RQYS Mainsheet 2021

Security

FEATURE

Enjoyable, too, for John is observing the unfolding patterns of members’ regular visits and seeing different reasons for the comings and goings. “One bloke will turn up one weekend with no boat in tow, the next towing an empty trailer,” John recalls, “some times with family or passengers in the car, others with a load of gear for chores and one Sunday morning – blow me! – with the boat actually in tow and heading for the ramp for a day on the water!” It’s that shrewd situational awareness and an instinctive ability to detect when something ‘isn’t right’ in the context or currents that is reassuring. “I always get here earlier than the start time of my shift,” John notes, “and generally do a drive-through of the entire grounds to get attuned to what’s going on before taking up the day’s duties. Additional responsibilities, developed throughout the first 20 months of the pandemic, have come to include an oversight of traffic and crowd control and social distancing measures, as well as helping safeguard the Squadron with its evolving legal obligations for check-in. Squadron security, much enhanced in recent years, has been a family affair since 2005, when GMR became the prime security provider to RQYS. Founded in 1997 by Gillian and Gary Smalley, GMR Security is today a second- generation family business with son Rhys working his way through the ranks and an increasing diversity of operational and administratuve experience.

“I can echo John’s sentiments,” Gillian says. “It’s always nice to come down here to RQYS at Manly. For RQYS members, seeing the same faces – like John’s – regularly is something which is innate in our family business DNA: we are fortunate to keep our GMR team members with us for many years.” Squadron Hospitality Manager Beth Kucks concurs: “GMR is an embedded part of our RQYS community now – we’re building even more on a good level of trust and responsiveness, especially with our ever-watchful liveaboard members as our ‘eyes and ears’ around the marinas.They’re certainly our first alert if something is unusual or may be amiss. “RQ’s bond is very strong: I have a direct line to Gillian and Gary and can call for support at a moment’s notice” – as more than a few trespassing fishermen can ruefully attest (some after a follow-up visit from the police) – “and this is such an important part of our business and looking after our members’ security, our assets and our facilities,” Beth says. “Over the past year we’ve instituted a new mobile patrol structure all over the marina and hardstand areas, based on a dynamic roster of random appearances by GMR security staff around Squadron facilities,” said Beth. “In particular, we’ve delivered enhanced control and oversight of grounds access on weekends and public- and school-holidays, with regular appearances by John and other familiar GMR faces, checking-in vehicles and pedestrians at the main gates and other entry points.”

John has been RQ’s ‘Security Concierge’ for the past two years and says that, be it gate- and traffic-management on major Squadron event days or turning up unannounced on a random spot roster and grounds check, it’s a choice gig. “I really enjoy working here: I’ve got to know a lot of people – very friendly too; everyone I talk to is really nice and nothing’s too much trouble for anyone at RQYS.” Nothing is too much trouble for John, either, with an experienced operative’s keen eye for nuance and context. One busy weekend morning, recently, with a growing queue of drivers to be checked in per legal requirements, he happened upon a member and partner doing a double car run to drop one off on the grounds and exit. “Rather than hold everyone else up,” said John, “and slow them down with an office visit to get a daily PIN just for a five-minute visit, I kept an eye on the exit gate ready to let them out. All sweet as, and kept things moving nicely.” It’s a timely reminder, too, about the importance of members’ vehicles clearly displaying a current membership sticker: “If I can see the member number from a few cars along, then all I have to do is note the rego and click the QR code check-in as I get to the driver’s door and that really smooths things along.” That also frees up some key moments for a cheery hello, time for a few words of advice or guidance in reply to a question, and good wishes for an enjoyable day at the Squadron and a safe day out on the Bay – or “birthday greetings for the regulars,” John smiles, “which is always a pleasant surprise for them.”

Mainsheet 2021

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