As of June 1, Franklin Global Inc. will replace Professional Security Consultants (PSC) as Marlborough’s new security team. For over a decade, Marlborough has relied on the services of PSC, building a sense of community through their familiar faces and warm smiles.
“Working here has been one of the coolest security jobs I’ve ever worked on,” PSC Security Guard Robert Noel said. “I’ve never had any issues with students and the School takes really great care of those who work for them. However, things have to change at times, but that’s life and you just have to prepare for what’s next.”
Towards the end of the 2022-2023 School Year, Marlborough underwent a security audit, hiring Franklin Global Inc. to assess the safety and security measures on campus. Subsequently, taking into account Franklin Global Inc.’s recommendations, the School’s administration issued requests for proposals from external security companies to explore new offerings.
“It is best practice to periodically evaluate our team every so often, and once you have a set of new options in front of you, you really have to objectively grade these options based on what the school’s needs are,” Director of Facilities and Capital Planning Matt Riddle said. “When determining the new company, once they all submitted a bid, we just sort of laid them all out and discussed what we wanted in order to see what hit all the marks to best fit Marlborough.”
Following the security evaluation, Marlborough identified the need for a stronger system and conducted interviews with four companies, including PSC, using the request for proposal (RFP) process in the Fall of 2023. Oftentimes, an RFP allows organizations to solicit bids from possible service providers by outlining their requirements and inviting companies to submit proposals detailing how each team might be able to fulfill those requirements. In this instance, the RFP process allowed Marlborough to thoroughly assess each company’s capabilities and ensure the chosen partner would meet their expectations of excellence in security. Considering Franklin Global Inc.’s hands-on approach of educating the community its team works for and its staff’s extensive military and law enforcement training, Marlborough concluded that their services closely align with the School’s demands. Nevertheless, PSC staff will have the opportunity to interview with Franklin Global Inc. to remain at Marlborough if they choose, with relocation assistance provided by PSC.
At Franklin Global, each security guard undergoes intensive training to meet the high standards of the company. Over the summer, Marlborough will gradually integrate the new team, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the campus before Marlborough Summer School starts.
“We are always thinking about safety and security at Marlborough. Our campus is uniquely located in the middle of Los Angeles; therefore, we are vulnerable to all the things that go on in our city,” Head of School Jennifer Ciccarelli said. “We are aware that we could be a target for any awful things we see happening in the news and are always looking for balance to make sure we keep everyone safe, without students feeling like they’re in a prison.”
One distinguishing feature of Franklin Global Inc., compared to other interviewed companies, was its core commitment to education and training, not only for its staff but also for our faculty and students. Similar to fire and lockdown drills, they will implement best practices to teach the Marlborough community about various safety measures and improve the School’s readiness for any potential threats. Moreover, recognizing the unique environment of a girls’ school, the administration was steadfast in their commitment to selecting a company that ensured a female lead. In alignment with Marlborough’s foundational principles, Franklin Global Inc. fulfills the school’s aspiration to instill inspiration among students through the presence of female role models throughout the campus.
“Our students are our primary focus in our school community,” Riddle said. “We want to do as much as we can to make this environment as safe as we possibly can, and we felt like with Franklin Global’s background and training capabilities, they were our next best logical partner.”
To recognize the pivotal role PSC has played in our community, Marlborough plans to organize a farewell event at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year to express our school’s gratitude for the years of unwavering dedication PSC has shown the Marlborough community. It will be an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to come together to honor the invaluable contributions and lasting impact PSC has had on our campus.
“Anytime I’m coming to school and am in a horrible mood, they’re always so nice to me and brighten my day,” Georgia ’25 said. “I always feel safe when they’re here, and I’m really sad that they’re leaving because over the past few years they’ve become such a big part of our campus, since we’ve gotten to know them so well. Even if they don’t know all of our names, they recognize our faces and know who we all are, and I think that has been really special.”
