CCTV For Site Security
Developing in site security using CCTV
For those responsible for security at Britain’s quarries, remotely monitored CCTV is becoming an increasingly popular weapon in the unceasing battle against unauthorized access by criminals and the damage caused by vandalism and arson.
Undoubtedly, quarries are extremely attractive targets with their large, often secluded, sites and valuable heavy-duty plant and equipment. Sadly, these days few quarries are immune from attack and losses amounting to £10,000 in one evening are not unheard of, and may even be just the tip of the iceberg. There is also the cumulative effect of repeated attacks, which taken in isolation may not appear to be so serious.
Event-driven
Against this backdrop it is not surprising that quarries are considering ever more sophisticated forms of CCTV to combat crime. Remotely monitored or event-driven CCTV comes into its own out of hours when attacks by hardened criminals and petty vandals can pose the greatest problem.
With remotely monitored CCTV, detectors are strategically placed around an area and linked by transmission equipment to a remote video response centre (RVRC), which may be tens or even hundreds of miles away, where specially trained operators provide 24h event-driven monitoring of a specified area. When the detectors are triggered images from on-site cameras are automatically transmitted via ISDN line to the RVRC. Crucially, operators are able to visually confirm what is happening and even issue verbal warnings (via on-site speakers) to intruders. Experience suggests that this step alone is a sufficient deterrent in over 90% of incidents. Where offenders are more determined, operators can alert the emergency services and key-holders. The incremental nature of remotely monitored CCTV means that a call is only made for a police response when it is absolutely necessary.
The economics of this type of CCTV system has also changed for the better with users now able to take advantage of ‘free for use’ transmission equipment if they sign up for a monitoring contract. This should hopefully drive take up and bring remote monitoring within reach of quarry operators who may have previously shied away from this technology and relied instead on conventional intruder alarms, where false activations are a recurring problem. In addition, the latest CCTV solutions provide greater flexibility, offering quarry managers direct access via a local PC. This allows authorized personnel to view both live and recorded images during working hours when the remotely monitored service may not be active, or in the evening when informed of an incident by the RVRC.
The right choice
As with any technology, CCTV systems are only as good as the operators who use them and the care taken during their installation. For sophisticated detector-activated or ‘remotely monitored’ CCTV, until relatively recently there was no all-embracing standard to pull together the key elements associated with this type of security. However, this gap has now been bridged with the unveiling of the long-awaited British Standard BS 8418:2003 Code of Practice.
The introduction of BS 8418:2003 should be warmly welcomed. In future, if quarries decide to opt for remotely monitored CCTV there is at least an effective standard in the public domain against which the overall capabilities of any potential provider and system can be judged. This makes much more sense than the piecemeal situation up to now, where reference had to be made, in ‰ isolation, to specific codes of practice — such as BS 5979 for remote centres receiving signals from security systems or BS 7992 for exterior detection systems — without any real indication of the ‘bigger picture’.
Key questions which quarry owners and operators should ask themselves to help distinguish between a professional installer and a less-than-adequate service provider include:
The police, through ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers), have been strong advocates of BS 8418:2003. They have a vested interest in the success of the Code of Practice, recognizing the potential it offers to drive down unnecessary call-outs — a considerable burden on their limited resources — with false alarm rates of 5–10% now a realistic prospect.
Police forces will have a critical role in ensuring BS 8418’s success. ACPO has already confirmed that the issuing of a unique reference number (URN) for a detector-activated CCTV system is conditional on compliance with BS 8418.
Designated Type A, such systems will automatically benefit from a Level 1 police response, which is in effect ‘immediate’. This contrasts with non-compliant Type B systems where no police response will be forthcoming unless compelling evidence can be provided of an event in progress.
Insurance matters
This intelligent event-driven approach to CCTV also ties in with the overriding priority of insurers to stop damage being caused to property. Unlike the police, catching criminals leaving the scene or using images for evidential purposes is not a pressing priority for insurers if losses have already been suffered.
For insurers, CCTV is seen as being most beneficial when it is used in conjunction with other security measures such as access control, local monitoring, or linked to an RVRC. The latter, with CCTV as a remote ‘watchman’, is increasingly finding favour with insurers because of its event-driven nature and is tending to be seen as preferable to continuously recorded CCTV, which is really only of help in securing a conviction after an incident has taken place. Insurers are also enthusiastic about measures such as an audio challenge to trespassers, which again actively attempts to stop an attack before it starts.
For more information about remotely monitored CCTV, contact Kevin Crosby at RemGuard on: 0800 736 482; or visit: www.remguard.co.uk
For those responsible for security at Britain’s quarries, remotely monitored CCTV is becoming an increasingly popular weapon in the unceasing battle against unauthorized access by criminals and the damage caused by vandalism and arson.
Undoubtedly, quarries are extremely attractive targets with their large, often secluded, sites and valuable heavy-duty plant and equipment. Sadly, these days few quarries are immune from attack and losses amounting to £10,000 in one evening are not unheard of, and may even be just the tip of the iceberg. There is also the cumulative effect of repeated attacks, which taken in isolation may not appear to be so serious.
Event-driven
Against this backdrop it is not surprising that quarries are considering ever more sophisticated forms of CCTV to combat crime. Remotely monitored or event-driven CCTV comes into its own out of hours when attacks by hardened criminals and petty vandals can pose the greatest problem.
With remotely monitored CCTV, detectors are strategically placed around an area and linked by transmission equipment to a remote video response centre (RVRC), which may be tens or even hundreds of miles away, where specially trained operators provide 24h event-driven monitoring of a specified area. When the detectors are triggered images from on-site cameras are automatically transmitted via ISDN line to the RVRC. Crucially, operators are able to visually confirm what is happening and even issue verbal warnings (via on-site speakers) to intruders. Experience suggests that this step alone is a sufficient deterrent in over 90% of incidents. Where offenders are more determined, operators can alert the emergency services and key-holders. The incremental nature of remotely monitored CCTV means that a call is only made for a police response when it is absolutely necessary.
The economics of this type of CCTV system has also changed for the better with users now able to take advantage of ‘free for use’ transmission equipment if they sign up for a monitoring contract. This should hopefully drive take up and bring remote monitoring within reach of quarry operators who may have previously shied away from this technology and relied instead on conventional intruder alarms, where false activations are a recurring problem. In addition, the latest CCTV solutions provide greater flexibility, offering quarry managers direct access via a local PC. This allows authorized personnel to view both live and recorded images during working hours when the remotely monitored service may not be active, or in the evening when informed of an incident by the RVRC.
The right choice
As with any technology, CCTV systems are only as good as the operators who use them and the care taken during their installation. For sophisticated detector-activated or ‘remotely monitored’ CCTV, until relatively recently there was no all-embracing standard to pull together the key elements associated with this type of security. However, this gap has now been bridged with the unveiling of the long-awaited British Standard BS 8418:2003 Code of Practice.
The introduction of BS 8418:2003 should be warmly welcomed. In future, if quarries decide to opt for remotely monitored CCTV there is at least an effective standard in the public domain against which the overall capabilities of any potential provider and system can be judged. This makes much more sense than the piecemeal situation up to now, where reference had to be made, in ‰ isolation, to specific codes of practice — such as BS 5979 for remote centres receiving signals from security systems or BS 7992 for exterior detection systems — without any real indication of the ‘bigger picture’.
Key questions which quarry owners and operators should ask themselves to help distinguish between a professional installer and a less-than-adequate service provider include:
- How many operator consoles are manned at the RVRC? Depending on how many sites are being monitored, a good answer would be at least three. Any less and a call could be ignored at busy times.
- BS 8418:2003 requires at least two operators at all times when the service is being offered.
- Are all detectors fitted with tamper-proof alarms? These should send an alarm to the RVRC at any time, as many criminals disable or steal cameras during normal working hours.
- Does the equipment monitor telephone line failure? Would the key-holder find out if the line had failed?
- Will the camera system adequately cover a site? Are there any blind spots? If the RVRC cannot see the intruder — a real incident may be seen as a false alarm.
- Can the alarm system differentiate between human targets and wildlife? RVRC operators get to watch plenty of rabbits!
The police, through ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers), have been strong advocates of BS 8418:2003. They have a vested interest in the success of the Code of Practice, recognizing the potential it offers to drive down unnecessary call-outs — a considerable burden on their limited resources — with false alarm rates of 5–10% now a realistic prospect.
Police forces will have a critical role in ensuring BS 8418’s success. ACPO has already confirmed that the issuing of a unique reference number (URN) for a detector-activated CCTV system is conditional on compliance with BS 8418.
Designated Type A, such systems will automatically benefit from a Level 1 police response, which is in effect ‘immediate’. This contrasts with non-compliant Type B systems where no police response will be forthcoming unless compelling evidence can be provided of an event in progress.
Insurance matters
This intelligent event-driven approach to CCTV also ties in with the overriding priority of insurers to stop damage being caused to property. Unlike the police, catching criminals leaving the scene or using images for evidential purposes is not a pressing priority for insurers if losses have already been suffered.
For insurers, CCTV is seen as being most beneficial when it is used in conjunction with other security measures such as access control, local monitoring, or linked to an RVRC. The latter, with CCTV as a remote ‘watchman’, is increasingly finding favour with insurers because of its event-driven nature and is tending to be seen as preferable to continuously recorded CCTV, which is really only of help in securing a conviction after an incident has taken place. Insurers are also enthusiastic about measures such as an audio challenge to trespassers, which again actively attempts to stop an attack before it starts.
For more information about remotely monitored CCTV, contact Kevin Crosby at RemGuard on: 0800 736 482; or visit: www.remguard.co.uk
