Given the recent events in the world and in our local areas, more businesses are starting to look at employee safety, both inside the office and in the outlying areas. With the high rise of criminal activity, business owners may jump into buying a CCTV solution without checking out all the facts. Here are some thoughts you may want to consider about camera and door access control systems when deciding on the best solution for you and your business.
Most companies have monthly or quarterly safety meetings, like we do at Gaynor. We recently watched a video like this one on how to handle active shooters. We then talked about how we would handle the situation, where to hide, and how to fight back (or not). But at the end of our discussions, we realized it's best for our safety to keep the back doors locked.
What if that isn't an option for you? Have you thought about having cameras in your parking lot and near the doors? The location of the cameras is vital. But the purpose of the cameras is what helps you determine the real placement. So ask yourself, what is the purpose of my camera system?
Outside Security
If outdoor security is your priority, then looking at camera placement outside is critical, keeping in mind the location of shrubs and the lighting. If you start to install a camera system in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees, how will that location look when the spring is here and the trees are in full bloom?
Lighting is next. Do you have the right kind of lights? In the winter, staff will be leaving at dark, so it may be critical to have lights for them in the parking lot. During summer, it’s not a problem. It’s important to be thinking about the seasons.
Areas to Watch
Are you a retail business that is concerned about theft, vandalism or slip and falls? These happen both inside your business and outside. Where are the “blind” spots that staff don’t see? Do you have displays that change and block views? Try inviting a business colleague over to look with a set of fresh eyes.
Put yourself in the mind of a person doing harm to your business. We know that it's rotten to have to do this, but today we have to think like those who will cause us harm in order for us to prevent it.
Once you decide on the inside and outside areas to watch, are you monitoring the CCTV camera system at all times or will you just be looking at it when you have an incident?
Network
If you've been looking at the big box store CCTV systems, you may wonder why we’re talking about network. For business grade camera systems, we recommend the current IP technology. Not only do you get the best cameras, like the Pelco 360 degree camera, you have the ability to view your cameras whenever you're connected to the network. So when you’re sitting on a sunny beach in Maui, and the alarm company calls that a trigger happened, you can look at your camera system and see what's happening.
Still not sure what to do? Call a local vendor and have them come out and do a site survey to review your purpose for installing a camera system. At Gaynor we meet with clients at no charge to review your building, needs, network, and budget. We are your local Pelco dealer and will be happy to talk to you about all the options available with today’s camera systems.
About Us
Gaynor Telesystems Inc. has been proudly serving the North State Communities of Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Eureka, Arcata, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Redding, and Red Bluff for more than 40 years. We hope the information you found in this blog was useful. To learn more about how Gaynor Telesystems Inc. can help you install, maintain or service business communication solutions, please contact us at 877-Gaynor1.
