Our story, as told by our people

Our whakapapa

Our story is one of humble beginnings, hard work, great people, and innovative thinking that continues to shape who we are today.

Times have changed since First Security was founded by Ross Johnson in 1999, as fears of the Y2K bug created a surge in demand for security services and helped get the company off the ground. Back then we had a single foot patrol up and down Queen Street in Tamaki Makaurau, with services focus on quality and reliability

In some ways, things haven’t changed, we are still on hand to help give our clients peace of mind in uncertain or difficult times like the pandemic, floods or earthquakes.

When the “Big One” hit in February 2011, hundreds of you temporarily relocated to Christchurch protecting Cantabrians from collapsed sites and bringing peace of mind to staff working in banks and other businesses.

Who can forget our frontline workers, defending Aotearoa against the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting empty buildings as remote working became the new normal and safeguarding our communities and supporting the 50,000+ Kiwis flooding home through managed isolation and quarantine sites.

We are there for Kiwis in happier times too. Like when Aotearoa hosted (and won!) the Rugby World Cup, an event at a scale never seen before in Aotearoa. Over a six-week period, we got people safely to and from Eden Park.

Through multiple acquisitions (ISS, Chubb and Wilson) we have grown to become Aotearoa’s leader in integrated security services. But our philosophy hasn’t changed, it’s whanau first. It’s protecting people first and building genuine client relationships, that has seen us evolve from a provider to a partner. We take pride in our integrity, leadership, and innovation.

The most recent acquisition, by Wilson Group in 2014, propelled us forward due to their heavy investment in our company and our people. It has seen our branch network expand as we deliver national services for the Ara Poutama Aotearoa, Department of Corrections, increased investment in key innovation like Responda, WelfareFirst and VirtualGuard, our integrated security solution, as well as funding the first electric patrol car in Aotearoa New Zealand, our Carbon Reduce certification and our Te Ao Māori plans, Te Tapuwae Tahi.

But we can do better. We are always striving for better; we lead from the front.

We are the FIRST whānau, we deliver for our clients and we have each other's backs during the good times and the bad.

Haumi ē

Hui ē

Taiki ē