Lamont Companies, a Marriott franchisee, has chosen Intrado Safety Suite to help strengthen employee safety with wearable panic buttons. This decision was driven by a new corporate mandate set to go into effect by December 31, 2024.
Elevating Hotel Security with Safety Suite
In 2020, Marriott became the first hotel chain in the U.S. to mandate the use of Associate Alert Devices (AAD) for all guest-facing employees, particularly housekeepers. This initiative was part of a broader corporate strategy to enhance employee safety, largely in response to incidents of employees being pulled into guest rooms and an effort to combat human trafficking. The mandate required that all Marriott properties and its affiliates have this solution live by December 31, 2024. Moving forward, any new properties would also be unable to open and operate business without an approved AAD solution in place and failure to comply could result in audits and fines.
In this case study, you’ll learn about Lamont Companies, a Marriott franchisee, and their journey to select and deploy Intrado’s Safety Suite to comply with Marriott’s AAD mandate and enhance employee safety across their properties.
Navigating the Vendor Selection Process: Identifying and Choosing the Right Technology Partner
After evaluating three preferred vendors, Lamont chose the Intrado solution because it did the best job of meeting their AAD requirements and enhancing employee safety.
“We selected Intrado because of their technology expertise and commitment to safety. This solution ensures our housekeeping staff feels secure, knowing they have wearable panic buttons that can be activated to summon help quickly when needed." – Austin Des Lauriers, General Manager, Lamont Companies
Intrado's Wearable Panic Buttons, equipped with Bluetooth beacons for older properties and Wi-Fi for newer ones, offered accurate location tracking tailored to the diverse infrastructure of the older hotels. Additionally, Lamont is using the LTE/cellular connectivity option via SIM chips in their Panic Buttons, ensuring redundancy and more reliable communication no matter where staff members are on the property.
When a Panic Button is activated, the system triggers an Intrado Safety Shield alert, immediately notifying hotel managers and front desk personnel. This seamless process allows housekeeping staff to feel secure, knowing they can quickly summon help when needed.
Lessons Learned
Lamont Companies successfully navigated the unique challenges of implementing Intrado’s solution for their AAD program across its properties, quickly learning they needed a solution to support older buildings with thicker walls which required special consideration for Bluetooth beacon deployments. The primary issues included:
Looking Forward
Lamont Companies plans to continue expanding the use of Safety Shield and Intrado Wearables across its properties. Austin Des Lauriers advises other Marriott franchisees and other hospitality organizations facing safety mandates to thoroughly evaluate their technical and physical building infrastructure and be prepared for potential challenges with older buildings.
"It’s important to select a solution that not only meets technical and corporate requirements but also one that truly prioritizes the safety and well-being of employees and guests," Des Lauriers concluded.
Conclusion
Intrado’s Safety Shield and Wearable solution successfully addressed the safety concerns at Lamont Companies, enabling the company to comply with Marriott’s mandate and ensuring the safety of its staff. Despite some deployment challenges, particularly in older properties, the solution has proven effective and has been integrated into additional sites across the hotel chain. The partnership between Lamont Companies and Intrado showcases the importance of collaboration and technical adaptability in implementing safety solutions in diverse environments.
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