Braving The Strom Safeguarding Humanity From Disaster's Dark Side

“We advocate for the value of human life by defending and protecting humanity from the worst of possibilities,” says Troy Skeen, CEO and founder of GPI Defense.

Emergencies—whether it’s a natural or man-made disaster—often give room to chaos. The emotional implications of the public during these situations can’t be understated, and responders always need to carry out tasks by catering to individuals facing an overwhelming sense of fear and uncertainty. This can slacken restoration activities on all fronts or even disrupt relief operations. Lending a helping hand to those emergency responders, allowing them to ensure the safe execution of emergency relief, is a monumental task in and of itself.

A leading security and investigation expert, GPI Defense specializes in providing top-notch security services to clients across federal, state, and local agencies, educational institutions, private organizations, and utility companies, giving them peace of mind to seamlessly execute their work during emergencies.

Our company was established with the aim to transform the industry and public perception of security companies by promoting a new mindset of client-centricity

GPI Defense demonstrated its full range of competencies during a recent hurricane in Florida, helping an electric company— one of its prominent clients—to secure a temporary relief camp. The team was responsible for facilitating the entry and exit of over 1,500 electrical maintenance trucks daily, managing traffic control, and ensuring security. It also dispatched drones to better secure the perimeter, allowing them to carry out their operations while protecting employees and assets. Team GPI Defense even addressed the stressors experienced by technicians working long hours, providing a peaceful environment throughout the emergency.

This resulted in the client lauding GPI Defense for its unrivaled ability to employ the best people and equipment for effectively carrying out security tasks. The electric company conveyed their contentment with the team’s services and expressed their intent to continue the partnership. The success of the endeavor hinged largely on GPI Defense’s well-trained security professionals.

“Securing facilities during emergency scenarios goes beyond a run-of-the-mill security job. The personnel deployed must be boots on the ground at the earliest possible timeframe, command a reliable presence, and remain empathetic to people in distress,” says Skeen.

Each of GPI Defense’s security staff is meticulously handpicked from various impressive security backgrounds, such as retired veterans, former NYPD SWAT members, and individuals with other similar security backgrounds. The stringent process ensures clients are consistently provided with reliable personnel, significantly reducing potential liabilities.

GPI Defense is driven by a primary belief that no one should feel unsafe or insecure at work, play, home, or a place of worship.The personnel at GPI Defense, backed by over three decades of experience, have honed their skills to provide the best possible security, investigations, and defense services. Armed, unarmed, uniform or non-uniform, GPI has professionals fit to serve in any low- and high-risk environment.

Responsibility is an Ethos

As the security landscape is characterized by constant changes related to laws and regulations, GPI Defense takes great strides to ensure staffs remain well-versed in the latest skills and industry knowledge. Its team is enrolled in regular hand-combat training and certifications, first aid, CPR, conflict resolution, and verbal judo sessions. Each of its officers has unparalleled verbal skills to de-escalate a situation, as navigating and diffusing conflicts through mindful speech choices can resolve most incidents. Trained in conflict resolution and customer safety, they ensure a visible presence without being confrontational.

“We tread on the path of empathy over sympathy, meaning personnel always follow a code of professionalism,” says Skeen.

GPI Defense emphasizes integrity and honesty to deliver exceptional performance that enables it to prioritize personnel and equipment quality over financial gains. It has set higher standards for client-centricity by offering an on-time guarantee where clients are credited with two billable hours if officers are late to assigned posts. This demonstrates its unwavering commitment to providing trained, well-equipped, and committed personnel.

AI Capabilities to Supplement Experienced Personnel

GPI Defense operates a 24-hour dispatch center that monitors and communicates with all its guards and officers. It uses AI to perform various monitoring tasks, like tracking license plates, detecting human body detection, and identifying hate speech. This technology is instrumental in multi-point security instances. GPI Defense also uses 400-pound robots that patrol parking lots, hospitals, and other facilities as part of its services. The state-of-the-art robots are not intended to replace humans but to supplement their abilities. Its GPID Ai-K1 Hemisphere robot is an ideal entry point for commercial and multi-family residential properties, ATM vestibules, lobbies, loading docks, ports, rail, and schools.

The hemisphere has three cameras that provide 180-degree, eye-level, high-definition video, a strobe light, automatic license plate recognition, human body detection, automated broadcast announcements, and intercom capability running on a 4G or 5G cellular network.

The GPID Ai-K5 is another robot best suited for securing large outdoor spaces, designed with the ability to autonomously recharge itself without human intervention. It functions effectively as a force multiplier, giving the personnel additional eyes, ears, and voice by utilizing a fully integrated GPID Security Operations Center user interface. The company has a dispatch center to monitor the robots and enforce security around the clock.

Besides AI capabilities, GPI Defense has a purpose-built platform to meticulously tailor patrol routes and checkpoints to reduce the possibility of security breaches. The software simplifies creating and managing work schedules, which ensures clients always get the right personnel and protection services that best meet their safety profile. In addition, the platform offers a simple way to document incidents swiftly and accurately, complete with photos and signatures, keeping clients informed of any security events.

The GPI Way of Excellence

GPI Defense helps clients develop emergency action plans. It conducts a discovery process, and the insights gleaned are instrumental in scripting a set of procedures and protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of employees in the event of an emergency, such as a fire, natural disaster, or other unexpected situation. The plans developed align with the emergency safety standards mandated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The combination of well-trained personnel and best-in-class solutions enables GPI Defense to promptly respond to any situation.

“Our company was established with the aim to transform the industry and public perception of security companies by promoting a new mindset of client-centricity,” says Skeen.

At GPI Defense, giving back to the community is more than just a slogan; it is a core value that drives its actions. When natural disasters strike, it goes above and beyond to support the affected communities by dedicating one day of volunteer work for every week its officers serve during the crisis. They roll up their sleeves and get to work in whatever capacity needed, lending a helping hand to those in need. During the holiday season, GPI Defense spreads joy and cheer by organizing Christmas celebrations and shopping sprees for underprivileged kids.

In the coming months, it plans to offer security services for schools in compliance with the new school protection requirements in Texas. The company is also gearing up to expand its workforce in response to its growing client base. The clear-cut roadmap is a testament to GPI Defense’s indomitable zeal to create safe communities and make the world a better place for the generations to come.