Georgia Mountain Laurel

Whether your home on one of Rabun County’s lakes is recently acquired or has been in your family for years, you want to be certain that it is safe and secure. This is even more critical if you live elsewhere and use your house on Lake Burton, Lake Seed or Lake Rabun on just an occasional basis.
Since 1973, Mountain Patrol founded by the late Fred Stewart, has been answering the needs of absentee owners who cannot physically look after their lakeside retreats. And as years have gone by, even full-time lake residents are finding the many services Mountain Patrol offers to be both beneficial and affordable.
Fred called it “Peace of Mind” security and, although he died in 2001, his step-daughter Michelle Bramlett purchased the business and she and her husband, David, continue the legacy and the level of service that Fred provided to his customers. In 1973, when Fred first launched the business, his concept of private security was completely new. At that time, Rabun was second in the state, out of 159 counties, in crimes, due to the high number of incidents reported around the lakes. In just one year of operation, Mountain Patrol helped to reduce the property crime rate by 90%, which dropped Rabun County to 134th place.

It was a service critically needed then, and that need, in greatly expanded form, still exists today. Michelle, David and their staff continue to reinforce the promise of providing a safe and secure environment for the lakes community, 35 years later.
Both the Bramletts are Certified Peace Officers and David is a licensed Private Investigator. Mountain Patrol is state licensed and insured. Each staff member brings law enforcement qualifications, fire-fighting, EMT or First Responder skills to their jobs as well.
The Mountain Patrol Headquarters are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with dispatchers and patrol officers. A staff of six patrol officers, four dispatchers, and management work as a coordinated team to ensure the safety of the lakes communities, and a quality lifestyle for its residents. The area is divided into zones with a patrolman assigned to perform physical inspections of each property on a regular basis, checking for any unsecured doors or windows. The patrolman also checks for any safety or fire hazards, as well as any damage that may have occurred. Patrol officers correct what problems they can on-site and notify homeowners if additional owner involvement is required. The patrol division also handles many types of calls ranging from disturbance calls, burglary investigations, scaring off bears, jump-starting vehicles, assisting locked-out owners, and medical emergencies, to weather related problems such as clearing roads of fallen trees during extreme weather.
While Mountain Patrol also offers electronic security monitoring services, they also provide one-on-one monitoring of residents who might need assistance. Especially for those individuals who make their home year-round on the lakes, the staff keeps in human contact as well. Should weather or natural disaster conditions prohibit a patrol officer from visiting the home personally, calls are made from headquarters to ensure that residents are safe. An unanswered call means that someone is dispatched to investigate, providing one more level of peace of mind for Mountain Patrol clients.
And all of this happens, for less than you’ll pay for an ordinary cup of coffee each day!
While Mountain Patrol began as security around the lakes, their service footprint extends beyond the lakes into other areas in the northeast Georgia mountains. For more information on all their services, log on to their web site at www.mtnpatrol.com or call them at 706.782.5807 or 706.782.3028. Their mailing address is 6 Fred’s Place, Lakemont, GA 30552.

by John Shivers