It’s almost 10 a.m. and folks have been lined up for almost an hour already outside 767 Fifth Ave. in midtown Manhattan. Young and old (mostly young) they are waiting for FAO Schwarz to open its doors. That’s when the fun begins.

This is no ordinary store opening. The Morning Greet starts when Bobby the Toy Soldier blows reveille on his bugle. The front doors swing open and customers enter the store greeted by a chorus of cheers and applause by all FAO employees.

“The truth is, working here really is as fun as it looks,” says Laura Loosier, assistant general manager of operations. “Approximately 60 percent of the employees are here just to play with the toys. Sometimes we managers join in.”

FAO Schwartz is famous for its play-friendly setting. The shoppers are not only allowed to play with the toys on the selling floor, they are encouraged to do so. The store’s Rec Room is packed with every childish distraction you can think of, from video games on giant screens to old-fashioned foosball. FAO Schweetz is a revival of an old-time soda fountain/candy store. Upstairs, you will find and are invited to dance on the world-famous FAO dance-on piano.

The magic of this Manhattan toy store does not come without specific security challenges. Inviting shoppers to dance on a piano, run through aisles, even tool around on scooters, will open up inevitable slips and falls.

“Unfortunately, we deal with the possible injury to children shoppers that you won’t find in any other upscale Manhattan store,” says Ms. Loosier. She also explains that video surveillance provided by our DGA Video service is vital to combat theft.

FAO had closed in February 2004, then reopened under new ownership that November. Ms. Loosier recalled the old ownership employing a “patchwork security system.”

“The old owners did not want to invest in the right system,” says Ms. Loosier, who has worked for FAO since 1996 first in its Atlanta location. When Ms. Loosier heard presentations from possible security vendors, she explains, DGA stood out from the rest.

“Your demo was just great,” she recalls. “I had already done a great deal of research, yet [DGA Security Consultant] Kevin Bray was able to show us things we did not know. He was a tremendous help in laying out our cameras strategically throughout the store.”

“Overall DGA has been very professional, and a big upgrade from the previous service. Any alarm situations or other calls are handled quickly. We have always felt that we have DGA’s support.”