Getting started
What does a security consultant actually do?
We find the gaps in how your people, buildings and procedures protect you, rank them by risk, and give you a practical plan to close them. We don't sell the fixes, so the plan is about your risk, not a product.
Do we need a consultant, or just better equipment?
Most problems we find are habits, procedures and layout, not missing equipment. A camera won't fix a propped door. An assessment tells you which problems equipment actually solves.
What's the difference between an assessment, an audit and a TVRA?
An assessment looks at how a facility is protected. An audit checks whether an existing program is being followed. A TVRA (threat and vulnerability risk assessment) scores threats across the whole organization so leaders can decide where to invest.
What happens in the free consultation?
A 30-minute call about your concerns, your buildings and what a good outcome looks like. You'll know whether we're a fit, and what the next step would be, with no obligation.
How quickly can you start?
We'll give you a start date on the first call. After an incident or a credible threat, we move those requests to the front of the line.
Do you work outside Tulsa?
Yes. We're based in Tulsa and work with clients across Oklahoma, the surrounding states and nationwide.
Cost and value
Do you publish prices?
No. Every organization is different, so we scope each job on the free consultation and give you a written proposal before any work starts.
Why is an assessment worth it?
Because doing nothing can cost far more. Among U.S. premises liability verdicts of $10 million or more from 2013 to 2022, the median was $20 million (U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform). See The Cost of Not Managing Risk.
What does it cost to ignore a known risk?
In one Georgia case, a jury awarded $45 million to a customer shot in a pharmacy parking lot. Three robberies had happened there after the store let its security guard go. The jury found the store 95% at fault, and the state Supreme Court affirmed in 2023. Sources are on The Cost of Not Managing Risk.
Will your recommendations fit our budget?
Recommendations come in priority and cost tiers. Many of the most important fixes are training, procedures and how a building is used, which cost little.
Can an assessment lower our insurance premiums?
Sometimes. Some carriers give weight to documented security improvements, so ask your agent. Either way, a documented assessment shows you took reasonable steps.
Liability and legal questions
Can an assessment reduce our liability?
In negligent security cases, courts generally ask whether a crime was foreseeable and whether reasonable steps were taken. Knowing your risks and acting on them is the best evidence you can have. This isn't legal advice, so involve your attorney.
Are we liable if we can't fix everything right away?
Ask your attorney about your situation. In general, a reasonable written plan, and steady progress on the highest risks first, matters more than fixing everything at once.
Should our attorney be involved?
Some clients have their attorney engage us so the work stays under legal privilege. We're glad to work that way.
Do you serve as an expert witness?
No. Our work is helping organizations prevent problems, not testifying about them.
How do you protect our report and our information?
Reports go only to the people you name, and we'll sign your confidentiality agreement. A security report is a map of your weak spots, and we treat it that way.
The process and the report
How long does it take?
Most single-site assessments take one to two days on site, with the report two to three weeks later.
How much of our staff's time will this take?
Usually a few hours in total: someone to walk the building with us, and short interviews of 30 to 45 minutes with the people who run it.
Will it disrupt our operations?
No. We schedule around you and want to see a normal day, because that's when real habits show.
Do you visit at night?
Yes. Lighting, after-hours access and closing routines are often where the biggest gaps are.
What will the report look like?
A one-page executive summary, findings scored by risk, recommendations in cost and priority tiers, and photos with plain-language explanations. Ask and we'll send you a redacted sample.
Will you present the findings to our leadership or board?
Yes. A briefing for leadership or your board is part of every assessment.
We have several buildings. Do you need to see all of them?
Not always. We often review a representative sample and apply the findings across similar sites.
What happens after the report?
We help you set priorities, and we can stay on to write policies, train staff, support the rollout or serve as your fractional security leader.
How often should we reassess?
Every three years, or sooner after a new building, an incident or a leadership change.
Independence and experience
How is a consultant different from an integrator or a guard company?
Integrators and guard companies sell what they recommend. We don't sell anything except advice.
Will every recommendation mean buying equipment?
No. Many of the best fixes are training, procedures and how a building is used day to day.
Our insurance carrier inspected us. Isn't that the same?
A carrier looks at its own exposure. An independent assessment looks at yours: people, plans and daily habits.
Who does the work?
The same senior consultant who scopes the job does the visits, interviews and the report. Nothing is handed to a junior.
What experience do you have?
Our team is led by founder Adam Walker, who brings more than 20 years running security programs, including as Vice President of Safety and Physical Security for a multi-site tech company, Director of Security and Risk Management for a 26-facility public system, and leading programs for mission-critical infrastructure. Paragon is a member of ASIS International, ATAP and ISC.
Do you hold security certifications?
Our experience comes from running security programs, not from a classroom. Ask any consultant you're considering whether they've actually run a program, or only inspected one.
Can you recommend vendors?
We describe what you need so you can get competing bids, and we can point you to reputable firms. We take no referral fees.
Do you handle cybersecurity?
No. We focus on physical security, people and procedures, and we'll refer cyber work to specialists.
Industrial, logistics and utilities
Can you assess a plant or warehouse without disrupting operations?
Yes. We walk the site during normal shifts and after hours, and schedule interviews around production and shipping.
Do you help with cargo and inventory theft?
Yes. We review dock, yard, gate and inventory controls and recommend changes that fit your pace of operations.
Can you set one standard for all of our facilities?
Yes. We write a company-wide standard with site risk tiers, then audit sites against it so it stays in place.
Do you work on substations and remote utility sites?
Yes. We assess remote and unstaffed sites, rank them by consequence and help you decide where to invest first.
Businesses
We don't have a security person. Where do we start?
Start with an assessment to see where you stand. If you need ongoing help, fractional security leadership gives you a senior security leader without a full-time hire.
What is fractional security leadership?
An experienced security leader on retainer who oversees your program, advises on vendors and incidents, and reports to leadership, scaled to the hours you need.
Can you help with workplace violence prevention?
Yes. We help set up reporting, threat assessment teams, policies and training. Paragon is a member of ATAP, the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.
We're opening a new office or site. When should we call?
Before you sign the lease or finalize the layout, if you can. Entrances, reception and parking are cheap to get right on paper.
Developers and general contractors
When should a developer bring you in?
Before the GC contract is signed, so your security requirements are written into it and not added later as a change order.
Who owns jobsite security, the GC or the developer?
Usually the GC, under requirements the developer sets. We help with both sides.
What does a jobsite security audit look at?
Gates, badging and visitor control, laydown yards, fencing and lighting, key and equipment control, guard post orders and incident reporting.
Can you audit a program another firm set up?
Yes. Audits are independent of who built the program.
Can you train our supervisors and subcontractors?
Yes. Short, practical sessions on access, theft prevention and incident reporting, scheduled around the work.
Why does jobsite theft matter so much?
Stolen equipment is rarely recovered. Of 11,625 heavy equipment thefts reported in 2014, only 23% of the equipment was found (NICB). Losing long-lead equipment can cost weeks of schedule.
Do you provide guards or cameras for the site?
No. We write the post orders and requirements so you can bid those services independently.
Do you commission security systems?
No. We don't test or commission installed systems.
Do you only work on data centers?
No. Most of our construction work is company-wide jobsite security programs for general contractors. Data center campuses are one project type, alongside utility, industrial and other large commercial builds.