SECURITY
In today’s fast-paced world driven by smart technologies, every second counts in the security of sites, staff and visitors for facilities managers operating
in commercial environments, explains Jamie Allam, Commercial Director at Amthal Fire and Security,
Securing an entire building, often covering a large square footage, as a multi-purpose, multi-occupancy facility brings a number of challenges, especially with increasing time, resource and budget stretches.
Sites with a large, fast-moving flow of people – such as retail centres – have the additional challenge of achieving a balance between security and a welcoming atmosphere presented for visitors and staff. This is whilst assuring controlled access for authorised personnel to back office areas, such as security and CCTV monitoring stations.
BACK TO BASICS In these situations, providing the right
security involves more than just the best offer of products and services, but also a clear understanding of the individual building types and usage.
It involves work right from the basics to understand the movement of people and gain clear understanding of the risk factors to any building or centre environment.
For Amthal, this risk assessment starts with the likely level, frequency and severity of threat to the security and safety of premises and staff, quickly followed by the safety and security of other visitors and users of the site; we know that every site will be different.
We always encourage risk assessments to be informed by credible, relevant statistics. For example, we are liaising closely with police to ensure measures are in place to offer proactive security against terrorism and cyber crime.
DESIGN, LAYER AND
BLEND We operate with many facilities managers who are looking for more integrated or layered approaches to security, incorporating smart advances in access control, intruder alarms and visual verification.
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By linking each of these elements, an early warning system can be produced, acting both as a deterrent and an active measure for early intervention. For more advanced or larger buildings, such security solutions can be developed in an all-encompassing flexible and intelligent building automation system (BAS), where building owners can realise a lower upfront investment for a considerably more powerful security solution.
“WE ARE LIAISING
WITH POLICE TO OFFER PROACTIVE SECURITY AGAINST TERRORISM AND CYBER CRIME.”
Overall, today’s access control and video surveillance systems work together to provide a holistic solution, keeping intruders away from property, limiting access to facilities that house expensive equipment, and remotely monitoring secluded areas to reduce the risk of crime. By using CCTV and visual verification as part of an overall security solution, security staff at a central monitoring station can view live images from surveillance cameras, control pan-tilt-zoom cameras, or search for video clips stored on networked video recorders (NVRs).
Likewise, smart CCTV cameras can be integrated with security lighting measures to extend their ability to proactively reduce the risk of a crime- taking place, as there will be more chance of being caught, and this can extend to communal and parking areas. Security Officers can pinpoint when and where to intervene to thwart an attack.
Alternatively, when an alarm is triggered by another part of the BAS, it can command the NVR to begin recording, display live video from a linked camera at the location, map the alarm location, and send a
notification to an administrator all at the same moment.
In most cases, facilities and security teams can make the call based on real time data, deciding whether or not to summon police or take other action, or indeed deactivate direct from a mobile phone or tablet.
SOLUTIONS Whilst security threats remain
high across the board, this doesn’t always mean that there is a need for sophisticated security solutions in all areas of a building or centre. Remember, there is a balance between maintaining a calm, welcoming experience for staff and visitors and ensuring that the environment is not ‘prison-like’.
Smart CCTV solutions may seem ideal, but they can be easily located by the determined criminal and avoided. Too many in place may also be misinterpreted by the public as ‘spying tools.’ In certain areas, a more reflective and low profile approach to security may be a better option.
This is where careful planning will help to differentiate between the functionality required in access control, intruder and video surveillance against the significant cost savings that can be achieved.
To protect what’s precious in today’s world, takes the careful planning, design and blending of physical security together with policies and clear procedures as well as (where appropriate) use of smart technology to create a safe and secure environment.
ABOUT AMTHAL Independently owned, Amthal Fire
& Security is dedicated to satisfying end user needs for security safety and convenience offering design, installation, service and remote monitoring of advanced electronic fire and security solutions, including intruder, Fire, Access and CCTV systems.
www.amthalsecurity.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 41
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