3 www.savta.org September/October 2023 | SAFE & VAULT TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE H ello again. By the time you read this, ALOA 2023 will be in the books, and the IAAL convention will be upcoming. Soon after, we will be in full swing planning SAF- ETECH 2024. Already? I know, right! SAFETECH is the place for learning new safe opening techniques, new lock studies and getting answers to safe and vault (and safe deposit) questions. It can also be a great place to learn about the newest tools, gadgets and companies to help us all do our jobs well. As SAVTA president, I often field calls from locksmiths and safe technicians concerning safe, safe deposit and vault opening tips, tricks or intelligence. I find that most who call are fairly well versed in safe terminology and techniques. With that said, some technicians are looking for more than just information. (I was there myself at the beginning of my safe technician career.) What they need is a confidence boost or encouragement to open that safe when they have doubts, or to just confirm the information they have matches someone else’s notes. Most of the time, this is exactly what is happening. But, occasionally, a techni- cian in the field is having trouble opening a safe or a cabinet or whatever. I’ll get the technician on the right path, and after several hours, I’ll hear back that they still do not have the unit opened. What? Wait a minute … how can this be? While looking at photos of the front of the safe a technician was attempting to open, I noticed several extra small holes. When I inquired, he said they were for at- taching his StrongArm rig to the face of the safe. I was impressed by just how industri- ous he was. I asked him why — instead of marking, drilling and tapping the face of the safe — he didn’t just use StrongArm’s template to mount the rig to face of the safe? He said he didn’t have all the templates. I’m well aware of the costs involved to operate as a safe technician — I have been a locksmith for over 43 years (con- centrating on safe and vault work for the last 25 years). I am also aware that when a new tool comes out that will make my job easier and more professional, I will strive to obtain it — such all of the StrongArm drill templates. Even more so, when a new technique is developed, I will attempt to learn that technique as soon as possible. Or, at the very least, be familiar with all available information. So where am I going with all this? The one constant in this industry is the need to continually educate ourselves: acquir- ing new knowledge, networking with other safe techs, developing new opening and repair techniques, and remaining current in the industry on all things — tools, locks, manufacturers, information and more. It may seem like a daunting task, but it’s the difference between be- ing a so-so locksmith or safe technician and an exceptionally great one. So, get out there and learn. And, if you are an old guy like me, get out there and teach those young guys. Impart your knowledge to the next generation. Until next time, Gene Gyure, CRL, CAI President Keep Growing in Your Profession “When a new technique is developed, I will attempt to learn that technique as soon as possible.”
