CCTV & Public Safety: What the Las Vegas Shooting Teaches Us

The Las Vegas active shooting incident at Mandalay Bay is now the deadliest in US history, and again has left a nation raw and wondering what can be done. Now, after the vigils and after the heart-wrenching funerals, our hearts here are still with the people of Las Vegas after the horrific concert shooting. Such pain should never have to be known. Such acts should never happen.

THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IS RISING

Unfortunately, violence perpetrated by active shooters is not only a part of our society, it is on the rise and has increased significantly over the last ten years. According to a study by the Department of Homeland Security, between 2000-2013, 160 active shooter incidents occurred, resulting in 1,043 casualties.

PUBLIC SPACES ARE NOT SACRED

The days of thinking you are relatively safe in public spaces are gone. About 70% of active shooting incidents occurred within businesses, malls, and schools, while 83% of all incidents occurred indoors. There is no such thing as low-risk public spaces.

BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO BE PROACTIVE

It takes law enforcement an average 14 minutes to respond to an active shooter. Most active shooting incidents are over within 7 minutes. The best and safest way to handle an active shooting incident is by preventing it from happening in the first place. Security measures are often classified along the five steps of the security continuum: Deter, Detect, Delay, Respond, and Recover. CCTV can play an important role, especially in the first few critical steps before harm occurs. In an active shooter situation, if we wait until the response step (typically when law enforcement responds to a 911 call), there will likely already be a loss of life. This makes detecting and deterring an active shooter a high priority.

CCTV AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE

Video Surveillance and CCTV can play an important role in the event of an active shooter for every small, medium and large business. A comprehensive surveillance system can provide an early view of suspicious activity which in turn can provide enough time to alert authorities. Video footage can also provide valuable information about the whereabouts of potentially dangerous individuals allowing law enforcement to act quickly and precisely, focusing efforts in the most advantageous way. Surveillance video can also play a role in the rescue, showing what areas are clear of the threat so emergency personnel can enter.

At Security Instrument, we understand that electronic security is about much more than loss prevention. We realize the responsibility commercial facilities and public businesses face, and we are here to help you meet those challenges.

About Security Instrument

Established in 1960 and headquartered in Wilmington, DE, we have served thousands of locations across the tri-state area with best in class equipment installations and ongoing service, maintenance, and support. Security Instrument is committed to your business’ security and we have solutions for small businesses to large enterprises. Contact us today to find out how we can help you secure your business today.

/by

National Fire Prevention Week: Kitchen Fire Prevention Tips

Every year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) devotes the third week in October to National Fire Prevention Week. The theme for this year is “Prevent Kitchen Fires,” with fire departments throughout the country holding local community events designed to educate the public on preventing fires in that busy area of the house. Here are some valuable tips they will be sharing:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking on the stovetop. If you are frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food, you must be in the room to make sure your food doesn’t burn. The safety concern is not only for burned food, but for smoke in the air and the pan catching fire.
  • Stay in the home when you’re cooking in the oven. If you are baking, roasting or braising food in the oven, you don’t necessarily need to be in the kitchen, but you do need to be in the home – and you definitely need to use a timer to prevent any fire risks.
  • Keep your smoke alarm on while cooking. Some people are tempted to remove their smoke alarm batteries when cooking certain dishes. But whether you are baking cookies or frying up bacon, your smoke alarm should stay on. Disabling it could put your family at risk of harmful smoke inhalation.
  • Keep your kids and pets safe while cooking. Young children have been known to burn themselves on front burner pots and pans. Teaching them not to touch is good, but putting things on the back burner to remove the risk is better. Pets should also be kept at least three feet from the stove.
  • Keep flammable items away from the stove. Avoid cooking with loose-fitting sleeves. Hanging sleeves can easily catch fire. As for necessary items like potholders and kitchen towels, they should be safely to the side on the counter – not the stove.

These are just some of the tips that fire departments want citizens to know when it comes to preventing kitchen fires. If there is a National Fire Prevention Week event going on in your community, we encourage you to attend. Search #NationalFirePreventionWeek on Twitter to find an event near you!

About Security Instrument

To learn more about a remote access solution that leverages your lights to the fullest for the sake of security, contact Security Instrument today. We will be glad to answer your questions about your lighting control and smart home security options.

/by

Why Access Control Systems Are A Must For Business

Security has been a growing concern for businesses in different industries, from mom-and-pop shops to large corporations. Making sure that people, equipment, and information remain safe is a priority. High-quality security access systems can help you to keep outside intruders from gaining access to rooms and buildings with valuable office devices and confidential information.

EASIER ACCESS

In the past, many businesses used lock-and-key access systems. While this type of system can work for a business with only a handful of employees, it usually isn’t effective for companies with larger workforces. Employee keys can get misplaced or fall into the wrong hands, and companies have to spend money either replacing the keys or all of their locks. Another potential problem with this type of system is that within most companies, only people in positions of power receive keys.

Another potential problem with this type of system is that within most companies, only people in positions of power receive keys.

If they do not come into work one day, lower-level employees may not have access to buildings. Access control systems automate the whole process. With these types of systems, employees use badges with embedded wireless technologies or punch-in codes to gain access to the building or certain spaces. These systems allow businesses to control who can access buildings or rooms at all times or on certain days and times. They are also more user-friendly for employees at all levels, who may need to have access in and out of buildings after their supervisors leave for the day.

AUDIT TRAIL

With access control systems, companies can keep track of who is entering and leaving buildings. This information can be valuable to business owners or managers if a potential issue, such as stolen office supplies or data breach, occurs on a specific day or time. Using the security systems, they can find out who was inside buildings or rooms when the issues arose. These systems can also help managers if they have potential disputes with employees over their weekly hours. The devices allow them to know the exact time of day employees entered and left the building.

EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN

Emergency situations can happen at work, and sometimes, companies need to have emergency lockdowns. Access control systems can make emergency situations much easier to handle. Using the devices, those in charge can restrict who enters and leaves a building. They also can use the systems to account for all of their employees during emergency situations.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is committed to your business’ security and we have solutions for small businesses to large enterprises. Contact us today to find out how we can help you secure your business with an access control system.

/by

Why you should integrate lights with your home security system

Now that home security customers have access to interactive systems that can control lights inside the home, there is a greater opportunity for them to use lights as a security tool. How is that done? Here are some ideas for making the lights in your home a security advantage, using the Virtual Keypad app on your mobile device.

  • When you arrive home at night, manually turn on your front door lights from the driveway before exiting the car – or better yet, turn them on before you leave work.
  • Alternatively, program your lights to automatically come on at the same time the alarm is disarmed every night.
  • If you live alone or are concerned about night time break-ins, program a downstairs lamp to come on during peak vulnerability hours. For example, a light can be on from midnight-4 a.m. Ask us about the optional lamp module service that does this!
  • Program indoor lights to come on if there is an alarm activation.
  • Before going on vacation or away overnight, program your lights to come on at dusk and remain on until sunrise.

Of course, you can customize your Home Automation system to turn lights on and off as needed; after all, no one knows your schedule better than you.

Remember, though: This is also a remote energy management system. With the economy being what it is, we can all use a viable way to cut corners; what better place to start than your utility usage? It may not be practical to stop running your dishwasher at night or to cut down on the family’s laundry. But what is practical is making sure lights are only on when they need to be, and that is what Security Instrument offers.

About Security Instrument

To learn more about a remote access solution that leverages your lights to the fullest for the sake of security, contact Security Instrumenttoday. We will be glad to answer your questions about your lighting control and smart home security options.

/by