Understanding South Western Ontario Locksmith

South Western Ontario Locksmith 866-820-1331

Understanding South Western Ontario Locksmith

I have been a mobile locksmith for the better part of 10 years. I have worked in and alongside all facets of the locksmith industry. Locksmith is a critical trade that is often underrepresented in the trades community, and the people at large. But what is a locksmith, and why is it important to know? As one locksmith I spoke with frankly stated, “a locksmith works with locks.” The essential-ism is quite true, yet fails to engage with the dynamic variety within the industry.

Locksmith comprises specific knowledge and skills designed for maintaining access control.

Access control ensures that those who are allowed entrance to a specific area or building are permitted, while those who are not allowed entrance to a building are denied. Access control is everywhere – be it the locks on your house or store, your vehicle, parkade or gated community. Many locksmiths I have sat down with were either owner and operator of their own business, or they owned a locksmith shop from which they dispatched mobile technicians. Locksmith technicians operate in many forms and often take on a specialized roles in the industry.

Automotive technicians specialize in automobile locks.

For vehicle locks, each year, make, and model often has different internal mechanisms, unique and specific electronic and mechanical hardware. Thus automotive locksmithing has a steep learning curb and requires a large base of specialized tools and knowledge. This work largely involves opening locked cars, cutting specailized keys, and occasionally tearing out steering coloumbs, door panels and reporgraming onboard computers. Most often however, automotive technicians open locked vehicle doors. Automotive technicians often intercede the dealership-client relationship to provide automotive services at a better price and by more reliable technicians.

Another specialized role is the emergency locksmith.

Emergency technicians are on call 24 hours a day. They respond to lockouts, fix break-ins, and repair broken doors. They also engage in basic locksmith work, such as rekeying locks and installing door hardware. Emergency technicians deal with a plethora of moral and ethical crisis. Thus it is important to ensure that your emergency technician be licenced, bonded and insured. Emergency technicians are called in to change the locks when a spouse has been abused. They open the door into grandma’s house when she hasn’t answered the phone in two weeks, and they change the locks on your door when someone you don’t trust has the keys.

Emergency technicians work with people who are scared, angry, and vulnerable and often in conjunction with the police.

A less exciting but equally important aspect of locksmiths is on the commercial industrial side of business. Commercial locksmiths work on construction sites and developing buildings. They install doors and door hardware. They assign master key systems for the building and integrate construction masters for the workers.

Alternatively, locksmiths can reside within pre-existing institutions.

Hospitals, prisons, schoolboards, are examples of institutions which keep full time locksmiths on their payroll. High security specialists work with high-security locks, exclusive keyways, electronic locks and safe work. They control access to highly exclusive areas and possess sensitive knowledge of those areas.

Locksmithing is a vastly growing enterprise.

The need for greater access control rises with new technologies and rising crime rates. I would encourage everyone to become familiar with the locksmiths in your area. It is important to build a repertoire with your local technician. You should always have your locks re keyed when you move into a new building, and any locksmith worth their weight will have great ideas on how to improve your security. Locksmith is often underrepresented in the trades community but they are the most important deterrent between you, your property, and crime.