A Complete Commercial Security Plan (Part 1)

When we work with our customers to create security, we take an all-encompassing approach. As complete security integrators, we must use multiple security avenues when securing any property. When designing business security in particular, we come up against several unique security concerns. Over the next couple weeks, we’ll look at how we create complete commercial security. This week, we’ll focus on non-required security measures. Next week, we’ll shift our focus to legally-mandated security measures.

First, we’ll explain how we approach installing this optional security equipment. While installing this equipment is not required by law, we still have certain best practices and industry-specific legal frameworks we must follow. From there, we’ll hone in on three different types of non-required business security. Specifically, we’ll explain how we go about designing and installing security systems, access control, and surveillance. Now, let’s dive in with an overview of non-required security!

Adding non-Required Security to Your Business

When we install security that comes with no legal guidelines, we have quite a bit of freedom in equipment design. However, we still follow certain best practices. Additionally, even installing non-required security comes with some legal mandates. For example, we must pull an electrical permit to install any of the equipment described here. After installation, the local authorities then conduct an inspection of our work to verify the use of proper workmanship and materials. Therefore, we still must follow some legal guidelines even when installing optional security. In the next few sections, we’ll break down some of these security measures individually. Let’s get started with an overview of commercial burglar security.

Effective Burglar Alarm Installation

We’ve long touted installing a monitored burglar alarm as one of the cornerstones of complete commercial security. These systems create a couple important responses to potential break-ins. For starters, they provide a blaring siren response upon alarm activation. This alerts anyone on your property to the potential security breach. Moreover, a monitored alarm also reaches out to our central monitoring station after detecting a security breach. This will cause a phone call to anyone you wish to receive this important notification. Even more importantly, it will also prompt a police dispatch if necessary.

Over the last several years, our interactive Alarm.com interactive monitoring has made these alarms more effective than ever. This monitoring allows you to control your security system through the free Alarm.com phone app. Forget to arm your alarm on the way out of work? No problem! Simply pick up your phone and turn the security system on with the press of a button.

Additionally, this monitoring service also provides you with customizable alarm event alerts. For example, now you can create a text message to let you know when someone disarms the security system. This helps you ensure your business opens when it should! You can also create time-based alerts. For example, you may expect everyone to leave your business by 6pm. If nobody arms the security system by then, you can receive an alert. This allows you to check on the situation quickly. Now, let’s turn our attention to installing commercial access control.

The Access Control Advantage

Access control systems represent one of the most effective means of controlling and tracking access to your property. These systems utilize electronic locking hardware to operate specific doors within a business. Rather than using a key at these doors, users approach a keypad or a credential reader and present either a code or a physical credential such as a card or fob. Users who present an approved credential will then be able to open the door after the reader interacts with the door’s electronics to unlock it. You can create schedules that customize credential holders’ access to your building to limit permission to specific days and times if desired.

In addition to controlling access to certain doors, access control systems include software that tracks access as well. Every time an employee approaches an access door, it creates a time-stamped event that you can view on a computer by logging in to your access control system. Furthermore, it allows you to see if anyone tries to enter doors in your business that they should not attempt to enter.

For example, if employees without the necessary permission attempt to use their credentials to enter your business during a time that you do not want them to do so, the system will both deny access and “flag” this event. At that point, you will know which employee attempted this breach. The flexibility and security these systems provide make them an extremely popular addition to any complete commercial security plan. Let’s now look at adding cameras to keep eyes on your property at all times!

Commercial Surveillance

Adding cameras to any property adds an extremely important security upgrade. Burglar alarms may help chase burglars away, and access control systems can also help keep the wrong people out of your business. However, neither of these security measures allow you to review footage of any suspicious activity on your property. Commercial surveillance provides your with this ability.

When we install commercial surveillance, we aim to secure the most important areas of your building. For example, cameras should cover the main entrances into your business. We also attempt to provide views of parking lots. This can allow you to potentially spot suspicious vehicles scouting out your property before they attempt a break-in! Furthermore, it can also help you review any traffic-related incidents, as well as allowing you to check in on any reported incidents, such as slips and falls on your property. Moreover, we also like to install cameras in any particularly sensitive areas of your business.

When we install cameras, we create the ability to review both recorded and live video footage. For starters, we connect your cameras to a recorder that captures recorded video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can provide you with as much storage capacity as you desire for future viewing! We also connect this recorder to your businesses’ network. This gives you the ability to log in to your cameras’ footage in real time using any internet-connected device. Therefore, you can check in on your property at any time for added security and peace of mind.

Moreover, you can also create live alerts when your cameras detect motion on specific areas of your property. For example, if you wanted an alert when someone approaches a room with a safe, you can receive a live video clip if and when this happens. This ability to check in on your business in real time or after a security-related event has made cameras perhaps the fastest-growing security measure over the last several years.

Putting a Complete Security Plan to Work for Your Business

We hope that this post helps you see how we create a complete security plan when installing non-required commercial security. Check in next week for a review of how we got about installing business security measures with more stringent legal guidelines attached to them. In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact us with any questions this post may raise for you. We will happily answer any and all security-related inquiries. Additionally, we also encourage you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We offer complimentary security audits and equipment quotes to both new and existing customers alike.

While on site, we can address any and all of your security concerns. Moreover, we can make suggestions of our own based on our observations of your property. Perhaps you have some of the security measures described here in place, and wish to add some of the others. Or, maybe you have very little in the way of security now, and wish to create a security plan for your property. Either way, we are here to help. Together, we can help you design and install security to keep your business as safe and secure as possible!