Great security isn’t just about the technology you install. It’s about the peace of mind you leave behind.
This year marks a major milestone: 10 years of Dave Schlegel keeping Calgary and the surrounding areas safe, connected, and protected. As a Reed Security Authorized Dealer, Dave is the trusted voice Calgarians hear when they call for help.
While his official corporate backbone operates as Oxford Security, to his clients, he is simply the face of Reed Security - a leader who understands that the best systems are built on long-term trust.
To celebrate a decade of partnership, we sat down with Dave to reflect on his 21-year journey in the industry, the evolution of smart security, and why the human element still matters most.
The Origin of Expertise
Dave’s foundation in the industry is built on deep, localized technical expertise. His journey began over two decades ago at SAIT in Calgary, where he studied Electronics Engineering Technology.
"I became friends with a fellow student who happened to be the daughter of an alarm company owner," Dave recalls. "I worked with her for eight years before moving to Saskatoon and meeting the Reed team."
This fall, Dave officially celebrates 21 years in the security sector. That’s more than two decades of hands-on experience, adapting to new challenges, and mastering the technology that keeps our world secure.
The Evolution of Technology
When you’ve been engineering security solutions for 21 years, you see exactly how far the technology has come. The biggest shift? The wire.
"‘Wireless’ was a dirty word back in 2005. We would do anything to avoid using wireless sensors, as they were unsecure and unreliable. The opposite is now, thankfully, true."
Today, wireless technology isn't just reliable - it's the gold standard. When it comes to modern hardware, Dave favors solutions that balance sophistication with user-friendliness. His top choice is the IQ Panel line. His reasoning is straightforward: "It’s simple, but also very powerful." It’s exactly what modern smart security should be.
Built on Relationships
While the technology has evolved, the core of Dave’s success in Calgary remains entirely human.
Dave and his team work primarily with homeowners and small-business owners, though they never shy away from the complex challenges of a large commercial job. The projects he is most proud of, however, involve his homebuilder partners.
Dynamic Environments: "Working with our homebuilder partners has been particularly rewarding, as things are in a constant state of change and we have to stay on top of it all."
Growing Together: For Dave, the most rewarding part of the job is building long-term relationships and adapting services seamlessly as his clients' lives and businesses grow.
A Partnership Engineered to Last
Ten years is a long time in any industry. So, what has kept Dave operating as a Reed Security Authorized Dealer for an entire decade?
It comes down to culture and backup.
"The team in Saskatoon is amazing to work with," Dave says of his Reed Security headquarters. "The opportunity for mentorship and support makes even the toughest challenges manageable."
At its core, Dave operates on a simple philosophy: value the individual. "We're just proud to be part of such a solid company, one that values individual clients and strives to do right by them."
Here is to 10 years of serving Calgary, 21 years of unmatched expertise, and a future built on trust.