Are Your Physical Security Operations…Autopsy or Preventive Care?
Posted by Dave Fowler on Wed, Oct 22, 2008 @ 01:49 PM
How would you classify your Physical Security system? When there is a situation do you scramble to collect the information from multiple systems and find yourself responding forensically? On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your ability to resolve a situation as it is happening and before it becomes critical?
Most of us, if we are honest, find ourselves combing through recorded video, alarm records and access control logs after the fact to determine what actually happened. This is quickly followed by a round of placing blame, demands for new technology and procedures to try to respond faster the next time. Maybe even a new round of administrative policies that mandate we do better the next time.
The truth is, the situations we are facing are increasingly more complex and require the synthesis of information from multiple sources. The more technology we throw at individual problems the more information we generate and therefore the more we have to analyze to determine what is going on. While we are spending millions deploying the latest technologies, in the end it can come down to how fast an operator can wheel between multiple consoles to figure out what is going on and how to respond.
If we truly want to get the most from our investments we need to integrate our physical security technologies into a system that can turn all this information into early warning systems that tell us what is happening. PSIM software, industry standards, open systems, and customer demand for integration are key to turning our command centers from morgues, to emergency rooms and ultimately preventive care centers.
Respond to this week's poll and let us know how you rate your ability to resolve a situation? And don't be shy - we would like to hear your opinions on what is holding you back from providing the right care. What obstacles are you facing? What's getting in the way? We're sure you're not alone...