DFT Communications partners with Family Church to provide massive infrastructure rebuild after disaster
On May 4, 2018, Family Church, which occupies the former Fredonia Baptist Church building at 19 Church Street in the village of Fredonia, suffered a structure fire which damaged a large portion of their building.
Throughout the rebuild process, DFT Communications has been a critical partner to Family Church in providing the Information Technology (IT), security, phone and low voltage wiring needed to get the 166-year-old church building back on its feet.
“Family Church reached out to us almost immediately after the fire to see how we could help them repair and replace the damaged infrastructure,” said Shannon Davis, Senior Account Manager at DFT Communications. “We got to work with their contractors right away to begin designing a low-voltage map, and seeing what equipment we would need to replace, and upgrade.”
Family Church first bought the building in 2015, and invested over $1 million in renovations to the aging historic landmark. DFT was a critical contributor to this process, where they supplied a new VoIP phone system, IT wiring throughout the sanctuary and office structure, a Ubiquiti mesh Wi-Fi network, a backed-up camera system, a remote-monitored security system, and a dedicated fiber optic connection so the church could live stream their services in high-definition to their international online following.
“We were thrilled with DFT’s work the first time around, and knew right away who we wanted to partner with for the IT portion of the rebuild,” said Rev. Scott Wise, Associate Pastor of Family Church. “The camera system DFT installed was actually a crucial part of our insurance claim, because it caught much of the process of the fire starting. And the monitored fire system contacted the authorities, playing a part in them getting there so quickly.”
This time around, DFT is providing all the same services as the first time – and more.
“The church had wanted to use the opportunity with open walls during the rebuild to redesign much of the low-voltage layout,” said Davis. “But, they also wanted to add in more services to make the building safer and more secure for their parishioners.”
To that end, DFT is installing an access control system into the building, so it can remain locked during business hours and services. Access control is an ever-growing facet of business and commercial security systems, where customers have control over who has access to which doors – inside and outside their premises – with cloud controlled remote access fobs.
In addition to the access control, the church added more security cameras, and improved the reach of the low-voltage wiring inside the building. DFT has installed miles of high-speed Cat6 cable throughout the structure, which provide the basis for the VoIP phone system, Wi-Fi, and high-speed internet connections in offices. DFT also laid the groundwork for the sound, audio and lighting systems in the church, all of which will run over gigabit digital cable.
“Much of what we’ve wanted to do in our building has been possible because of DFT,” said Wise. “Rather than need to contact multiple vendors for security, IT and all of our low-voltage work, we’ve been able to run everything through a single contact. That makes the building process significantly easier. And with DFT being local, we can easily get to them for support and assistance. They’ve never been more than a phone call and a few minutes from being on site if needed.”
With all of the business services DFT Communications can provide – security, IT management, phone systems, Enterprise Wi-Fi, broadband and fiber-optic – it creates a perfect environment for growth for any business or non-profit looking to bring their organization into the 21st century.
Contact DFT Business Sales at (716) 673-3000 to learn how this regional, family-owned telecommunications company can partner with you to provide custom services, tailored toward your growth and success.
About DFT Communications
Over the past 121 years, we’ve updated equipment, expanded services and added subscribers. DFT Communications and Netsync offer residential and business Internet Services, Digital Phone Service, Business Telephone Systems, Security Systems, IT Management Services and Wireless Communications. DFT has proven itself as a premier service provider in Chautauqua County and throughout Western New York and parts of Pennsylvania. You can learn more about the services offered by DFT Communications by going to www.dftcommunications.com.