ASP Staff, Author at ASP Security Services

By Neeru Panjwani, Human Resources Manager

It is our pleasure to introduce and welcome the following new members in our team. Please join us in providing a warm ASP welcome to all the new members. We are proud to have you all as part of our team!

Russ Fox

Russ Fox officially joined the ASP team in the role of “Master Trainer” in the Canine Division. Reporting to Ms. Trisha Murray – Director of Canine and Resource Planning Department, Russ will oversee our Canine trainers and achieve training excellence for our Canine Division. Russ has been working with ASP on a contractual basis, and we’re thrilled to bring him on full time. Among Russ’ credentials, he is a Master Trainer with The Canine Law Enforcement Registry and Formerly with Peel Regional Canine Unit.

During his tenure with the Peel regional Police, Russ trained 22 Patrol teams, 9 Narcotic teams and 2 explosive teams. He has certified dozens more teams for other jurisdictions and continues to train and judge in the world of high performance canines.

Sharifa Akbar

Sharifa Akbar joined us as “Training Coordinator” for the Aviation Security Division. Sharifa, who likes to be calle Sherry, reports to Mr. David Ramlagan – National Aviation Training Manager. In her role, Sherry will be responsible for developing and/or arranging high quality Training Programs which meet all GTAA and Transport Canada specified requirements for our frontline staff in airport security.

She has over four years of rich experience in the field of training development and facilitation. Sherry is certified in Adult Education from Sheridan College and Service Excellence from Ontario Tourism Education Center.

Melissa Shehadeh

Melissa Shehadeh has joined ASP as “Accountant” in the Finance Department and reports to Mr. Paul Parkinson – Director of Finance. Melissa has a Business Administration Diploma with specialization in Accounting from the University of Guelph-Humber.

Before joining ASP, she has worked in the finance and accounting field for over four years in a fast paced and detailoriented work environment. Her experience has helped her develop advanced technical and multi-tasking skills with the ability to learn quickly while maintaining / improving efficiency.

Paige Piercy

Paige Pierce is our newest member in the Finance department. She joined us as “Payroll Specialist” and will report to Mr. Paul Parkinson – Director of Finance.

Paige will support the payroll department in day-to-day payroll duties to ensure that employee pay is processed on a timely basis and without any error.

Currently pursuing Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification, Paige is an enthusiastic and highly motivated professional with over five years of experience in an administrative capacity.

In her last role, prior to joining ASP, Paige worked as a Payroll Administrator where she processed payroll for around 500 employees bi-weekly wherein she gained rich experience on payroll software and payroll compliance protocols.

Lilia Olejarz

Lilia Olejarz joined ASP as HR Administrator and will be based out of the Burlington Head Office location. She reports to Ms. Neeru Panjwani – HR Manager.

Lilia holds a graduation certificate in Human Resources Management from Mohawk College which meets the academic requirements for the prestigious Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.

She was a HR intern at Ferrero Canada where she gained experience in recruiting frontline employees in a fastpaced environment and facilitating the onboarding and orientation of new hire staff.

At ASP, Lilia will be responsible for efficient management of employee personnel records and documents and proper execution of all HR compliance related procedures in the field of employee personal database management while also supporting HR projects for the team.

By Rikki Ellul, Service Delivery Coordinator

“Ozan Kaya is one of our many great Respite Supervisors who was recently recognized by the Toronto Police Services for his excellent and professional assistance in making an arrest at one of our Respite locations. Ozan has been working respites with ASP since August 2020 and his great efforts do not go unnoticed. He is a hard worker who is constantly looking for growth and provides excellent support to his team and ASP. Ozan was awarded an ASP Certificate of Appreciation for his constant hard work and ability to lead his team with confidence and success.
We look forward to continuing watching Ozan’s journey with us!”

1. If you could give new employees any advice, what would it be?

A: My biggest recommendation for new employees would be to utilize your surroundings, whether that be the ASP management team, your onsite supervisor or your coworkers, someone will always know something you didn’t and use that knowledge you gain from them to your advantage.

2. Why is teamwork important to you and how do you ensure your team always works together?

A: Teamwork gives you the confidence in knowing that not only will the job you do be more enjoyable but also more efficient. On my team when we have free time, we rarely spend it on our phones but instead tell each other stories of who we are, what we have done and the things we have seen. Building comradery is essential when you are with someone for 12 hours every day, and want to build friendships.

By Vasilis Androutsos, Manager, Operations RES/CIC

Since we all spend so much time within our scope of work, one of the initiatives we have identified to increase employee engagement, morale and encourage good working relationships amongst our colleagues was to create a social committee within our
Toronto office.

Having a dedicated committee that primarily focuses on fun, lighthearted, team building opportunities and allows us to incorporate a fun-filled calendar into our workplace, will allow us to achieve a good work-life balance for our health and wellbeing. Having organised social events will give all of us something fun to look forward to and help us all relieve workplace stress.

Some of the benefits that our team members will see is increased employee engagement, opportunities for networking and career growth, lower employee turnover, minimizing conflict in the workplace and opportunities for diversity and inclusion. Our goal is to focus on Diversity and Inclusion workplace wellness and set up events that we all can participate and have a great time.

Stephanie Power was appointed as the chair of the social committee, and I was able to pose a few questions to get some insight on how she sees the impact of the social committee having on our team members.

I believe it is important and beneficial because it’s where colleagues get to come together, brainstorm and put together events, or ideas on how to have employee engagement and employee recognition in the workplace.

Having a social committee stimulates a real collaborative process where it allows team members to get to know one another while contributing to the workplace in a new and exciting way.

Our first event was the Summer Bash, which was a great success! We had everyone in the office participating, laughing, smiles on their faces and getting to know each other on a different but professional level.

I am looking forward to working with the team on more events or ideas on how we can continue to build team moral in the workplace.

The best feeling is watching everything come together and seeing everyone participating and enjoying themselves. Also, when the employees come to us and say thank you, they had so much fun, and appreciate our hard work we put into the event is very rewarding.

RES/CIC will be hosting another session in the coming weeks for our Human Resources team.

By Sean Gallagher, Recruitment Manager

ASP has done a lot of growing in the past year, especially in our Recruitment department. We’ve expanded our department to ensure each division of ASP gets the attention it needs to bring in qualified new talent.

Here is a guide to our new and ever-growing team to help in case you’re looking to expand and grow in the company or have a friend you’d like to refer.

Recruitment Management

SEAN GALLAGHER
Recruitment Manager

The team is spearheaded by Sean Gallagher, who shares his nearly a decade of ASP experience to guide the team and his expansive security experience. Feel free to reach out to him for any referral bonus payouts, canine handler positions, and office postings at sgallagher@aspsecurity

Residential/Commercial

KEBA WALTERS
Assistant Recruitment Manager

Reach out for any promotional opportunities and any general inquiries for the Residential/Commercial division at kwalters@aspsecurity

MOHAMED KHAN
HR RES/CIC Recruiter

JASON TONINI
HR RES/CIC Recruiter

Both Jason and Mohamed bring in a mix of a background in recruitment as well as security and can guide you or your referrals through the ASP process smoothly. Reach out to Mohamed and Jason for any Residential, Commercial, or Specialist roles at
mkhan@security-asp.com and jtonini@security-asp.com

For any crossing guard or orientation inquiries, please reach out to recruitment@security-asp.com

Aviation

NADIA ONORATO

Nadia, one of the team’s most experienced Recruiters, can assist with any of the following roles: Calgary Airport, Billy Bishop Airport, Ottawa Airport, Sudbury Airport, TPIA Specialists, Operational Support Reps, and Aviation Supervisor roles and can be contacted at nonorato@security-asp.com

TASIYAH MCDOOM

Tasiyah, coming from the residential/commercial side to aviation can assist with TPIA Access Control Security positions and any questions you may have regarding Transport Canada Clearance forms at tmcdoom@security-asp.com

AMINA ALI-RAGE

Amina is another invaluable member of the team and can support you with any inquiries regarding Transport Canada Application and RAIC form signing for Toronto Pearson Airport (TPIA) at aalirage@security-asp.com

We’re very excited to welcome our new recruitment team members to ASP! Any further questions can be sent to recruitment@security-asp.com and we’ll get you connected to the right person!

By Petra Nash, Executive Assistant

2020 marked the 20th anniversary for ASP Our celebration plans were muted due to the global pandemic and the impact it had on our business. But the strength of character so many of you showed in remaining on the front lines and continuing to provide the critical service our clients depend on, has been monumental. It proved to us that we are doing the right things and behaving in a way that demonstrated the true character of this business, which incorporated in 2000.

Last year, our CEO and President, Mr. Dean Lovric committed to “an ASP Day at Canada’s Wonderland (a full day at the park, exclusive use of rides in the evening, and a private inner), to commemorate our 20th and celebrate those who are most important to the success of the business ……… you, our front-line workers.

On September 18, 2021, ASP held our first ever Family Day event at Wonderland! We were fortunate to have great weather, and we were overjoyed seeing all our ASP employees walking around! Your dedication to ASP is appreciated and we want to thank you for making the day memorable.

ASP Head Office staff were able to spot ASP employees because of their ASP Security Services red t-shirts. If you were wearing your ASP red t-shirt you had a chance to be given a raffle ticket. Tickets were handed out by Head Office employees and were given to those employees who Please take a photo of your raffle ticket if it corresponds to any of the numbers below and send it to Petra Nash at pnash@seucrity-asp.com along with your phone number, email address as well as employee number. Someone from the head office will be in touch with you on your prize were spotted wearing their t-shirts. Below are the raffle ticket winners! Please ensure you speak with your family members to have them check their raffle ticket numbers as well.

We want to thank you once again for all the hard work you have done and hope you had an amazing day at Wonderland!

Please take a photo of your raffle ticket if it corresponds to any of the numbers below and send it to Petra Nash at pnash@security-asp.com along with your phone number, email address as well as employee number. Someone from the head office will be in touch with you on your prize.

By Sarah Northrup, Director - Human Resources

We are proud to have supported the Hillsdale & South Asian Bar Association’s (SABA) goal of raising $30,000 for the Help India Initiative.

A second wave of COVID-19 is wreaking havoc throughout the country. The current surge is overwhelming Indian healthcare infrastructure – patients are not able to access hospital beds and oxygen is in short supply. The loss of life is tragic and catastrophic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and families in nearly every country across the globe. Though children make up a very small number of deaths from the coronavirus, the impact on their lives has been devastating.
We are very lucky to be living in Canada with easy access to healthcare and COVID-19 vaccines. ASP encourages all our teammates to take a moment to think about those who are less fortunate. If you wish to make a donation to UNICEF, here is the link. UNICEF has an outstanding track record of managing donations effectively and delivering live saving programs.

ASP also encourages everyone to get a vaccine so we can end this pandemic. If you would like more information on how to get a vaccine or have questions about the vaccines, the link is LINK REQUIRED

What UNICEF is Doing

UNICEF sent 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India in April and May 2021, and 25 medical oxygen generation plants for hospitals are underway. Globally, UNICEF’s Office of Innovation has been focused on oxygen therapy as a key component of its effort to save lives of children. As a result, UNICEF has procured 15,000 oxygen concentrators as part of its COVID-19 response, helping more than 90 countries across the world.

What is an Oxygen Concentrator?

An Oxygen Concentrator is a portable machine that creates oxygen by removing nitrogen from ambient air. In most cases, these portable devices are the best option for remote and/or low resource areas without oxygen plants or cylinder delivery networks. Costing approximately C$1,000 each and with minimal operational expenses, an oxygen concentrator has the potential to save many lives, as countries around the world struggle to flatten the curve.

How ASP’s Donation Helped

The following supplies have been identified as critical by UNICEF:

• Oxygen Concentrators: C$100,000 can provide approximately 100 portable machines and can be distributed across many states in India
• Oxygen Generation Plant: C$235,000 can provide enough oxygen for a 500-bed hospital for 20 years
• RT-PCR Machines: Each costing C$27,000, can speed up identification and treatment of COVID-19 infections. The machines last for 10 years, providing a legacy for testing for other deadly diseases such as TB, HIV, HPV, and streptococcus when COVID-19 declines

In May 2021, ASP donated $8,000 to UNICEF’s COVID Fundraising Efforts

By Noah Thompson, Senior Manager – Projects and Information Systems

Phishing attacks on companies and individuals have increased by 97% since 2016. These attacks can leave not only your email and computer accounts compromised but can affect your mobile devices as well and allow cyber criminals to access your personal information such as bank account details and credit card information.

Phishing is a technique that uses fraudulent websites and falsified emails to trick you into providing personal information like account usernames, account numbers, passwords, and credit card information. In recent years, phishing scams have become more frequent, more sophisticated, and more difficult to detect.

These Phishing attempts can come in the form of a fictional lottery win, a long-lost relative leaving you money or a large corporation requesting your information due to “account security”. The basics are simple, if you won a lottery, you didn’t play it’s a scam and a long lost relative probably doesn’t have your email address. Also, large corporations and banks will NEVER request your information via email.

To keep yourself safe, never click a link from an unknown sender, never send your account details over email or text and remember if its too good to be true, it probably is!

“Never click a link from an unknown sender”

By Darren Scott, Resource Planning Coordinator

Did you know there is an instruction video on how to use the inTime App? If you’re having difficulties or curious of the various functions available, follow this link for more information.

https://fast.wistia.net/embed/channel/6gne3j7rlf

By Darren Scott, Resource Planning Coordinator

During peak times of the day, you may be waiting on hold to speak with a Resource Planner. We are all busy in our day-to-day lives and this may cause some frustration. If you require immediate attention, you can alternatively contact your direct Supervisor or Manager. We also encourage you to email your requests and inquiries to scheduling@security-asp.com. This address is monitored from 05:00-00:00 every day and you can expect a reply within 12-24 hours depending on volume. Your questions and requests are important to us and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible.

By Laurel Woodhouse, Health and Safety Manager

What is a Joint Health and Safety Committee?

A joint health and safety committee ( JHSC) is a forum for bringing the internal responsibility system into practice.
The committee consists of labour and management representatives who meet on a regular basis to deal
with health and safety issues.

The advantage of a joint committee is that the in-depth practical knowledge
of specific tasks (labour) is brought together with the larger overview of company policies, and procedures
(management). Another significant benefit is the enhancement of cooperation among all parts of the work force toward solving health and safety problems. In smaller companies with fewer than a specified number of employees, a health and safety representative is generally required. Consult health and safety legislation applicable to your workplace for details.

Who is responsible for establishing a JHSC?
Employer

What does the JHSC do?

• Recognize workplace hazards
• Evaluate the hazards and risk that may cause incidents, injuries and illness
• Participate in development and implementation of programs to protect the employees’ safety and health
• Respond to employee complaints and suggestions concerning safety and health
• Ensure the maintenance and monitoring of injury and work hazards records
• Monitor and follow-up hazard reports and recommend action
• Set up an promote programs to improve employee training and education
• Participate in safety and health inquires and investigations, as appropriate (Not Workplace Violence and Harassment investigations – for confidentiality reasons)
• Consult with professional and technical experts
• Participate in resolving workplace refusals and work stoppages
• Make recommendation to management for incident prevention and safety program activities.
• Monitor effectiveness of safety programs and procedures

When are JHSC required, and how many people are on the committee?

Legislation Requirements for Health and Safety Committees

	When do I need one?	Size of Committee	Representation
Canada	Mandatory – 20 or more employees	At least 2	At least half to represent employees
British Columbia	Mandatory – when there are 20 or more employees or when “required by order”	Not less than 4	At least one half must be worker representatives
Alberta	Mandatory – 20 or more employees, or when ordered by Minister, or where a designated substance is in use (no minimum number of employees)	At least 2 (fewer than 50 employees); At least 4 (50 or more employees	At least half to represent employees
Quebec	20 or more employees and where required by CNESST*	At least 4	At least half to represent employees
New Brunswick	Mandatory – 20 or more employees	As agreed upon by employees and employer	Equal Representation
Nova Scotia	Mandatory – 20 or more employees	As agreed upon by employees and employer	At least half to represent employees

Who sit on our ASP SAFETY Committees?

• YYC –Management Matt Szajkowski, Tamara Juniper Employees Radowan Chowdhury, and Mohamad Miah
• YSB – Not required under 20 employees
• YYZ – Employees Yavar Qadri, Ethilda Donkor, Sayeed Khan, Management Noman Butt, Jason Zapata and Laurel Woodhouse
• RES /CIC–Will be holding an election in the near future
• Crossing Guards – in-active until September 2021
• K9 – Will be holding an election in the near future
• YOW – Closed
• Billy Bishop Airport – Closed

Something to keep in mind about safety committees.

• In most Canadian jurisdictions, the legally recognized communication channel on safety matters is between the worker and the supervisor. Workers are to report unsafe acts and conditions initially to their immediate supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for acting on such reports and for directing safe work procedures. Committee members should not interfere with this process, except under special circumstances, such as cases of imminent danger where immediate corrective action is necessary.
• It must be clearly understood by all concerned that the employer’s responsibility for safety is in no way diluted or diverted with the formation of a joint health and safety committee.
• Ensuring compliance with safety regulations and procedures is the supervisor’s job while the committee member’s role is more that of an observer and advisor.
• Effective two-way communication ensures that workers are aware of committee activities and gives them an opportunity to contribute ideas to the committee.
• UNIONIZED SETTINGS: Union support of its members on a joint health and safety committee can be evaluated by the way in which members are appointed, the amount of education provided on union health and safety policies, assisting the attendance of members to health and safety seminars, and help given in situations where a problem has occurred in making committee recommendations.

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hscommittees/measure.html