is draped prominently over the casket before being given to the widow, indicating a fallen hero. The local (and sometimes even national) media often covers the story and the life of the fallen officer is laid to rest with pageantry to honor their selfless service.
Not unlike police officers, security guards are also part of the backbone of every community. Whether they are patrolling the mall for shoplifters, or safeguarding bank customers, uniformed security guards provide a valuable service to the members of their community, yet it is a service that is rarely recognized when one of them falls in the line of duty. Unless the incident involves pedestrian fatalities or harm, the media rarely covers these stories, and most likely only family and friends attend the funeral services and burial. There will be no patrol car processions, no honor guard, no salutes of any kind and no flag will be given to the grieving family. Most regrettably, there is no mass display of fraternal solidarity by fellow security officers in uniform. Our hero, this security officer who gave the ultimate sacrifice, will pass silently to the grave without any wider recognition.
At approximately 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2008, Wackenhut security officer Isais Quinones was on duty at a downtown Los Angeles branch of Bank of America when two male suspects approached him and he was shot four times. Due to a lack of good eyewitness testimony, the details of the incident are sketchy, but it is suspected Officer Quinones most likely thwarted an attempted bank robbery. What is known is that Officer Quinones was not wearing a bullet-proof vest and his gun was missing after the incident. Because no bullet casings were found at the scene and he normally carried a revolver, it is believed he was shot with his own gun but unbelievably, these details cannot be confirmed because the LAPD will not release any ballistic or autopsy information. Even more unbelievable, at this time, nearly three months later, no suspects have been apprehended.
What does this disconnect say about the law enforcement industry's perception of a fallen security officer? Why should anyone else care to address this failing if we don't?
As Chairman of the California Security Officer Memorial Fund (SOMF), I attended the viewing and burial services for Officer Quinones. His funeral service was held on September 4th, and hundreds of family and friends attended to pay their last respects to this remarkable man who was a beloved member of his community. In addition to serving as a security guard, Officer Quinones had deep ties to his neighborhood as a part-time minister for his local church. Also in attendance were several Wackenhut employees, there to mourn the loss of their fallen co-worker. However, the following day at the burial service, I was surprised to be the only person in uniform for the procession to the cemetery.
Even though many family and friends were present at the burial, Officer Quinones' funeral procession was a quiet affair, unbefitting a branch of the law enforcement community. There was no honor guard, no salutes rendered and no US flag for his widow. Why was he not afforded the same respect? Isais Quinones was a member of the security community who died on the job, trying to keep his neighborhood - and Wackenhut's client - safe. He died preventing a bank robbery, yet no police officers or detectives were willing to recognize his contribution, and no news media was compelled to relay his story because of the very small fact that he was merely a security guard, and not a police officer. It grieves me to say that Officer Quinones: 40 years old, husband, father, and minister passed silently to the grave with little industry recognition of his sacrifice. As the only person in uniform at the funeral procession, I was embarrassed that none of my peers cared to attend and pay honor to this hero.
No more surprising than the lack of interest by my security peers to attend the funeral service is the apparent lack of urgency by local law enforcement to track down the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Almost three months have elapsed since the shooting of Officer Quinones and LAPD has yet to hold a press conference, yet to ask for the public's help in finding the suspects or to announce a reward for their capture. Wackenhut, Bank of America and the SOMF stand ready to substantially increase any reward offered, but the police have been silent. I am certain that if the fallen officer had been one of their own, the gears of the justice system would have jumped into overdrive the very next day.
So, why is there a vast difference between the death of a security officer and that of a police officer? Media attention, the public's response, the funeral and even the criminal investigation are all worlds apart. As a former police officer, I understand the basic differences between security guards and police officers. Training, qualifications, pay, benefits, responsibility, authority and even public perception are necessarily unique, but the loss of a security officer is no less important than the loss of a police officer. Like a police officer, a security officer serves as a uniformed representative of law and order, and as such, he or she should be at least afforded the same respect should they die in the line of duty. Regretfully, what happened during the funeral services of Isais Quinones is not unlike what happens to many other fallen security officers. The question must be asked; how can our industry change this reality and ensure that our fallen officers are not forgotten?
First and foremost, we need examine and reverse the negative perception of our industry. Are we satisfied that our security professionals are often viewed as 'rent-a-cops' with little to no gravitas behind their shields? By improving industry standards for training and customer service, and frankly, how we interact with one another, we will lay a new foundation for the security industry. Before the public and traditional law enforcement will ever take our industry seriously, we must first begin to do so, as well. A dedication to professionalism across the board, from officers to support staff, all the way up to executive management is but a first step. We must also promote and actively support a spirit of cooperation among one another and our competition. County police and state police may serve different functions in the community, yet both branches join together when a comrade falls. By changing negative perceptions, we not only advance the industry as a whole, we also empower our security guards to have pride and respect for their positions; to know that the community values their contribution and is also looking out for their well-being.
Second, should an officer fall in the line of duty, an inevitable tragedy in this industry, we must all make a concerted effort to attend the funeral and support the families left behind. Management must be sympathetic to scheduling changes or special requests during this time. In addition, transportation should be provided to employees who wish to attend funeral services, and it should be strongly encouraged that all employees who do attend wear their uniforms. Obviously, customer service standards and client commitment must be maintained as seamlessly as possible during such a tragedy, but with careful syncopation of schedules and time-off, both can be maintained with minimal interruption of service. The simple act of our industry coming together to mourn the loss of one our own as a unified entity will go a long way in bringing the two worlds of law enforcement and security into alignment.
Here in California, I don't want Isais Quinones, or any other security officer, to be buried without any recognition of their sacrifices. Through the SOMF I am working to create a new culture of commitment after the loss of a fellow officer. We will work to create a list of companies who can, on short notice, provide patrol cars for the funeral procession and uniformed officers for an honor guard. The SOMF will ensure there is a US flag for the widow and officers from different companies in attendance. And I am not the only one who recognizes this need. In Texas, a similar program is already in place, the Fallen Officer Fund. This fund was created several years ago by that state's private security trade association, ASSIST. Clearly, the time has come. The question now becomes, what is being done in the rest of the country? What will you do in your area?
Through a unified display of respect to those who have fallen and fraternal support for each other right now, we will help both the public and law enforcement to understand and appreciate the value a security officer provides the community, and that the life of a security officer is just as important as the life of a police officer.
Brian J. Fagan is President of Royal Security Service Inc. in Los Angeles; Treasurer of the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates, (CALSAGA); and Chairman of CALSAGA's Security Officer Memorial Fund. |
