18 North Shore Towers Courier n April 2013 At the front gates, On the front lines BY MAGGIE HAYES The crew guarding the gates of North Shore Towers has one main priority: keeping everybody, residents and workers alike, safe. “We’re the frontline of security,” said John Pedro, who has been at the Towers for roughly a decade. Currently, Pedro serves as the “fill-in” security gate guard, rotating through the schedule to give other guards their days off. Each day, three guards cycle through three shifts, covering 24 hours, seven days a week. They log down visitors’ license plates and keep track of all emergency vehicles going to buildings. “I try to be proactive and keep on top of what’s happening around me,” said Niklaus Williams, a five-year veteran at the gate. Williams recently graduated from York College for Business Administration, and although he values his time at the Towers, is also hoping to take his degree to the professional world. He uses this professionalism ideal to tackle tasks at the gate, surveying each person who comes through. However, aside from the responsibilities that the post comes with, the security guards also look at their job as a way to socialize and get to know the people coming in and out of the Towers on a regular basis. Williams added that he enjoys talking with various people who come through the complex, and he’s able to communicate with them in a natural, no-pressure environment. “Some people come so often, I like seeing them,” echoed Dwarka Nandram. “You get familiar, and it builds my love for the North Shore Towers. You never get bored; you have to be focused and alert.” Nandram has held his gate position for just over two years, beginning after he emigrated from Guyana. He said it was very difficult for him to find a job, but he finally found solace at the North Shore Towers, working the afternoon shift from 4 p.m. to midnight. “The job is good for me,” he said. “It’s a way to survive.” Shawn Wright is another decade-long worker at the Towers. At first, he did the security department’s mobile patrol of the grounds, but has since moved to the security gate. Naturally an introvert, Wright said that working on the frontline has “shaped and made him a better person.” “You meet and make friends with people from all walks of life,” he said. “I see the same people over and over, so even though you’re doing your job, you get to know these people. You have to be professional and friendly at the same time.” Wright knows that with the job comes the necessity to be both vocal and active, and he has found himself attributing these qualities to his everyday life outside the Towers as well. So take a minute to stop at the gate, say hello to the friendly faces and enjoy some conversation. The crew is always eager to give a hello. Dwarka Nandram, pictured in front of the security department’s daily schedule, loves getting to know the people that pass through the gate each day. Photos by Maggie Hayes Niklaus Williams (left) and John Pedro (right) are part of the security gate team at the Towers. Shawn Wright enjoys all of his job’s responsibilities, including issuing visitors passes inside the complex.
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