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The means to secure equipment are often simple, but they must be done.

The most common reaction to a story I tell of a contractor who lost equipment and then divulged that he had not immobilized it and had not done anything to prevent theft at the remote site, is “Serves him right!” Preventing theft or, to put it more positively, keeping your equipment safe, is as much a mental operation as a physical or technological ability. Thieves think that people who leave their possessions lying around are asking for trouble. To most of us, stealing is wrong and should not be done, however easy a particular opportunity makes it. But thieves give thanks to those owners who don’t bother to secure valuable equipment, especially those who do absolutely nothing to deter theft.

Those who steal business equipment from contractors and utilities are rarely teenagers looking for a joy ride or a bit of fun. Stealing equipment is their business and they approach it with the same care and thoroughness as you approach your business. Some of them may have tools that are more efficient and technologically superior. They know what they are looking for and they devote their skills and attention to acquiring it. Obviously, the equipment used outdoors that is most easily sold is the best target, so smaller machines like skid steers loaders are favorites.

Where do they sell the stolen equipment? It does not all go to northern Estonia, southern Patagonia or foreign parts. Too much stolen equipment is sold locally. There are more people involved in equipment theft, after the theft. Who buys it? Business people who think they see a real bargain and don’t care whether the equipment offered is stolen or not. New owners like that plead ignorance if they learn later that the ultra-cheap equipment is stolen, but surely we should not tolerate such abuse? Buying stolen equipment is as bad as actually stealing it and we would all be more secure if nobody in our industry did that.

There are two principal stages in this sector of equipment security. Firstly, try to prevent its theft. Secondly, get it back if it is stolen. In a perfect world, your equipment will not be stolen. If it is, you want a fast way to get it back. Identify your equipment. Put an identification number on it with clearly visible paint or labels. When you acquire any equipment, keep a written record of the manufacturer’s name, the date of purchase, the model number and any other identification number. (That takes a few minutes and may turn out to be the highest paid work you’ll ever do.) When your equipment must be left on site, immobilize it with wheel locks, ignition locks or fuel shut-offs. If you must park your equipment overnight, place it in a way that makes it difficult to access and move. You could literally circle the wagons against attack. If possible, fence the equipment on site and have lighting on site through the night. Do anything you can think of to deter anybody from taking it away. Potential thieves do not like delays in their operations; they want to locate the equipment, access it, and steal it. Quickly. You may have your own ideas for protection, depending on the items and the location. Most equipment is stolen on another site, at somebody else’s (your client’s) location, not from its home base. What the thieves believe (and too often they are correct) is that many operators turn off their machines for the day, leave them where they stopped, and go home. Some of them leave keys in the ignition!

Devices and Attitudes

There are devices available to immobilize your equipment and many of the items in your fleet are vehicles rather than machines. The Start-Smart keyless ignition from Keytroller has earned praise for its practical approach to vehicle theft. The system replaces the ignition key with a metal piezo keypad. The maker says it’s virtually indestructible. To start the vehicle, you enter the proper code and, if the panel flashes green (indicating acceptance), you push the START button. To stop the engine, you press the STOP button. As an anti-theft device it will incorporate a wireless relay in the ignition, starter or fuel-pump circuit. A thief cannot hot wire the vehicle without first enabling the relay.

Consider a system for recovering stolen equipment. A recovery system helps law enforcement people to find it and return it to you, quickly and still in good condition. The LoJack system is one popular example of a recovery method. That company uses radio frequency technology, with components virtually impossible for the potential thieves to find and disengage. The company works with law enforcement agencies in many states. Its success rate for recovery is 90 percent. In the last several years, more than 80 percent of the equipment provided with LoJack equipment was recovered by law enforcement personnel in less than 24 hours, with almost a quarter of it recovered in less than an hour! The quicker the recovery, the less likelihood there is of damage to the stolen items. How quickly can the professional equipment thieves take apart a stolen vehicle? If we’re talking cars, half an hour may be all they need to strip and hide your stolen asset. You can be sure they know how and where to handle pickups and those other vehicles popular with utilities.

If your equipment is stolen, a recovery system will help law enforcement departments track it down and return it to you. “Common sense and theft prevention products can go a long way towards thwarting professional thieves, but the best strategy is to use an equipment recovery system,” comments Jerry Sadler, based in Texas with LoJack’s Law Enforcement Liaison. “That is the best bet if you want to reduce your operational costs and keep your projects on track.” A recovery system does not deter a thief. It will provide you with the ability to recover anything stolen in a timely fashion. That is surely what you want to achieve. You want your property back, in good condition, and before it can disrupt your work schedule.

Protecting your site means you know who goes in or tries to go in. There are several excellent systems for such security. One I have read about recently is from Smarter Security Systems, who have a history of successful entrance control and outdoor security solutions. They have introduced what they call a second-generation SmarterSentry mobile surveillance system, designed for remote or temporary locations. “This system uniquely addresses the needs many organizations have for surveillance to protect either mobile or remote outdoor assets,” notes Marl Ellsworth, Vice President of Sales for Smarter Security Systems. “With the powerful cameras, the on-board SmarterDVR delivering real-time video and threat assessment, and a highly reliable, 30-day power supply based on propane, it’s a compelling mobile solution for organizations not willing or able to invest fixed security resources at a location.”

There are many devices to help secure your equipment; you probably receive information on them or see them advertised in magazines. You can check out security devices on the Internet. Before you purchase any devices, however, it is wise to make sure that everybody in your utility is concerned about equipment security. When an operator leaves a machine or vehicle at the end of the day’s work, he or she should be sure that it is parked safely and securely. If that means having rules published for your employees, so be it. If it means having a system where employees clock in and out with their equipment, so be it. None of the end-of-the-shift tasks are likely to take more than a couple of minutes and your assets are certainly too valuable to be treated with any casual routines by any employee.

Security for your equipment, whether you are a big utility with fleets of hundreds of vehicles or a contractor with just a few items to secure, starts as a frame of mind, a positive attitude towards the value of the equipment. Its value is not simply in dollars; it is in your respect or your assets and for their importance to your employees and customers.

Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008

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