Distant early warning

Growing intrest in the remote monitoring of detector-activated CCTV has been fuelled not only by the positive experiences of end users ‘on the ground', but also by the introduction - for the first time - of an all-embracing standard... BS 8418. By pulling together the key elements associated with this type of security, the Code of Practice delivers an invaluable benchmark for any client considering premises protection.

In a recent survey of BSIA CCTV Section members, it was certainly encouraging to discover that 91% of respondents were either ‘reasonably aware' or ‘very aware' of BS 8418. From an industry perspective, the good news is that the message about remote monitoring appears to be trickling through.

Looking more closely at remotely-monitored CCTV, the overriding attraction has to be the fact that there is visual confirmation by an operator regarding the cause of a specific activation. This minimises false alarms and, crucially, enables the fastest possible (and most appropriate) action to be taken. In practice, this means transmission equipment linked to CCTV cameras and detectors on commercial, public sector and domestic sites.

If an alarm/detector is triggered, the images from an associated camera may be transmitted to a specialist Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC). Here, operators can manage an incident by accessing a site plan, issuing audio warnings (via on-site speakers) to intruders - a sufficient deterrent in over 90% of incidents - and, if necessary, by alerting the emergency services. As the incident is visually confirmed, those services should provide a priority response. Images of offenders can even be stored for evidential purposes.

Real world experiences

Spinney Motor Caravans is a good example of the positive impact that this technology can bring to the client organisation. The company's experience is a good one for clients to abide by, as it underlines how far security measures have had to keep pace with the criminal threat.

In the 1970s, it was a time of open frontages, with no walls in sight. Stories of organised gangs leaving the big cities to try and steal some motor homes were simply unheard of. Not so now, it seems.

At Spinney - home to what is arguably the largest stock of new and used motor homes and touring caravans in the North West of England - security is taken very seriously indeed. When the company moved to a new, purpose-built site in the late 1990s, a series of walls was added, so too a perimeter fence around the complete border of the site and sturdy access gates - essential given a frontage spanning 200 metres!

It was suggested by the company's insurer that, given the size of the site, CCTV would be a better option than a static security officer.

Today, Spinney's management team has procured a remotely-monitored, event-driven CCTV system linked to a dedicated RVRC out-of-hours. So far, the company's experience with this security solution has been a positive one. The latest transmission equipment - which is connected to the CCTV cameras and detectors - is extremely flexible, not only allowing images to be supplied to the RVRC, but also giving Spinney's managers the ability to monitor on-site activity on a local basis when the dealership is open to the public.

This intelligent solution has already proven its worth, helping to detect criminal activity and leading to the arrest of two thieves on site out of normal working hours.

In another incident, rendered images helped the police to catch two additional individuals and, more importantly, led to the recovery of stolen caravans.

The fact is that it's all about early detection. Catching individuals before they have the opportunity to cause damage, thus preventing disruption to business and keeping those all-important insurance premiums under control.

BS 8418 in perspective

The introduction of BS 8418 has to be viewed as a major landmark for remotely-monitored CCTV in the UK. It is very much a framework for Best Practice, underlining the need for the right operator procedures to be in place at the RVRC. Vitally, it also highlights the difference that layout and installation can make between the detection and non-detection of crime.

As the Code of Practice for the Installation and Remote Monitoring of Detector-Activated CCTV, BS 8418 reflects the reality that, to be successful, this type of CCTV solution requires all parties – from installers through to RVRC operators – to adopt Best Practice

Historically, the CCTV industry has not had that many standards to work from. Both the police service and the insurance community had long indicated they needed such a document to effectively embrace detector-activated CCTV. In the case of the police, the adoption by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of confirmation technology as a requirement for police response served to make the implementation of effective and practical controls even more pressing.

In many ways, the Code is pioneering, particularly in view of the fact that this is probably the first standard in the industry that actually addresses each of the individual components of a security system - in other words, the installation, the monitoring and end user procedures.

ACPO has a vested interest in the success of the Code of Practice, recognising the potential it offers for driving down unnecessary call-outs - a considerable burden on limited police resources - to a sustainable level, with false alarm rates of 5% now a realistic prospect.

ACPO has confirmed that the issuance of a Unique Reference Number (URN) for a detector-activated CCTV system is conditional on full compliance with BS 8418. Designated Type A, such systems will automatically benefit from a Level 1 (immediate) police response. This contrasts with non-compliant systems, where a Level 1 response is not available.

Event-driven CCTV also ties-in with the overriding priority of insurers to prevent damage being caused to properties, thereby keeping claims under control. CCTV as a ‘remote eye' tends to be seen as preferable to continuously-recorded CCTV, which is really only of help after an event to secure a conviction. When speaking to insurers, it's plainly obvious that they're enthusiastic regarding the potential for an audio challenge to trespassers. Again, it's about actively attempting to stop attacks before they start.

Best Practice for monitoring

For security managers considering detector-activated CCTV, there is the reassurance of a growing number of service providers whose solutions comply with BS 8418.

The areas covered by BS 8418 include detectors, the camera field of view, audio challenges and illumination. Where detectors are concerned, BS 8418 recognises the problems that can result from the range of detectors ‘spilling over' the site boundary.

Installers should take great care in the specification and set-up of detectors to avoid this possibility. If the method of actually specifying a system is correct, starting with the identification of areas of detection and then working out how to view them, ascertaining each camera's field of view should be a relatively straightforward process.

With regards to the issuing of audio warnings to intruders, in nine out of ten incidents this measure alone is sufficient to deter criminal activity. BS 8418 recommends that an audio challenge facility be made available (something ACPO considers to be mandatory for those sites wishing to receive a URN), and that it should be "clearly audible, without undue distortion within the range of all detectors". The only exceptions being "where it is judged to reduce the effectiveness of the system" or "where there are noise pollution implications". In the former case, criminals may have targeted a site using the warning as a ‘stopwatch' (so that they have some indication of their ‘window of opportunity' before the police arrive on scene).

Here, making sure that the intruders are unaware of the fact that the police have been alerted - possibly before the crime has been initiated - may be a significant factor in achieving a successful outcome.

Reviewing lighting conditions

Lighting conditions are a major issue for all kinds of CCTV, and detector-activated systems are no exception to that rule. Where there are issues at stake involving the lighting of a site during the hours of darkness (for example relating to cost or light pollution), then end users' preferred installers can afford due consideration to setting up the on-site transmission equipment that will drive a relay designed to turn lights on for, say, five minutes either on command or when there is an alarm.

Provided all of the elements highlighted in BS 8418 are effectively addressed, it's certain that we'll witness the application of compliant systems soar. From an end user's point of view, sites covered by remotely-monitored CCTV should reap the benefits of a secure, controlled environment - ready to combat the threat of attack - and a priority police response.