Blog

Introduction

David’s House, a home for families of those who are being treated at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHAD), was interested in adding some safety and security measures to their facilities. However, there were some unique challenges that had to be considered before they could move forward.

Tasco Security was asked to consult on the project and implement the new security solution. This partnership enabled David’s House to see the potential that Tasco offered above and beyond the David’s House original goals:

• The project was completed faster than the estimated time frame
• There was little to no disruption to the house, despite the facility being operations 24/7
• Project manager and technicians delivered top notch customer service, not only handling the installation but also communicating informative and valuable training to the David’s House staff

About David’s House

David's House is the dream of a little boy named David Cyr who passed away in 1984 after a long struggle with acute lymphocytic leukemia. During David's frequent visits to the children's hospital, his father met many parents who were unable to afford any length of stay at nearby hotels. Because they were unwilling to leave their child's side, they ended up sleeping in chairs in their child's room or in their cars. Each time David was discharged, he begged his parents to take the other kids in the pediatric departments with them to their safe, comfortable home in nearby Vermont. His parents always told him that someday they would. Within a week of David's passing, the Cyrs and their friends began raising money to make David's wish come true. The seed money from which David's House was grown was David's own $300.78. On January 20, 1986, the promise to David became a reality as David’s House opened the doors to its first guests. Since David's House opened, they have served over 14,500 families. They are a safe, peaceful, no-cost home environment filled with compassionate staff and volunteers.

Challenges

David’s House provides their guests with a sense of love, community and caring. Their house functions around the clock and has many people coming and going. There are constantly a high number of guests, visitors and employees who frequent the building and it can be a challenging environment to monitor. Like any thoughtful organization, David’s House had come to realize that the time had come to add some security to the building which would provide an increased level of safety to their guests.

Being a non-profit, budget is always a concern and the staff of David’s house was also very mindful of the aesthetics of installing a security system with cameras. It was of the utmost importance to them not to upset the environment of the house, as it is a 24/7 operation that prides itself on being a home-away-from-home. David’s House reached out to longtime supporter, Tasco Security and President Tim Surprenant, who gave them invaluable advice on how to achieve both goals of safety and security while not upsetting the social environment of the home.

The Tasco Security Solution

The focus of this project was to provide enhanced security and safety without being intrusive, not only during installation but afterward as well. Tasco wanted to ensure people felt comfortable and at home throughout the project. The project technicians primary focus was security hardware installation but they also had to consider how to minimize the disruption to the staff and guests daily lives. Tasco was able to efficiently install a state of the art, high-resolution megapixel IP based camera system.

This system provides three types of safety:

1. Deterrence
2. Ability to monitor facility live or remotely
3. Audit trail for evidentiary use

Services provided:

• Consulting: Met with David's House to learn about their needs, goals and expectations. Also helped analyze budget and timeline for project. 
• Project Manager: Made sure Tasco was prepared and punctual when project commenced, ensuring tasks were done quickly and efficiently with minimal intrusion
• Technicians: Understood not only the goals and scope of the project but also David’s House day-to-day operations and their unique needs
• Training: Educated staff on the system and its uses, while also showing them how to best optimize the technology in their facility.

The Partnership

The relationship between Tasco Security and David’s House began over a decade ago; Tasco Security, being a small Upper Valley-based business, wanted to partner with a local non-profit that they felt had a great positive impact on the overall area. David’s House was a natural fit as it provides a vital service to people from all walks of life when they need it most.

David’s House is the beneficiary of many regional events and other forms of giving, but they actively put on only three fundraisers per year, one of which is their annual golf tournament. Tasco Security has been a proud and faithful sponsor of this event for over a decade.

This year David’s House is revving up for the 20th anniversary of its golf tournament. Held at the picturesque Eastman Golf Links, this is a tournament you don’t want to miss. On September 17, 2018, teams of four will hit the course with their mulligans and strings to support David’s House. Click here for more information.