Job Title: Installation Technician

Start Date: April 2021

Spirit Bird: A Cardinal (the bird that carries all the good from their past loved ones)

Hi everyone! My name is James Torres-Gonsales, but I go by Gonzo for short. I live and work just outside of Chicago, in the family-friendly town of New Lenox. It’s just a short train ride away from the city and offers plenty of space to grow and raise children. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that it’s home to the country’s largest light-up Santa Claus?

When I am not working as one of Flock Safety’s three Chicago-based Installation Technicians, you can find me spending time with my four-year-old son, exploring back roads on my 2015 Harley Street Bob, or practicing my golf game. 

Although I live comfortably now, my life hasn’t always been full of open roads and golf courses. I grew up in a household with six siblings and a single mother who immigrated here when she was 18. We did not have much, but the lessons of love and hard work that I learned from my family has shaped me into the man I am today.

Additionally, when I was 12, my mother put me into a program that paired young boys with positive male role models. At first, I didn’t want anything to do with it, but after a while, I grew to appreciate my mentor. He helped me discover my passion for building and using tools, but more importantly, he taught me how to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Without him, I would probably be writing a different story.

Years later, after starting my professional journey, I found myself feeling unfulfilled. My job managing warehouses helped me gain applicable career skills, but ultimately I wanted a job that would allow me to make an impact in people’s daily lives, similar to the way my family and mentor impacted mine.

I started out by mentoring in the same program that I was in as a child, and later, I even volunteered at a refugee housing facility. These were amazing opportunities, but unfortunately, I had to put them on pause to care for my mother-in-law.

Upon returning to the workforce, I found the job opening for an Installation Technician at Flock Safety. It was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my building and management skills with my passion for helping people. 

Now, through surveying potential sites, installing Flock Safety cameras, and maintaining existing infrastructure, I get to play a direct role in keeping communities safe. 

Like any job, it is not always easy, but knowing that the cameras I install everyday have reunited parents with their children, located stolen vehicles, solved burglaries and prevented thousands of other crimes from occurring, makes it all worthwhile. 

Want to learn more about the Installation team at Flock Safety? Check out our Careers Page to see where we’re hiring!