On Patrol: Customer-oriented security personnel.

• Author: Stricker, Julie
• Position: SECURITY

At the height of the Alaska gold rush era, the Iditarod Trail was an important link from the remote Interior goldfields to tidewater at Seward. In 1910, Bob Griffiths and his dog team moved a quarter-million dollars' worth of gold nearly 500 miles from Iditarod to Seward. It took thirty-seven days. Along the way he stashed the gold in the roadhouses he slept in or, in the more remote areas, he left it in his dog sled. After all, there was only one trail in and out, and any thief foolhardy enough to try to steal the gold wouldn't get far.

He repeated the trip many times until the start of World War I, transporting millions of dollars' worth of gold. He was never robbed. Alaska's security needs have changed dramatically in the ensuing century. Today's gold mining companies would certainly never leave their treasure under the table of a roadhouse. Security is a top concern, but today it's more about keeping people safe than it is about the gold, says Anna Atchison, external affairs manager for Kinross Fort Knox.

"As a gold mine, we're always mindful of security," she says. Fort Knox mine, twenty-five miles northeast of Fairbanks, produced about 381,000 ounces of gold in 2017. The company doesn't discuss how it transports its gold, but security at the mine itself is directly tied to safety.

"They're the first person visitors see as they come in the door," Atchison says of the mine's security team. "They are an exceptionally friendly, customer-service oriented team."

The team consists of about eight people.

"They are the boots on the ground people for supporting safe operations and all the other safety measures we have," Atchison says.

They also check-in mine visitors, keep the participants in a popular local running race on a trail that skirts the mine safe, and keep an eye on the 257.1-ounce gold bar passed around to visitors during tours.

Security and Safety

For security companies throughout Alaska, security equates to safety and customer service is paramount. Companies range from small local operations to branches of national companies. They watch and protect property from trespassers, theft, and vandalism. They provide security at public events such as concerts, political gatherings, races, and other events. They also provide personal security and emergency medical treatment.

Security guards act as a deterrent for crime, says Bobby Gardner, who started B&G Security Guard Agency in 1998.

"In a city like Anchorage, you're basically looking for the night watchman. In the daytime it's security for retail,"...