Security Journal UK speaks exclusively to GJD’s Mick Dunne, General Manager and Ben Lea, National Account Manager as they explore the pivotal role of detectors and illuminators in today’s security landscape.
In our view, there are three opportunities to detect an intruder trespassing on your site and heading towards your key assets.
The first opportunity comes at the perimeter, the second opportunity is the area between the asset and the perimeter and the third opportunity to detect an intruder is when the intruder enters the building or the asset.
Many security companies now, either due to a lack of budget or in some cases, a lack of understanding, focus primarily on opportunities two and three.
They will install alarms and cameras in and around the asset, which will alert authorities to the incident and record vital footage for the court.
However, the problem with only building a security system for these particular detection opportunities is that you have allowed the intruder to get closer and potentially access your asset.
In Greater Manchester, the average time it takes the police to respond to a site for an immediate threat (Grade 1) is 9 minutes and 34 seconds.
This time will, of course, vary depending on where you live in the UK, whether you are in the countryside or in the centre of a city.
However, if you build a layered security system and put protection on the perimeter, you will significantly reduce the time an intruder has to access the asset before the police respond to an alarm.
It is at the perimeter, the first opportunity for detection, that GJD’s range of products comes into its own.
Perimeter protection could be fibre optic detection and sensing on the fence, motion detectors or white light illuminators and speaker systems to act as a deterrent before the intruder gets near anything of value.
Detectors and illuminators are vital in providing early warning notifications.
There was a need to protect a decommissioned chemical production site without the use of manned guarding.
The site was a factory and warehouse, with a perimeter of four miles.
The site was to be monitored remotely, meaning that a positive response to an alert was required, with unwanted alarms needing to be minimised.
The brief was to keep the site undisturbed with no power or data cabling requirement and at a feasible price point.
This site was ideal for the GJD LX LoRa Connect system – a long-range wireless technology that can cover distances up to 10km.
GJD LoRa motion detectors can be positioned around the site perimeter alongside strategically placed CCTV cameras.
The LoRa system integrates with the on-site Network Video Recorder (NVR), which in turn sends the alerts to the connected Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
These alerts allowed the onsite Pan Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) and fixed cameras to focus on the detection point.
To complete the multi-layered protection, FJD hybrid illuminators, which have a combination of infra-red and white light LEDs, were placed around the site.
This complete system, which took three days to install, was cost-effective and gave a security system that allowed a member of the security team to be on-site within 10 minutes.
Technology has already reached a point where a camera or two is sufficient; however, in a commercial environment, there will always be a need for detectors and illuminators.
For example, cameras come with built-in infra-red, but they are not powerful enough to give the accuracy and visibility required at longer distances in low light levels.
Furthermore, the heat that an infra-red camera gives off attracts wildlife, such as insects and spiders, which can either set off unwanted alarms or create a welcoming environment for the spiders to build their nests thereby blocking the camera’s view and affecting its accuracy.
In sites with large and remote perimeters, wireless detectors offer cost-effective solutions for accurately monitoring the site, especially when combined with a wireless network like LoRa.
Security can often be overcomplicated, but at its core, it boils down to providing the earliest possible warning that something is under threat.
This principle applies equally to fire systems, where early detection is critical to saving lives and protecting property.
GJD is positioned at the forefront of this mission, specialising in perimeter protection – which is the earliest warning possible – especially with the backing of the AVA Risk Management Group.
The key market trends we see merging are a focusing on AI, mobile device applications, remote monitoring and the use of drone technology.
AI is transforming the way we detect and respond to risks, while mobile applications and remote monitoring are making systems more accessible and efficient for end users.
Drones represent both a challenge and an opportunity, requiring new countermeasures for those using them for illicit purposes whilst offering users themselves innovative surveillance and security capabilities.
The drone problem facing prison and detention infrastructure is just one example of this, as was highlighted in a recent article GJD wrote for Security Journal UK.
Looking ahead, GJD predicts significant growth in the protection of critical infrastructure, including power stations, pipelines, government buildings and defence sites.
These facilities are high-value targets and the evolving threat landscape will necessitate the security industry’s adaptation and innovation in securing them.
This article was originally published in the January edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
