As the security industry quickly adopted the use of IT infrastructure and systems into its physical security, the fire alarm industry was much slower to grab on to the new concept of “convergence.” Code changes to the 2007 National Fire… Read More
Posts Tagged ‘security systems’
Proximity Card Access Systems
What is a proximity access card? A proximity access card is a card about the size of your driver’s license that can open and activate doors so that the holder of the card can enter. Embedded in the card is… Read More
A broader view of access control
There’s more to effective access control than just putting up some fences, cameras, and security lighting. As this article outlines, access control also encompasses determining which zones of a facility require protection and what level of protection each zone requires. Access to these protected zones almost always involves a method of identifying personnel, and there are many different ways of doing this. Here are two main categories.
More on the Yellow Threat Condition
Building on our last post on Green and Blue Threat Conditions, we’d like to continue with more information on the Yellow (Elevated) Threat Condition, which happens to be the current threat level. This level indicates a significant risk for a terrorist attack, and as this page details, suggests organizations take the following steps:
More on Green and Blue Threat Conditions
In our last post, we discussed Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 (HSPD 3) that created the Homeland Security Advisory System. It’s an important topic that we’d like to focus on a little more by looking at each Threat Condition and what it entails. This week, we’ll combine and quickly review the first two conditions – Green (Low) and Blue (Guarded) – because they’ve yet to be used.
HSPD 3 Explained
One development in the post-Sept. 11 world that aids security personnel is the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 (HSPD 3). As this page details, HSPD 3 established the Homeland Security Advisory System that created “a common vocabulary, context, and structure for an ongoing national discussion about the nature of the threats that confront the homeland and the appropriate measures that should be taken in response.” It’s important that all security providers understand what HSPD 3 entails, so they can respond appropriately.
The hottest cameras when light fails
Traditional outdoor surveillance cameras are good for detecting intruders at least until the sun goes down. When it does you’re faced with a decision to either light the area you’re trying to observe artificially, which can be expensive and impractical, or accept reduced visibility from your camera, which leaves you vulnerable. However, there is a third option that will keep your surveillance operations running 24/7 and even in bad weather: infrared thermal imaging cameras.