By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

According to local law enforcement officials, the security measures at Seabrook not only keep the community safe, but they keep the surrounding areas safe as well.

“We can rely on them to get the job done—from reports to more extreme cases, when those do arise,” says Detective Sergeant John Scrivanic of the Tinton Falls Police Department. “Anytime we get a call from there, their security personnel have everything ready for us when we arrive. Their security does a great job—from the front gate to in-house.”

Immediate response
All security officers at Seabrook are either emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or first responders, according to Security Coordinator Tom Burton.

“We do very well in our response time; it’s approximately two minutes. That’s due to having officers strategically located throughout the community,” Burton says.

Emergency pull cords in the bathrooms, bedrooms, and common areas of every home quicken emergency response time. If people need help, they can pull the cord, alerting the on-campus emergency dispatch center to send a trained professional immediately.

A watchful eye
Security latches installed on the exterior of every apartment door are one of Erickson’s most innovative safety features.

When security officers make their midnight rounds, they set the latches to the “up” position. The next day when residents open their doors, the latches will drop. If a latch hasn’t dropped by late morning, the day shift officers make note and check whether the resident is out of town. If so, they drop the latch; if not, they ask staff to call the resident. If no one answers, they enter the home to make sure everything is OK—or to provide help if it’s not.