Key Components of an Effective Perimeter Security System

Anyone working in today’s American cannabis industry needs to think deeply about security. Farmers, cultivators, and dispensary owners all need to think about how they will keep their products safe. The most important protection consideration is an effective perimeter security system, the first line of defense against unwanted intruders. If you keep a good watch on the perimeter of your workspace, you can keep unwanted visitors out. And even if they do break through the perimeter, an effective perimeter security system still has ways to trap them before they do too much damage.

Know Your Space’s Vulnerabilities

When it comes to perimeter protection, the fewer entries, the better. Keep doors, windows, and other entry points to a minimum. If possible, have as many layers of protection as possible. The most common outer layer of perimeter security is a fence.

Look at the area you want to protect as a trespasser would. Notice the weaknesses so you are aware of where your biggest threats exist. Wherever you see a place where a person could enter your facility, you want an alarm installed. It may be a silent alarm set to not make a sound, but point those cameras to the area so you can see what’s happening there. A good security consultant will be able to point these spaces out to you and offer suggestions for effective security.

14-Hour Surveillance is Key

The ability to see your entire facility at any time serves two functions. It deters criminals who know they can be spotted and identified. It also gives the property owner peace of mind because they know they can check the safety of their investments at any time.

Visible cameras help to deter criminals, but thermal imaging cameras can help you spot even more movement, especially when visibility in the workspace is low. Intruders can cut the lights to hide what is shown on a regular camera, but they can’t hide from thermal imaging cameras.

Of course, you don’t want to be tied to watching a camera at all times. Choose cameras with dynamic event detection. This feature notifies you and security personnel when unexpected behavior occurs. You can choose how you want to be notified from options like a phone call, email, or text.

Automatic Response System

Assume that you will have a security break at some point and plan how you will respond. Preplanning how you will respond will help you avoid stress and mistakes. No one can foresee how their emotions will react to seeing someone attempt to damage their hard work. Having a plan in place and written down somewhere easily accessible will give you a sense of calm and control in a tense situation.

You don’t need to alert your employees or police if you have built-in triggers that do it for you. You don’t need to tell law enforcement your location if GPS tracking is installed on your cameras. With a well-laid-out automated plan, a breach will set off a system of triggers in a timely fashion to catch the intruder.

Use 2-Way Audio to Warn Away Trespassers

Automatic response systems do not always need to contact law enforcement. Sometimes that step is not necessary. As soon as a security employee is notified that someone is on the perimeter, a 2-way radio attached to a camera allows the employee to warn the person on camera that they are being watched. This simple addition to your security system can deter would-be intruders from their plans.

Use Every Breach as a Lesson

Any place that holds valuable products will experience breaches. It’s a cost of doing business. Learn from each breach and upgrade your system from what you learn. If criminals continue to access the same entry point, board up the entry point.

Effective Perimeter Security System

An open platform VMS or video management system allows several different security devices, such as cameras, 2-way radios, door locks, etc., to work together. For instance, your video catches an intruder trying to cut your fence. You get an email about the intrusion and warn the person through 2-way audio, but he or she doesn’t listen and gets through the fence. VMS allows you to wait until the intruder is in a certain place and then lock the doors around them, holding them until law enforcement officials arrive.

A good security company can create an effective perimeter security system made up of several different technologies that work together to protect you and your investments. Criminals will try to find a way in. Securing the perimeter of your workspace is essential to protecting your investment. Contact Integrated Security Corp. for all of your perimeter security needs.