Comprehensive CCTV monitoring is made up of three constituent parts the security equipment installed on site, the monitoring facility (or Remote Video Response Centre) and the transmission equipment that enables live video and audio communication between the two. It’s worth exploring each of these areas in relation to how they can provide the end user with an effective, end-to-end security monitoring system. Despite the conflicting demands of what is predominantly a price-driven market, it will become apparent that quality is demanded throughout.
Let’s first look at the current standards for CCTV monitoring. British Standard 8418: Installation and Remote Monitoring of Detector-Activated CCTV Systems (Code of Practice) was designed to ensure a minimum level of operation across the entire monitoring service. As you’d expect, then, it provides essential design, installation, commissioning and operational guidelines for those involved with remotely-monitored CCTV, and is looking to ‘raise the bar’.
Significantly, BS 8418 enjoys total endorsement from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in recognition of the fact that it will help to drastically reduce false alarms and prevent unnecessary police call-outs. As such, ACPO has extended the issuance of Unique Reference Numbers (URNs) – previously only issued to intruder alarm system installations to include detector-activated CCTV systems that are BS 8418-compliant.
It’s fair to say that the effectiveness of a CCTV installation depends on the equipment used and the quality of the installation itself.
Proof in the real world
Most solutions providers promote their wares to end users on the grounds of complex functionality. Purchasers would be well advised to gather data on a given product’s ability to deliver that functionality in the real world both as a system in its own right and during operation using BS 8418 as the benchmark.
The quality and intelligence behind an end-to-end system will dramatically influence its effectiveness. Only those installers who are NACOSS (or National Security Inspectorate)-approved should be employed by the end user. These approvals indicate procedural compliance and that an agreed audit trail will be followed. They demonstrate a willingness to be registered and inspected, and commitment to a high quality installation service.
However, those same approvals are still not confirmation that the systems designed and installed will function and operate with false alarm reduction or effective off-site monitoring as their goal. In the future, we need to be demanding a BS 8418 accreditation for installers, thus ensuring they are sufficiently well trained and competent in their role. This must also extend to accrediting the CCTV systems they provide.
When it comes to selling a CCTV system, there’s likely to be a cost increase for a BS 8418 system. That said, the end user redeems that cost over time through reduced false alarms, lower numbers of police call-outs and, ultimately, improved crime prevention.
If a system isn’t BS 8418 compliant, the URN necessary for police response can only be granted for the intruder alarm element of the site security system. The CCTV system is then only used to visually verify the alarm.
‘Soak’ test before ‘going live’
A useful, independent means of assessing a CCTV installation would be to invite the chosen RVRC monitoring station to carry out a ‘soak’ test before the system goes live. This will highlight any system inadequacies and demonstrate whether or not it’s likely to elicit false alarms. The RVRC’s management team could also provide a list of recommendations necessary for solving on-site problems and improving system effectiveness. It’s up to the end user to decide whether they choose to follow those recommendations, but time and money will usually be saved if attention is paid.
The RVRC management team can always refuse to monitor a site if the on-site security system is deemed inadequate, and would use up too much valuable operator time. Not a popular choice for them, as they’d lose a potential customer. Again, BS 8418 may be deployed to insist on minimum site standards.
Choosing a Remote Video Response Centre is much easier than selecting and installing a CCTV system. RVRCs can be BS 8418-accredited. Indeed, the benefits of selecting a compliant Centre are very significant. BS 8418-approved stations boast specifically-trained, Security Industry Authority (SIA)-licensed operators. The RVRC has to provide 24/7 monitoring, and boast a comprehensive back-up system in case of network or power failure.
In addition, a BS 8418 RVRC will have specific procedures in place for handling incidents, logging the outcomes, calling the police and informing the client. The levels of service demanded are difficult and challenging to provide, requiring a high standard of operation. This often comes at an increased cost to the user, but the payback will always prove positive.
The operators will quickly detect an incident and then take immediate and appropriate action. This may range from simply asking unwanted intruders to leave a site through to requesting a police response. Customers and the police service are confident all incidents are properly monitored and followed-up correctly, with the police only called to genuine incidents. In turn, this has a beneficial effect on site insurance and safety coverage.
The ‘Window of Response’
ACPO is now dramatically reducing its ‘Window of Response’ to alarms, and a point will be reached when the police service will almost never waste time dealing with an unverified call-out. Employers also have a Duty of Care to their employees and key holders. Staff should only ever be sent to site once the cause of the incident is known and the location is deemed safe to enter. Once again, a BS 8418-accredited RVRC will ensure this is the case.
Data transmission is the final piece of the jigsaw to consider when developing a quality security system. Traditionally, the chosen means of transferring data from a site to the RVRC was via ISDN lines. Unfortunately, this older technology is slow and incidents can be missed in the time it takes to dial or transfer the data. IP-based systems now provide permanently open Broadband connections and are far superior.
In some cases, CCTV manufacturers will provide a network connection as part of their service. The network is specific to CCTV needs, limiting the number of network users to ensure that data may be transferred at maximum speed at all times without any priority conflicts. To comply with BS 8418 there must be a back-up network available at all times should there be a primary failure.
Until recently, back-up networks were a very expensive option, forcing the number of BS 8418-compliant transmission equipment manufacturers to remain relatively low. In recent months, and to its great credit, TeleEye has addressed this problem by partnering with Wireless Logic (part of the Phones International Group) to provide an affordable back-up via mobile telephone networks and a fail-safe, second signal option. To my knowledge this is currently the only one available.
End-to-end CCTV solutions
The future of end-to-end CCTV solutions would seem to be a positive one. New technologies are developing all the time, providing a broader range of improved functionality.
RVRCs now offer highly effective security solutions, but can also provide discerning end users with site management services such as entry and exit monitoring, door and barrier management, car parking-related services and even details of customer footfall in retail outlets. A broad spread of ‘value add’, then.
Such environmental process and marketing management options help businesses and service providers to concentrate on their areas of chosen expertise. BS 8418 will spread into many new services, ensuring safe and secure environments for employees, customers and service users alike.
Video analytics is also a rapidly developing area within the CCTV sector. Motion detection, behavioural analysis, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and facial recognition systems are all to the fore. Left luggage, unwanted intruders and unusual behaviour can all be identified and will initiate an alarm.
Such technology can prevent incidents from occurring while at the same time actively speeding up data retrieval immensely. Solutions providers are beginning to pioneer the true combination of CCTV and intruder alarm systems as a ‘one stop shop’ solution for clients. This can only lead to improved monitoring and surveillance services.
Paying attention to the client
What RVRCs need to do now is listen to their potential customers and the police service to find new and innovative ways of identifying incidents without increasing the number of false alarms. This needs to happen across all three key areas of CCTV monitoring and, that being the case, BS 8418 would seem an obvious and effective starting point.
As an industry, we must keep our customers’ priorities at the forefront of our decision-making processes, remembering at all times that it’s peoples’ livelihoods – not to say their lives – we are trying so hard to protect and preserve.
