SIA Member Profile: BearCom

Security Industry Association (SIA) member BearCom designs and delivers high-performance wireless voice, video and data communication solutions that boost operating efficiency and increase safety. The company is headquartered in Garland, Texas, and operates coast to coast across the United States and Canada from more than 80 branch locations that provide local design, deployment and service for security solutions. With more than 1,000 industry experts, the BearCom team serves more than 35,000 customers across all sectors.

SIA spoke with Les Fry, senior vice president of sales and marketing at BearCom, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.

SIA: Tell us the story of your company.

Les Fry: BearCom was founded in 1981 and began business by providing two-way radio rentals for event management and security. The Long Beach Grand Prix was one of our earliest customers, and we still serve them today. In the years since BearCom’s founding, we have become Motorola Solutions’ largest dealer and system integrator in the world of two-way radio systems. We significantly expanded our security systems portfolio, including wireless video surveillance and access control, and now offer multiple integrated technologies designed to more effectively protect people and property.

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?

LF: We sell, rent and service all classes of two-way radios, including industrial, commercial and enterprise devices and systems. In addition, we install and maintain video solutions that include, but are not limited to, IP site surveillance cameras, dashboard cameras, body cameras and license plate recognition systems. One of our specialties is designing and installing in-vehicle safety and security technologies for law enforcement and other mobile teams.

As an authorized dealer enterprise partner for Avigilon Solutions, we offer the most advanced surveillance systems available with flexible and programmable artificial intelligence (AI) so your system can do more, faster. Plus, Avigilon images are so crystal clear, it is possible to deploy fewer cameras to cover larger areas, which reduces total cost of ownership. We also install and service hundreds of bidirectional amplifier and distributed antenna system solutions every year, which are required in many localities to boost in-building signal strength for first responder radio frequencies. In addition, BearCom offers call boxes, access control solutions and emergency mass notification systems.

What’s something we might not know about your company – or What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

LF:BearCom specializes in sourcing, designing, deploying and maintaining interoperable voice, video and data solutions. We have extensive expertise integrating solutions across multiple hardware and software platforms. For instance, our wireless engineering team developed a proprietary software solution we call Video Alerts Dispatched Over Radio (VADOR), which sends audio alerts directly from surveillance systems to two-way radios so security professionals and other team members carrying radios can be notified immediately when a triggering event occurs. In addition, the video management system provided through our surveillance solutions uses sophisticated AI – including facial and vehicle recognition – to scan and locate vital video footage more rapidly.

Our approach to interoperability centers on providing early notification of potential incidents so security teams can respond proactively to prevent injuries and loss, rather than merely being reactive after damage occurs. What else differentiates BearCom is that service quality and solution value are always top of mind for our organization before, during and after deployment. BearCom thrives on using past experience, ingenuity, continuous improvement and teamwork to solve the most challenging mission-critical security needs in public safety, education, public venues, industrial plants, commercial enterprises and more.

What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

LF: Our goal is to be each customer’s trusted advisor for video surveillance systems, two-way radios, access control devices, signal booster amplifiers, emergency mass notification systems, public safety interoperability products and more. BearCom has the skill sets, experience and locations to develop, install and maintain security-related technologies. Knowing that wireless networks provide enormous benefits to protect people and property, our team is committed to delivering voice communications and video, with the potential to add instant data sharing. This integration can save precious seconds to speed response and resolution during emergencies, as well as in everyday operations.

The power of voice and image capture are not only vital to add security – they also establish that safety measures are in place, document regulatory compliance and provide evidence of solid operational practices.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?

LF: The value that technology can play to automate and standardize best practices while reducing errors, adding safety and security and reducing liability and risk. In addition, BearCom is a partner you can trust. We have deep levels of expertise working with the finest security product manufacturers, as well as directly with end user customers. In addition, we team with industry partners and security service professionals as an end-to-end solutions provider, or as a subcontractor to deliver the solutions they need to complete the job and better serve their customers.

What are your predictions for the security industry in the short and long term?

LF: With the advent of predictive analytics through AI, BearCom looks forward to bringing our customers not just viewable or reviewable surveillance activity, but actionable opportunities to deter or prevent illegal and inappropriate activity. Our VADOR technology demonstrates the power of this technological evolution. 

What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?

LF: What excites us the most is the overwhelming amount of pride BearCom associates have to deliver solutions that help customers and communities.

At BearCom, our brand promise is that we are “Always On” for our customers, our teammates and our communities. This commitment supports our core priorities of focusing on people, increasing speed, driving out costs and providing relentless customer service.

What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?

LF: As the largest and most influential security industry consortium in North America, SIA is an invaluable resource to stay current with industry trends, thought leadership and customer needs. Through our membership in SIA, it is our goal to engage with security professionals and end-user customers across North America and help them solve problems.We believe our solutions-first, product-neutral approach focused on integrating voice/video/data differentiates our company from the competition.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).