Effective Remote Monitoring in Your Security Architecture and Design

The first thing you ever designed with a security architecture may not have been too complicated. It was probably a clubhouse or tree fort, and the security consisted of a sign that said: "Keep Out". Maybe it had a skull and crossbones if you really wanted to secure the place. That's how people knew you weren't fooling around.

Well, as the cost and importance of the facility you're securing goes up, so does the sophistication of your security architecture and design. And for many facilities, remote monitoring is a key part of your security plan.

Many institutions require remote monitoring to protect the health and safety of staff, visitors, and in many cases, of patients.

It is required to get them the care they need and to protect them from outside threats - human or otherwise - all while saving money and reducing the pressure on staff.

There are a lot of areas where getting immediate notices can literally save lives. That's why incorporating effective remote monitoring equipment and attached sensors as a part of your security architecture and design can "keep out" high costs and terrible tragedies. There are a number of applications to consider remote monitoring for in your security infrastructure.

Applications for Remote Monitoring

Let's say you're in charge of storing vaccines, which need to be kept at a certain temperature. It would help you to track temperature levels automatically without staff having to constantly read them. In fact, it is a helpful strategy to monitor multiple vaccine storage units and receive alerts when they approach critical temperatures.

That is just one story of how remote monitoring can help with mission-critical operations for a variety of institutions. Many of the security architecture and design aspects are as vital as the mission itself.

• Hospitals. Hospitals obviously need to monitor patients, their equipment, and their nurse call systems. All of those are critical to patient health. They also have to secure their facilities against unwanted visitors, especially in high-crime areas.

• Health and rehabilitation centers. Health and rehab centers might not always have the same critical equipment as a hospital, but monitoring patients who might be trying to leave or hurt themselves is just as crucial.

• Prisons. Prisons are experts at ensuring "high-security environments." Hundreds of doors need to be monitored, cameras need to work, guard stations need to be wired, and lights and power can't fail. It's as tense an environment as there is, which is why everything needs to go right.

• Mental health facilities. Like the rehab centers, the key here is to keep people from escaping or from hurting themselves or others. Maintaining electricity is a must, and making sure all camera systems are working is vital to save those in your care. It's also common to install panic alarm systems for staff to use in an emergency.

These are applications in institutions and facilities where remote monitoring is a vital part of security architecture and design. But what is meant by remote monitoring?

Panic Buttons at the VA

A VA hospital can be a vulnerable place. Often understaffed, these hospitals are full of men and women who have given themselves to the country and need attention. Many of these facilities house expensive medical gear to aid their patients.

Imagine someone trying to break in. That's what a VA hospital in Fresno, California is preventing. They installed Discrete Point Modules on every door and window in the hospital. If the sensor was activated by unauthorized movement, an alarm is produced, notifying the right people.

All of these notifications are reported to a centralized alarm system, which ensures the proper person viewing the proper alarm at the proper time.

By reducing both missed alarms and false alarms, the staff protects their patients without wasting valuable time and energy.

That's just one example of what remote monitoring can do. What else can be monitored remotely?

What to Remote Monitor in Your Security Architecture and Design

We see how one system of door and window sensors made a VA in Fresno more secure. But that's obviously not the only thing that can be monitored. You can program your monitoring system to track hundreds of distinct events across your system, with all events being centralized and communicated immediately. Some of these areas of security include:

Security

You have to keep your facility secure from four things:

1. The wrong people getting in altogether

2. The wrong people getting into the wrong areas (like where medicines or dangerous equipment is kept)

3. People tampering with equipment

4. The wrong people getting out of your facility

To make this happen you'll need door monitors, window monitors, motion sensors, IP cameras, tripwire sensors, and more. Key cards, smart locks, and even facial recognition units keep vulnerable areas secure while assuring access to the right people.

Equipment Monitoring

If you're in a hospital, your equipment is vital. The same goes for prisons and other secure facilities. This equipment could be cameras that make sure nothing disturbing is going on, or it could be monitoring dialysis machines that are keeping people alive.

In addition to making sure that equipment is secure, you'll also receive an alert if any of it stops working, or if there are environmental conditions that are threatening to your equipment, including:

• Humidity that can cause tremendous damage to your assets can be monitored by a discrete humidity sensor.

• Flooding is never good for your equipment which is why water sensors that sense water levels are good to have in place.

• High temps and low temps are good to track to ensure your equipment is always functioning at a safe temperature range, which is why a TempDefender is good to have on hand.

It's vital to have your vital equipment working, which is why sensors that include alarms for when your equipment is experiencing any of the above environmental problems can save your equipment from damage and save you money from repair or replacement.

Communication Monitoring

Imagine something is happening in the prison yard. Or maybe a patient who needs their medication can't be found. Or a visitor sleeping at their loved one's bedside is awoken in the dark by ragged breathing and has to call for emergency help. Imagine a beeping going off that means someone is dying.

In all of these situations, communication systems have to be top-notch. Being alerted when they fail means they can be quickly fixed, preventing a real disaster.

Tips For Effective Remote Monitoring

As someone responsible for security architecture and design, it is your job to keep people and property safe while saving money and ensuring a good ROI. That's a lot to balance! But there are a few ways to make sure that your network of remote monitoring equipment and attached sensors are designed and customized by professionals.

This means you'll be looking for a team that understands the unique needs of security architecture and design, and who can help you find the perfect remote monitoring equipment for your specs, needs, and budget and the attached sensors customized to meet your specific monitoring needs. You'll also want a partner who can provide excellent support.

What it needs to add up to is a network that can handle multiple unique events and relay them to the right party, regardless of your existing system's protocol.

It is important to not forsake a security upgrade because you are dealing with legacy systems. A network that understands and converts legacy protocols can help you stay secure while upgrading at your own speed.

If you're designing security for these kinds of facilities, you know the pressure you are under. You need a partner who understands that pressure. You need someone in the clubhouse with you. Designing a "keep out" sign is more than just a sign: it's a promise of total security.

DPS Telecom has the experience and expertise to help companies who need custom-built RTUs for their security architecture and design. Our technicians can work with you to find the right RTUs for your specific needs. Reach out and get a quote today!

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