2. 2
Systems
As technology progresses, more and more sites are now using
highly sophisticated alarm systems to help security staff to
carry out their duties.
● Alert security staff or the emergency services to a variety
of incidents
● Ensure quicker and more effective responses to them.
Professionally designed, installed, maintained and monitored
security systems are now a vital part of the whole security
function.
Used to:
NEXT
3. 3
IP technology
● They work together to provide
all-round protection
● Operates 24 hours a day
● Different systems can ‘talk’ to each other
using Internet Protocol (IP) technology
● Maximum effectiveness
is achieved.
Technology can now be integrated so that:
NEXT
4. 4
Security systems
Linked to approved alarm receiving centres
or control rooms
Have priority links to the emergency
services
Offer high levels of protection
Allow for quicker responses
to emergencies
Provide a safer working environment for
security and anyone else on the site.
NEXT
5. 5
Types of systems
Access control systems
Intruder (burglar) alarms
EAS (tagging) systems
CCTV
Fire alarm systems
Building maintenance alarms.
NEXT
6. 6
Access control systems
Designed to restrict access to and
exit from a particular property or site
by unauthorised people or vehicles
Intended to allow authorised people in
Designed to keep unauthorised people out.
NEXT
7. 7
Access control systems
● Signs
● Locks on doors/windows
● Electronic keypads
● Electronic key fobs and cards with
electronic readers to release locks
● Visual recognition systems
● CCTV supported by audio
confirmation
● Biometric verification…
NEXT
8. 8
Biometric verification
● Fingerprints
● Hand geometry
● Earlobe geometry
● Retina and iris recognition
Biometric verification:
where a person is uniquely identified by evaluating one or
more distinguishing biological traits.
Unique identifiers can include:
● Voice waves
● DNA
● Signatures
New technology can now use these traits to differentiate
between different people, allowing access to authorised
people only.
NEXT
9. 9
Access control systems
Allow entry where appropriate
Alert security staff when an
unauthorised person even
attempts entry
This is usually via an alarm system integrated with it.
NEXT
10. 10
Intruder alarms
● Work by using detectors and alarms
● Detect either movement, light, heat or vibration
● Indicate that an unauthorised person has
entered the area
● Send a message to a control panel, pagers,
phones or computers
● Alert the security team by activating a visual or
audible alarm
● Call the police directly
● Indicate exactly what part of the site has
been breached
● Activate CCTV systems.
NEXT
11. 11
EAS
● Often called ‘tagging’
● A system for preventing theft from
retail shops
● Special tags fixed to the goods
before they are put out on display
● Tags are only removed or
deactivated once they have been
paid for
● Detection systems at exits sound
alarms or alert security staff when
they sense active tags being taken
from the store.
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)
NEXT
12. 12
CCTV
● CCTV systems are surveillance systems that use cameras to
send live signal video images to monitors in a specific
location, normally a control room or a security office.
CCTV:
A basic Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system is a fixed
communication link between a camera and a monitor.
These control rooms provide the facility to
monitor live images of various locations on
the site, or can record them and store them
for viewing later.
NEXT
13. 13
CCTV
CCTV systems are commonly located in and around stores,
banks, and public buildings, etc.
The types of CCTV systems:
Intended to help detect and deter crime and disorder
● Analogue (video)
● Digital (computer hard drive)
Systems can be either wired or wireless.
NEXT
14. 14
CCTV
● Keypads (keyboards) allow
security officers or specialist
CCTV operators to select
individual cameras and to direct
them to view specific targets
● Keypads resemble computer
keyboards, but have dedicated
keys that allow operators to select
specific cameras
● Most dedicated keypad units
include joysticks, which allow
operators to guide the camera to
the chosen target.
NEXT
15. 15
CCTV
Monitors convert the signals
received from the cameras into
pictures on the screen
Modern CCTV systems can now
also be integrated into
the whole security function
An intruder alarm or an access
control system can activate a
CCTV system to start recording,
for example.
NEXT
16. 16
Fire alarms
Fire alarm systems work by using heat
or smoke detectors and alarms to inform
the security team or others that a fire may
have started in a certain part of the site
Once the detector has discovered excessive
smoke or heat in a room or area, a message
is sent to a control panel which alerts everyone
on the site by sounding an audible alarm.
NEXT
17. 17
Fire alarms
● Call the fire brigade directly
● Indicate exactly what part of the
site is under the threat of fire
● Activate other systems installed to
assist in fire incidents such as
water or gas-based sprinklers
● Send messages to close fire doors
electronically
● Prevent lifts from being used.
Some systems can:
NEXT
18. 18
Building maintenance systems
● Alarms may be activated if certain
equipment is turned off or becomes faulty
● On some sites it may be vital that fridges,
freezers, air conditioning, ovens,
water, lighting or computers are left
on constantly
● Electronic systems may be in place to
alert security staff in the event of a
failure.
Building maintenance systems are designed to alert security
and other staff to different problems that may occur on a site
KEY POINT
NEXT
19. 19
Building maintenance systems
It is important that security officers know:
What all of the alarm systems and panels
on their site look like
What all of the alarm systems and panels
on their site sound like
What to do in the event of activation
The details of how to react will be in the site’s A.I.s.
NEXT
20. 20
Operator controls and indicators
● Fire alarm and intruder alarm
panels control the system
● The panels receive
information from the
detectors at various
locations on the site, alerting
the system to possible
emergencies.
NEXT
21. 21
Alarm panels
● Sending messages to
inform relevant personnel
● Calling the emergency
services
● Sounding alarms
● Activating other equipment
or procedures
● Ensuring that the situation
is responded to
appropriately.
Alarm panels order specific actions
to be taken following the activation:
NEXT
22. 22
Alarm panels
Alarm panels are usually located in the security office or
control room, so that the security staff on duty are aware of
any potentially serious or dangerous incidents as soon as
they occur
KEY POINT
The alarm panels themselves will usually emit an audible
alarm on activation, very often with different sounds for
different emergencies (intruder/fire/maintenance
and so on).
NEXT
23. 23
Alarm panels
Light indicators on the panel are used to support the
audible alert
Red lights are used to indicate fire emergencies
Other coloured lights indicate other problems like intruders
Lights will show the operator which part of the site the
emergency is in and what type of problem has been detected
and what type of problem has been detected
Yellow lights indicate any faults on the system.
NEXT
24. 24
Alarm panels
There will often be a mute button on the panel also, so that
the audible alarm can be silenced whilst the situation is being
dealt with.
KEY POINT
Reset switches are used to return the alarm system to
normal once the emergency has been dealt with.
NEXT
25. 25
Alarm panels
Security officers need to
be aware of:
● What their alarm system does
● How it works
● How to operate it
● How to respond to different
activations.
NEXT
26. 26
Responses
How security officers respond to alarm activations will
depend on:
● The type of activation
● The location of the emergency
● The resources available
● Guidance from the control room or emergency services
● The site’s A.I.s.
NEXT
27. 27
False alarms
A false alarm is a
‘A false report of an
emergency, causing
unnecessary panic and/or
bringing resources (such as
the security/emergency
services) to a place where
they are not needed’.
NEXT
28. 28
False alarms
Repeated false alarms on a site can cause:
● Unnecessary use of resources
● Lack of confidence in the system
● Disruption of work schedules
● Loss of production/business
● Delays from the emergency services
● Refusals to attend
● Decreased response times in real emergencies.
NEXT
29. 29
Causes of false alarms
Poor/unsuitable installation
The system not being appropriate for the building
Pollutants in the air setting off smoke detectors
Extremely high temperatures setting off heat detectors
Malicious acts (i.e. sabotage)
The equipment being faulty or not being maintained properly
Fire detectors or red ‘break glass’ boxes being in the wrong place
Adverse weather conditions
Human/operator error.
NEXT
30. 30
Preventing false alarms
The system must be kept in good working order and be
properly maintained
Faults must be dealt with quickly and efficiently
Those who have to respond to activation must have
appropriate training
False alarms must be investigated and action taken to
solve problems
Activities which may affect the system must be controlled
Maintenance on the system must only be carried out by a
competent person.
NEXT
31. 31
False alarms
● Identify the particular detector or call
point that initiated the alarm
● Establish the cause of the false alarm
● Correct any problems
● Ensure that any necessary repairs are
carried out so that further unnecessary
activations can be avoided.
Following false alarm activations security officers should:
NEXT
32. 32
Keeping a record
Regulations now require that a record is kept of all false alarm
activations. The following information relating to false alarms
should be recorded:
Full details of how to respond to and investigate false alarm
activations will be found in the site’s A.I.s.
● Time and date of the activation
● Precise location
● Action taken on activation
● Result of investigation into the cause
● Remedial action/repair required
NEXT
Editor's Notes
SECURITY TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS
Technology, security systems and security
As technology progresses, more and more sites are now using highly sophisticated alarm systems to help security staff to carry out their duties.
Professionally designed, installed, maintained and monitored security systems are now a vital part of the whole security function. They can be used to alert security staff or the emergency services to a variety of incidents on the site, ensuring quicker and more effective responses to them.
Different types of technology can now be integrated so that they work together to provide all-round protection, 24 hours a day. One way of doing this is to use Internet Protocol (IP) technology, which allows these different systems to ‘talk’ to each other, maximising their effectiveness.
Security systems linked to approved alarm receiving centres or control rooms, with priority links to the emergency services, offer high levels of protection. These allow for quicker responses to emergencies, and a safer working environment for the security team and anyone else on the site.
Types of systems
The most common types of security systems include access control systems, intruder (burglar) alarms, EAS (tagging) systems, CCTV and fire alarm systems, and building maintenance alarms.
Access control systems
These are designed to restrict access to and exit from a particular property or site by unauthorised people or vehicles. They are intended to allow authorised people in, and to keep unauthorised people out.
Signs or locks on doors are very basic systems for restricting access, but modern technology has now given us other more efficient methods of access control.
Electronic keypads which require a particular sequence of numbers or letters to allow entry can be used. Similarly, electronic key fobs and cards are often used with electronic readers to release the lock on a door to a restricted area.
Visual recognition systems can be used as well, so people wishing to enter a particular part of the site have to be identified and authorised by a security officer watching them on a CCTV monitor. This can even be supported by audio confirmation.
Biometric ………. (see next slide for explanation)
Biometric verification is where a person is uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits. Unique identifiers can include fingerprints, hand geometry, earlobe geometry, retina and iris recognition, voice waves, DNA and signatures. New technology can now use these traits to differentiate between different people, allowing access to authorised people only.
As well as allowing entry where appropriate, access control systems can also be designed to alert security staff when an unauthorised person even attempts entry, usually via an alarm system integrated with it.
Intruder alarms
Intruder alarm systems work by using detectors and alarms. The detectors, strategically placed on a site, detect either movement, light, heat or vibration which indicates that an unauthorised person has entered the area. A message is then sent to a control panel which alerts the security team by activating a visual or audible alarm. Some systems can also send messages to pagers, phones or computers, and others can call the police directly. The control panel or system will usually indicate exactly what part of the site has been breached.
Some intruder alarm systems can be set up to activate CCTV systems, so that intruders can be identified or recorded by the security staff.
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)
Electronic article surveillance (EAS), often called ‘tagging’, is a system for preventing theft from retail shops. Special tags are fixed to the goods before they are put out on display, and these tags are only removed or deactivated by the shop assistants once the goods have been paid for.
At the exit of the shops, detection systems sound alarms or alert security staff when they sense active tags being taken from the store.
CCTV systems
A basic Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system is a fixed communication link between a camera and a monitor.
CCTV systems are surveillance systems that use cameras to send live signal video images to monitors in a specific location, normally a control room or a security office. These control rooms provide the facility to monitor live images of various locations on the site, or can record them and store them for viewing later.
CCTV systems have historically been most commonly located in and around stores, banks, and public buildings, etc. to help detect and deter crime and disorder.
The types of CCTV systems now available include:
Analogue (video); and
Digital (computer hard drive).
Systems can be either wired or wireless.
Keypads (keyboards) allow security officers or specialist CCTV operators to select individual cameras and to direct them to view specific targets. Keypads resemble computer keyboards, but have dedicated keys that allow operators to select specific cameras. Most dedicated keypad units include joysticks, which allow operators to guide the camera to the chosen target.
Monitors convert the signals received from the cameras into pictures on the screen.
Modern CCTV systems can now also be integrated into the whole security function.
An intruder alarm or an access control system can activate a CCTV system to start recording, for example.
Fire alarm systems work by using heat or smoke detectors and alarms to inform the security team or others that a fire may have started in a certain part of the site.
Once the detector has discovered excessive smoke or heat in a room or area, a message is sent to a control panel which alerts everyone on the site by sounding an audible alarm.
Some systems can also call the fire brigade directly. Again, the control panel or system will usually indicate exactly what part of the site is under the threat of fire.
Some fire alarm systems are set up to activate other systems installed to assist in fire incidents, such as water or gas-based sprinklers. They can also send messages to close fire doors electronically, or to prevent lifts from being used.
Building maintenance systems
Further systems have been devised to alert security and other staff to different problems that may occur on a site.
Alarms may be activated if certain equipment is turned off or becomes faulty. On some sites, for example, it may be vital that fridges, freezers, air conditioning, ovens, water, lighting or computers are left on constantly, and electronic systems may be in place to alert security staff in the event of a failure.
It is important that security officers know what all of the alarm systems and panels on their site look like and sound like, and that they know what to do in the event of activation. Details of how to react to all these incidents will be in the site’s A.I.s.
Operator controls and indicators
Fire alarm and intruder alarm panels control the system. The panels receive information from the detectors at various locations on the site, alerting the system to possible emergencies.
The panels then order specific actions to be taken following the activation. These actions include sending messages to inform relevant personnel or the emergency services, sounding alarms, and activating other equipment or procedures to ensure that the situation is responded to appropriately.
Alarm panels are usually located in the security office or control room, so that the security staff on duty are aware of any potentially serious or dangerous incidents as soon as they occur.
The alarm panels themselves will usually emit an audible alarm on activation, very often with different sounds for different emergencies (intruder/fire/maintenance and so on.)
Light indicators on the panel are used to support the audible alert. Red lights are used to indicate fire emergencies, with other coloured lights indicating other problems like intruders. The lights will also show the operator which zone or part of the site the emergency is in, and what type of problem has been detected. Yellow lights indicate any faults on the system.
There will often be a mute button on the panel also, so that the audible alarm can be silenced whilst the situation is being dealt with.
Reset switches are used to return the alarm system to normal once the emergency has been dealt with.
Security officers need to be aware of:
What their alarm system does;
How it works;
How to operate it; and
How to respond to different activations.
Responses to alarm activations
How security officers respond to alarm activation will depend on:
The type of activation;
The location of the emergency;
The resources available;
Guidance from the control room or emergency services; and/or
The site’s A.I.s.
False alarms
A false alarm is a ‘false report of an emergency, causing unnecessary panic and/or bringing resources (such as the security/emergency services) to a place where they are not needed’.
Repeated false alarms on a site can cause:
Unnecessary use of resources;
Lack of confidence in the system;
Disruption of work schedules;
Loss of production/business;
Delays from the emergency services;
Refusals to attend; and
Decreased response times in real emergencies.
Typical causes of false alarms include:
Poor/unsuitable installation;
The system not being appropriate for the building;
Pollutants in the air setting off smoke detectors;
Extremely high temperatures setting off heat detectors;
Malicious acts (i.e. sabotage);
The equipment being faulty or not being maintained properly;
Fire detectors or red ‘break glass’ boxes being in the wrong place;
Adverse weather conditions; and/or
Human/operator error.
The system must be kept in good working order and be properly maintained;
Faults must be dealt with quickly and efficiently;
Those who have to respond to activation must have appropriate training;
False alarms must be investigated and action taken to solve problems;
Activities which may affect the system must be controlled; and
Maintenance or other work on the system must only be carried out by a competent person.
Following false alarm activations security officers should try to identify the particular detector or call point that initiated the alarm. Where possible they should establish the cause of the false alarm, correcting any problems or ensuring that any repairs are carried out so that further unnecessary activations can be avoided.
Regulations now require that a record is kept of all false alarm activations. The following information relating to false alarms should be recorded:
Time and date of the activation;
Precise location;
Action taken on activation;
Result of investigation into the cause; and
Remedial action/repair required.
Full details of how to respond to and investigate false alarm activations will be found in the site’s A.I.s.
