It is encouraging to see that remotely monitored, detector-activated, CCTV is really taking-off in other parts of the world. One Australian supplier I spoke to recently, who was visiting the IFSEC exhibition in May, reported an upsurge of interest resulting in a doubling of connections year-on-year - and with 60% of business coming from customer recommendations - this ties in with what I have been saying for over a decade now regarding the real benefits of this technology for site safety and security.
In Australia, as here in the UK, they are finding that remotely monitored, detector activated, CCTV is ideal for exposed locations out of hours where other measures may be too expensive and ineffective to deal with repeated attacks.
One such site was a truck dealership based in New South Wales. It had faced a catalogue of major thefts of tyres, other expensive equipment and damage to new trucks, mostly after hours and involving vehicles parked within an enclosed yard - incidents which were having detrimental impact on the business. This particular dealership was situated in a quiet, secluded, area backing onto a golf course well away from public view at night. It had initially relied on a traditional intruder alarm but this only protected the main building - not the yard area. The dealership then looked at mobile patrols however they were deemed to be too expensive and ineffective - simply missing incidents.
To curtail the spate of attacks the owner eventually decided to adopt remotely monitored, detector activated CCTV solution. This has allowed a pro-active approach to be taken to security by actively detecting and deterring intruders from entering the fenced compound out of hours.
Happily, the theft and truck damage problems have stopped and the owner believes that, in terms of cost of ownership, the solution has paid for itself many times over because of the disruption and losses it has prevented.
Hopefully, the Australian experience adds to the weight of evidence that remotely monitored CCTV can be applied anywhere in the world, with positive results, and will encourage more and more converts to this approach to site security.
