Our Company

People First. Always.

Locally owned. Middle Tennessee based. Built on a culture of servant leadership since 2010.

  • Locally Owned
    Since 2010
  • BBB Accredited
    Better Business Bureau
  • 200+ Properties
    Protected in Middle TN
  • Nashville Chamber
    Active Member
  • GNAA Member
    Greater Nashville Apt. Assoc.
  • IFMA Nashville
    Facility Management Assoc.
Bill Haire, President and Founder of First Class Security
Founder's Note

A Note from Bill Haire


"We think of ourselves as being more than a vendor for security services. We are a business partner that is setup to optimize your company by providing custom security solutions tailored to your individual and specific needs.

I started First Class in 2010 because I wanted to serve the people and properties of Middle Tennessee in a way that felt personal. The big national firms have their place, but Nashville needed a security company where the owner still answers the phone and every officer is somebody we know by name. I built it as a family run operation, with my sons working beside me and our team treated the same way. On day one, every new officer hears the same thing from me: we are not just standing post, we are looking after our neighbors, and we do that work like the people we are protecting are family."

Bill Haire
President and Founder

Our Distinctives

What Makes Us Different


National security firms manage thousands of accounts from a regional headquarters. We are built differently. Every commitment below is a deliberate operating choice.

01

Carefully Screened Officers

Every officer passes federal and county background checks, drug screening, and behavioral interviewing. We hire for character first and credentials second.

02

Servant Leadership

Our supervisors exist to support officers in the field. When officers feel cared for, your property gets the attention it deserves.

03

Local Ownership

One Nashville based ownership team. One chain of command. No regional layers between you and a decision maker.

04

Above Standard Insurance

Comprehensive insurance coverage above the State of Tennessee minimum requirements. Certificates available on request.

05

Continuous Training

State certified armed and unarmed training, plus ongoing in service training and post specific orders for every account.

06

Real Accountability

Direct lines to ownership. Site visits from leadership. Quarterly account reviews. We measure ourselves on retention, not just hours billed.

Our Leadership

Led by People Who Live Here


Our leaders bring backgrounds in law enforcement, military service, corporate security, and operations. Every one of them lives in Middle Tennessee.

Bill Haire, President and Founder of First Class Security

Bill Haire

President and Founder
Bill Haire founded First Class Security in 2010, bringing the discipline, accountability, and respect for mission that defined his earlier career in the United States Air Force and two of our nation's largest healthcare companies.

The leadership culture he built into First Class is a direct reflection of that background: supervisors take care of officers, officers take care of clients, and the standard at every property reflects how Bill himself expects to be represented. Locally rooted in Middle Tennessee, Bill is committed to keeping First Class Security a privately held, locally owned partner that grows by reputation rather than by aggressive expansion. He remains personally engaged with clients and officers across every account the company protects.

Jonathan Haire, VP of Development at First Class Security

Jonathan Haire

VP of Development
Jonathan Haire has been central to First Class Security since the founding, contributing to its growth from a local Nashville startup into the region's leading security partner for over 200 Middle Tennessee properties.

As Vice President of Development, he leads the partnership and account scoping work that brings trained officers to new properties across the region each year. His day to day focus is working directly with property managers, asset managers, and community boards to build security plans that fit each account's actual operations rather than a generic template. Jonathan is committed to keeping the firm locally rooted and accountable to the Middle Tennessee communities it has protected since 2010.

John Walp, Operations Manager PM at First Class Security PM Team

John Walp

Operations Manager
John Walp leads the overnight field team at First Class Security as Operations Manager for the PM shift.

His path to that role started where every great supervisor starts, in uniform on post. Years of field experience as an officer give him the kind of operational instinct that supervisors who skipped that step never develop, and it shapes how he supports the team protecting Middle Tennessee properties through the night.

Eric Johnston, Operations Manager PM at First Class Security PM Team

Eric Johnston

Operations Manager
Eric Johnston leads the overnight team at First Class Security as Operations Manager for the PM shift, having started his career on post as a security officer before moving into supervision.

That field experience shapes how he runs the PM side. Eric knows what a long shift feels like, what makes a post order workable, and what officers need from a supervisor at 3 a.m. when something does not go to plan. He partners with Gavin Gillihan on the AM side to keep coverage seamless across every property and every shift change.

Gavin Gillihan, Operations Manager AM at First Class Security AM Team

Gavin Gillihan

Operations Manager
Gavin Gillihan brings two years of operations experience at First Class Security to the AM leadership team, having managed officers across both day and night shifts.

His time running overnight rotations gave him a working knowledge of the quiet hours when most of a property is asleep, and his daytime work keeps him close to client facing operations and the steady rhythm of business hour coverage. That dual perspective shapes how he supports officers in the field and how he steps in when a shift transition needs an extra set of eyes.

Simone Mafa, Operations Manager AM at First Class Security AM Team

Simone Mafa

Operations Manager
With 13 years of dedicated experience in Corporate Security, Simone has a proven track record managing Emergency Response Contracts and overseeing Executive Protection operations.

Known for a proactive approach and strategic mindset, she excels at mitigating risks and ensuring safety at all organizational levels. Her expertise spans rapid crisis response and the implementation of robust security protocols. Passionate about cultivating secure environments, Simone consistently delivers results in high pressure situations.

Alex Sanders, Operations Manager Premier Accounts at First Class Security

Alex Sanders

Operations Manager - Premier Accounts
Alex Sanders leads First Class Security's premier accounts portfolio, overseeing officer operations at the hotels, flagship office buildings, and higher tier properties where the standard for presentation and presence is highest.

Premier accounts demand a different kind of attention. Front of house presence has to feel polished, reporting has to be precise, and account managers want to be in the loop before they have to ask. Alex partners directly with property leadership at each site so officer assignment, post orders, and escalation pathways match the property's brand and the expectations of its guests and tenants.

By the numbers

Middle Tennessee, Protected


15+ Years Serving Middle TN
200+ Properties Secured
6 Core Service Lines
24/7 Live Local Dispatch
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(615) 656-3300

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