Intrusion detection is a critical component of business security, but the idea of constantly addressing false alarms, police dispatches, and city fines can be downright exhausting…and expensive. What if you could achieve comprehensive security without all the hassle and cost? A video-verified system may be just what you need. In this article, we’ll walk through why a Security Source video-verified system is worth it, what to expect from them, and how the savings grows with the life of the system.
Visual Validation
Why should a video-verified alarm be part of your integrated security system? Video-verified alarm systems are one of the most advanced methods for intruder protection. Recent developments have made it much easier to incorporate with almost any surveillance system, eliminating costs associated with replacing equipment. It integrates an existing camera system to visually validate the presence of an intruder when the system detects entry. This increases the likelihood that police will respond immediately and apprehend the suspect.
With traditional intrusion alarm systems, an alarm received by a monitoring station results in immediate dispatch of law enforcement to the business. When operators are unable to validate what triggered an alarm event, oftentimes law enforcement will not prioritize their response due to the probability of a false alarm. Video alarm verification provides valuable support to emergency responders in the event of an actual intrusion – getting the priority it deserves.
Prevention
During an actual intrusion alarm, Security Source certified operators can also provide necessary prevention steps such as voice-down warnings while law enforcement is on the way – preventing losses from happening. These systems, along with custom motion-activated announcements, are also helpful in preventing loitering and deterring potential intruders before an attempted break-in.
Impact of false alarms
Non-verified alarms continue to put a considerable strain on law enforcement resources. The average false alarm takes up to 20 minutes of police time, costing taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money. Each year, local police departments respond to upwards of 300,000 false alarms, taking up valuable time away from critical emergencies. It takes an additional 195 full-time officers to meet that demand in most major cities. With communities moving towards police budget decreases and staffing shortages, emergency responders are going to depend on video-verified alarms to adequately respond.
Businesses are feeling the impact, too. False alarm fines can reach as high as $250 per incident, costing businesses $1.4 billion each year. Learn how a nation-wide storage company put that money back on their bottom line by making the transition to video-verified alarms.
They share their story here.
About Security Source
Security Source designs, implements, and services all types of video surveillance, intrusion, and electronic access control systems for multi-location companies. We are technology agnostic and work with a variety of manufacturers to present options that best fit a customer’s business needs.