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Employees in scores of industries would benefit from security staff being able to pinpoint their exact location in the case of duress—at the push of a button.

For instance, hotel employees are at risk when they are in remote areas of the property as well as inside rooms alone while housekeeping.

Attackers know this and can prey on them in these vulnerable positions. Hotel security needs to be notified as soon as possible if an employee is in danger—before a potential attack occurs even.

But to be most thorough, wouldn’t it be best to not only receive a notification that an employee was in duress, but to know exactly where that employee was?

Above illustration is taken from www.inovonics.com

Traditional duress buttons alert a receiver that there is trouble, but security personnel know where the buttons (and the trouble) are because they are typically fixed to a desk or something similar.

But Radius by Inovonics allows for the exact location of the mobile employee to be pinpointed. As Inovonics’ website states of their mobile duress alarm system, “Radius uses the system’s unique positioning technology to provide precise location information whenever a panic button is activated, so that security staff knows exactly where to respond to an emergency alarm.”

With Healthcare, patients can react adversely to medication or lack there of, and can put their provider in danger. Families can become emotional and a nurse may feel more comfortable with security present.

In both these cases, the nurse may not have time to get to a phone or to signal the call station to make the call. That’s where the Radius pendant comes in.

Educators can benefit from Radius’ technology as well, especially in light of the serious violence in schools in recent years.

Not only are teachers being assaulted, but large-scale school shootings are being carried out. Add to the equation that campuses are so large and response times can become even longer if security doesn’t know exactly where to respond, and you’ve got a dangerous situation.

Radius can also notify students campus-wide if a situation arises so that they can begin to take safety precautions, as Inovonic’s website states.

Industrial sites are also prime candidates for a mobile duress alarm system. Employees work on large and complicated machinery, often alone or on understaffed shifts. Malfunctions that can cause harm could happen at anytime. Security staff would need to know exactly where an endangered employee is located.

And the list of appropriate applications goes on from education, to finance and more for those in who could use Raduis by Inovonics. We thank them for information contained in this blog article. Please visit their website (www.inovonics.com) for more information.

Please contact One Source Security if you have any questions or would like to inquire about having a Radius system installed.

In recent years we have seen some pretty horrific things happen on school property. Not everything can be prevented but we can most certainly do as much as we can to deter, detect and defend against these awful crimes.

Schools by their very nature are open environments. It’s a challenge to strike the right balance between maintaining a welcoming and open environment, and protecting the student, teachers and staff, while controlling visitor access. Offering a high level of security with a certain level of convenience can bring peace of mind.

There are some unique challenges facing schools today:

• Not everyone needs or should have access to every part of the building.
• Visitors come and go all day long, parents pick up sick kids, volunteers check in and contractors are hired for projects that can’t necessarily wait until the end of the day.
• Some modern security threats include gun violence and terrorism.
• Extremely large multi building campus, making them hard to manage.

Securing classrooms, hallways and campuses:

• Go key-less for teachers and staff
• By using a school access control system, teachers and staff can use a single card as an ID badge and a keyless entry card. Administrators can control when doors can be opened and by whom. Cards can also be disabled quickly when lost.
• Manage visitors better with sign in, custodial and sex offender checks
• Using a visitor management system with the ability to store custodial information ensures a child is only released to the proper guardian. It also allows you to check visitors against local sex offender databases, providing increased safety.
• Manage a multi-building system from a single location
• Remotely managing every door in every building gives the administrator the ability to open any classroom door. Decreased response times and false alarms by allowing you to quickly assess the situation.
• Integrate your access control system with video surveillance
• Integrating access control and video surveillance can create a powerful, multi-faceted security solution. Your video surveillance system can be set up to record a door every time a card is swiped, giving a visual of who has entered with a time stamp.
• Zero in on the source of an issue quickly
• Many schools have sprawling campuses with the struggle to zero in on a problem. When an alarm is triggered the exact location will show up on the Dynamic Map of the facility. You can pull up video surveillance of the exact spot, in order to confirm or dismiss an issue.
• Lockdown the entire school with the press of a button
• Many schools already have lock down procedures in place that require teachers and staff to lock doors manually. School access control systems can lock down an entire building or campus with the press of a button or by using a specific card at any reader. This creates an instant secure environment.
• Classroom panic notification allows a teacher to push a button to notify the predefined personnel, such as the security staff or principal that there is an incident outside the classroom.
• Create a more secure vestibule
• Vestibules are used as a buffer between visitors and the school. Installing shatter resistant security glass laminates on glass doors and windows in the vestibule can be a cost efficient way to prevent visitors with malicious intent from gaining access quickly by smashing windows and walking right into the main area of the building.

Today, teachers and students have a fear of school shooting, violent intruders and terrorism. Many schools are doing much better securing the perimeter of their schools. We are seeing main entrance doors locked and monitored by staff members using intercoms to communicate with visitors. Increased security throughout the school along with solid security procedures are making a difference when it comes to deterring, detecting and defending against school crimes.

By investing in the district, not each school individually you can create a uniform level of security for all schools, lower capital costs and lower staffing requirements because staff can centrally view and manage the system from anywhere.

Call One Source Security today for your FREE assessment of your school. Remember your ‘One Source for Peace of Mind’ is only one phone call away, 800-570-6478.

This is certainly an appropriate time of year to talk about freeze alarms since freezing pipes are a chief concern for many homeowners, facility managers and the like this time of year.

These vital devices can save your home or business from tens of thousands of dollars in damage due to flooding, spoiled food and more.

Pictured above is an EnviroAlert by Windland, with features beyond just a freeze alarm.

When it’s time to talk to your security integrator about a freeze alarm, you may see that there are many choices—many versions that perform different functions. Today we’ll attempt to explain some of these so that you’ll be better informed.

First of all, what is a freeze alarm? Well, the most basic version of a freeze alarm alerts you that the temperature in a given area has dropped below a pre-determined level.

This alert can come in the form of automated phone calls to a string of people (sometimes with a recorded message describing the problem). It can trigger your security panel to dial the monitoring company and a live operator can begin contacting the call list as well. It could even cause an alarm to sound.

One type of freeze alarm is referred to as a fixed temperature alert. If this were to be used in a residential setting to prevent pipes from freezing, a common temperature for the alarm to be set at would be 41 degrees.

Another type of freeze alarm is referred to as mechanical, or digital. This version can be set for both low and high temperature thresholds. So it’s not only “freezing” that is being guarded against.

Others have remote programming capabilities and allow the user to set alerts for not only temperature, but for humidity and water sensing. They too protect against more than just freezing, but also provide a higher level of programming functionality.

This last type would be used in situations where there is a walk-in freezer at a restaurant or school, for instance. A monitor unit would be affixed at a central location for reading purposes, and often up to four probes can be run off of this unit into varying locations (to more than one freezer, for instance).

The programming flexibility allows for such design as to be able to create windows of time where no alert would be triggered. For instance, if employees were loading and unloading items into and out of the cooler for a period of time, the temperature is naturally going to rise inside.

So instead of instantly setting off an alert due to this rising temperature (past the pre-determined limit), a two-hour window would have been created beforehand so that only if the temperature is above that level for over two hours will alarm sound.

These are not the only types of freeze alarms available to choose from, as we mentioned, there are many more combinations. We simply wanted you to be better armed with a little information when it’s time to tackle your environmental monitoring needs this winter.

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Security Systems Companies-Questions to Ask

You’re looking around for the right security company but are feeling very intimidated about which one to choose. You have questions, but are they the right ones? Will your choice be good enough to secure your family and your valuables?

Pictured above is a Gemini Security System, complete with wireless devices.

A home invasion can be devastating to a family. Not only does it take an emotional toll on those involved, but the prospect of losing precious belongings and the sense of security is unimaginable.

In the corporate world, business security is a must. Whether you’re a fortune 500 firm or a “mom and pop”, a security breach can shut you down. The fortunate ones may be able to recover, but many won’t.

Business are also subject to frivolous lawsuits by employees or visitors (video can prevent this), as well as employee theft.

Low-Cost Security Providers…or are they?

Many security companies will offer discounted or low initial fees to lure you in. Then you find out that you don’t own the security system, and there’s a hefty monitoring fee to pay each month.

Plus, you’ll be paying that higher fee for quite a while since you’re typically locked into a long-term contract. A quality security company wants to keep you as a customer with quality service, not with long-term contracts.

Then comes the end of the contract…many times, you don’t own the equipment, and if you don’t renew your contract, they could come and rip the system out.

Be sure to ask if they install non-proprietary equipment that you will own.

In some instances you may own the equipment, but you find out that the equipment is proprietary to them so unless you renew your contract, the equipment is useless.

Look for an Experienced Security Provider

Choose a home or business security firm that will evaluate what you need through a detailed consultation and one that will customize the solution to fit YOUR situation.

Some “companies” may not even have a shop at all and may work out of the trunks of their cars. Choose a security company who has longevity and one whom you can count on if a situation arises or you need maintenance—don’t discount this factor!!!

Ok, So Which Security Integrator is for Me?

Many security companies talk a good game and sound enticing with their marketing approaches. Then you find out the installer is a subcontractor who may or may not be thoroughly trained on the equipment.

***Does that mean your security company is trying to help protect you, or hire the lowest bidders they could find? Do you want those people in your home…securing everything that is dear to you?

Security Solution?

Do a bit of homework to find a security company you can trust.

If you’re in the Massachusetts or New Hampshire area, more answers and expert advice can be found by contacting One Source Security. Also, check out the “Why Us” page on our site to see if we may be a match.

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Over the past year the Jewish have been targets of hate crimes. 2018 had the second highest amount of Anti-Semitic incidents.

In Massachusetts alone, there were fifty-eight cities that recorded at least one Anti-Semitic incident. Massachusetts had the fourth highest number of incidents per state in the country.

(144) California had (341), New York (340) and New Jersey (200).

Many Synagogues are open 24/7, giving all-day access. In addition, they openly welcome big groups of people, which can trigger crowd-related security issues.

These issues create the need for Synagogues to plan and implement security policies and procedures.

KEY SAFETY ISSUES:

• The Entrances and exits are typically unlocked during worship to accommodate late comers.
• Many Synagogues sponsor after-school daycare, as well as religious education classes on weeknights.
• The community aspect of Synagogues and places of worship imply a welcoming environment. Not a facility that has high security or a lock-out system.

SOLUTIONS:

• Access control systems are an economical way to control access to the building by simply programming who can enter the building and at what time. They can save money in the long run.
• Create a Synagogue security plan. Security plans should be a part of the security policy and should help people behave in a safe manner when issues arise.
• Install video surveillance which is a powerful tool that enables staff to oversee all areas from one place and respond immediately to any incident by giving a command at the central dashboard. Having a recorded video of any incident helps to document what actually occurred.
• Create a security policy for fire, violent entries, domestic disturbances or attacks and shootings. These must be given special attention. The failure to do so may result in greater harm or damage to people or property.

One Source Security was recently sent an email with an article titled something like, “Security Technology for Social Distancing.” We are purposefully paraphrasing here. Since we see the need for more tools to fight COVID-19 and future pandemic-type occurrences, we were eager to discover a new strategy for ensuring social distance.

This technology was… uncomfortable. Security cameras were trained on outdoor break areas where staff congregated. Boxes were painted on the ground. Staff were required to stay within a painted box. If people strayed from their box, too close to another person, a security alarm would sound. Additionally, if staff stayed in their box for too long (longer than their allotted break time), a security alarm would sound. This article contained a video demonstration of the security camera in action.

We are not going to link to this security camera here, because the technology itself is very interesting and useful. Perhaps it could help people maintain distance in crowded subways? This particular break room application of the technology is, however, not likely to encourage productive employee / employer relationships.

At One Source Security, we like to view security holistically. After all, that is the purpose of these integrated systems- to provide a holistic view of potential threats. Any way you look at it, alienating staff is bad for security. Disengaged employees are more likely to steal, call out sick, and be less productive. And disgruntled employees pose a deadly threat to security. Employers must not forget that their employees can be both a wonderful asset and a surprising danger.

When making security decisions, employers must consider health, safety, AND engagement. COVID-19 has changed the way we work, but it hasn’t changed our basic humanity. We can socially distance without being yelled at by a security camera.

One main component of security is prevention, and security cameras are a chief player in this equation. They need to be seen. What good would hidden cameras be if you’re trying to prevent a crime from happening in the first place?

The image above shows a visible exterior security camera.

If you’re going to make your security cameras visible by others, position them up high enough and/or use vandal resistant security cameras and housings.

One could argue that having signs posted that announce that you’re using video surveillance may help, but there’s nothing like someone seeing the cameras themselves. And of course a mixture of the two is ideal.

And what about “dummy” security cameras? Are these effective enough to use as your visible cameras? Be careful, many thieves can see right through these. They often know a real from a fake and it may not deter them.

A common giveaway that a security camera is a dummy is that its red light flashes several times once you walk by, or maybe it pans. This is just a reaction to motion but no viewing or recording is taking place.

If you have hidden cameras, and they end up doing their job by capturing quality video footage of criminals, those people still need to be found and prosecuted after-the-fact. And hopefully then, maybe you can still get your property back or have restitution paid to repair any damage. This isn’t always the case.

This is not to say that hidden or covert security cameras don’t have their place. If an employer is trying to capture bad behavior by an employee on video as evidence to fire him or her, for example, they certainly are very effective.

If your security cameras are hidden, one way to make them more effective is to use remote video monitoring–sending you email alerts real time. This can help prevent the difficulty of pursuing the offenders after-the-fact as mentioned above. It allows the owner to be alerted real-time so he or she can contact the authorities and respond.

The best solution of course is to have a mix of the two types of video surveillance. We’re not trying to straddle both sides of the fence in answer to the title of this blog post—it really is a great way to go if you have covert cameras and visible security cameras together.

But if you had to choose one type, as detailed in the beginning of this article, you may want to consider visibly posted security cameras in and around your property. This is the best way to prevent crime from happening in the first place.

All the headaches of filling out police reports, insurance paperwork, dealing with the emotional distress and repairing the physical damage may never happen if you are able to prevent the crime from happening from the outset.

Thanks for spending some time with us today.

Taking some precautionary steps today can make your church a safer and more secure place for staff and members. It’s important to create a security plan that allows the church to stay vigilant yet maintain the open and welcoming feeling a congregation expects.

Create a church security team; include members who have military, police and medical backgrounds. They can be advisors, or the emergency action response team in charge of training ushers, parking lot attendants and volunteers in the event of an emergency.

Perform a risk assessment of the church; invite a professional security company to help with the assessment. They know the right questions to ask. In recent years, attacks against churches have gone up in number along with the level of violence. Dangers like theft, assault, killings, child abduction and arson have tragically occurred in our local churches. One contributing factor to these crimes may be due to a perceived lack of security. Churches are thought of as soft targets.

Gone are the days of leaving church doors open for the wandering soul to find refuge. Crime is a painful reality for the church community today. Church leaders are either improving or developing safety and security strategies for their churches.

Establish procedures and strategies based on the security needs discovered during the assessment. Establish notification and lockdown procedures in the event there is a fire, active shooter or other incident. The plan should include where people should go, what they should do and then communicate the plan to the congregation. Train staff and volunteers how to respond appropriately when an incident occurs.

Have a Sunday school sign in and checkout system in place. This can be a sticker-based tracking system or a software attendance program.

A monitored security system has the ability to dispatch law enforcement, fire department and medical services quickly. (Remember your trained team will have a procedure to follow.)

Video surveillance in office areas, sanctuary, nursery and church school rooms, gathering places, entrances, and parking areas enhances security. Just the presence of video cameras can deter someone with malice intent from striking. In addition, video surveillance can protect against false accusations especially concerning interactions with children.
Control access to buildings by installing key pads at access points and a video intercom at the office building entrance. Create a single entrance into the church on Sundays or during large gatherings. Make sure ushers or greeters are at all doors before and during service and large gatherings.

Hire off-duty police officers, their presence alone can be a deterrent.

In conclusion, as a church leader today, security must be a priority. We have seen some very troubling and fatal reasons why churches should not leave their doors open to the public unattended. As we said earlier, gone are the days of churches leaving their doors open all the time.
Whether you’re looking to assess risks and identify vulnerabilities, or revisit and review policies and procedures, One Source Security can help you.
Reduce security risks by being proactive. One Source Security would be happy to provide a FREE security audit of your church, call us today at 800-570-6478 to set up your appointment. We can help you create a security solution that meets your needs today with the ability to upgrade as your church expands.

Since hospitals are generally easy to walk into and wander around inside, electronic security needs to be as strong as possible to compensate. Especially with violent acts occurring nationwide, such as those by disgruntled patients.

Decision makers certainly want effective hospital security, but they tend to not desire an overly present force—they don’t want to raise fears. So there can be a challenge to provide both sufficient personnel as well as an abundance of electronic security while maintaining a relaxed environment.

Hospital security is needed due to the fact that hospitals themselves are also targets. They house expensive equipment, computers, drugs, even precious babies that can be the center of controversy. We’ll cover these, as well as other areas in the ten points that follow.

We’ll talk about how the main tenants of security (CCTV, Access Control and more) apply.

ER and waiting room. Access control and video surveillance are important in these areas. In regard to access control, a focus must be made between these two areas in order to limit who can enter the emergency department from the very public waiting room. Emotions run high and family members are desperate to see their relatives inside, but the professionals need the space to do their work. A proximity or swipe card system can be in place to only allow authorized personnel to enter.

Video surveillance will allow the security department to monitor any disturbances in this aforementioned cauldron of emotion and public gathering during tense situations.

Pharmacy and other drug concentrations. Access control can be used where credentials are required to be presented to a card reader so an audit trail is established. This way, a record is kept of who came and went, and when. Video surveillance can even be used in conjunction with video analytics software to trigger an alarm in the security office if a person enters during an unauthorized time, etc.

Administraton / record keeping. Due to HIPPA standards, for instance, access control is necessary in these areas to establish the audit trail mentioned above.

Nurse stations / patient rooms. Nurse call stations are essential for patients who require critical and timely care. A simple press of a button summonses the nurse station from the patient’s room.

Intercom can also be set up inside the patient rooms.

Ambulance ports / parking lots / loading docks. Security departments need to have a solid grip on these exterior locations via video surveillance. Ambulance entrances need to be kept clear and monitored for proper personnel to be present. Thefts and accidents happen in parking lots and garages, so having video evidence to solve disputes and help catch thieves and vandals is effective. And finally, loading docks can be loose in their access control. Having card readers to solidify who can enter and exit with proper authority and having security cameras for the security department to be able to monitor are essential.

For instance, employee theft of expensive equipment can occur through this area.

Retail / other cash handling areas. This goes without saying. Security Cameras, especially megapixel technology which allows for better facial recognition than traditional analog security cameras, not only provides evidence of a robbery or theft, but also provides a deterrent.

Panic buttons that transmit to the security department or to police can be set up under the cashier’s counter also.

Maternity / nursery. You can’t argue that this is the most valued of all areas to protect. Access control in conjunction with video can be used at the department entrance so the nurse station can control who enters, and just as importantly, who exits.

Ankle bracelets can be worn on the babies’ legs to trigger an alarm if they’re carried out past a certain point.

ICU / Surgical areas. Just like controlling entry to the ER as we mentioned earlier, access control needs to be established for entry into these highly sensitive departments.

Psychiatric unit. Video surveillance and “wander alarms” will help the security department and nurses control the retention of patients inside this department. Wander alarms trigger if a door or window is opened. The caregiver’s pendant vibrates or buzzes to indicate that the patient has opened a door or window and is about to leave.

Elevators / corridors / lobbies. These highly public areas require video surveillance for security to maintain order. Among the things that can be done with the aforementioned video analytics software is to people-count. This helps with personnel positioning, staffing, etc.

The above are certainly not the only areas in a hospital that require security, but these ten certainly would be considered important nonetheless.

Thanks for spending some time with us today.

Have you recently called a locksmith because your door doesn’t seem to be closing properly? It may need a little push or an extra tug to get it to close securely. Your door may be ailing because of age or excessive use, which can make your facility vulnerable to a break-in. You realize it is time to call a professional locksmith. Remember to choose a locksmith with door repair expertise.

When a professional locksmith arrives on the job, he should be prepared to look at not only the lock, but the hinges, door and door frame. After inspecting all areas, the issue may not be the lock; for example it may be that the door frame needs to be re-squared.

Using a locksmith who is prepared to not only change a lock but replace routine items without another service call can save you money. When a locksmith is called out to a job their goal is to leave the door working at its optimal performance. A professional locksmith can size up a situation quickly and develop a solution which best suits the clients needs.

Whether a locksmith is installing hardware, locks, an access control system or standalone keypad, the door and door frame should be inspected to ensure optimal working conditions of the door. It is only as secure as its weakest link.

Using a locksmith with the ability to inspect and repair doors is a valuable asset. We are a full service security company with a full service locksmith division prepared to handle unique situations. Call us today for all your locksmith needs at 800-570-6478.