Return to the basics to achieve full integration.
by Germán Alexis Cortés Hdez*
Today I want to touch on a very basic and simple topic, but fundamental and of enormous importance, which many have forgotten or simply did not pay attention to when they were told about the bases of security.
In any process where there is technology for security, there are some stages that are always met: detection, verification, reaction.
I clarify that there are other stages and concepts, but I want to concentrate at least on these three, which I consider to be fundamental to the concept of security systems integration.
Detection
They are basically the sensors of various types, which communicate with the Alarm panels and make decisions to alert locally or remotely, in an exceptional situation. Here are the alarm panels monitored for intrusion detection and all your devices. Also the Alarm panels for fire detection and all your devices. Some access control controllers, when they generate alarms (open door, forced), and very recently, video surveillance systems with video analytics, which allows detecting exceptional situations. Any of them or many others, only do that phase: detect.
Verification
It is the phase where many times it fails... and we cannot continue with the next phase, before we have made sure that what was detected is indeed real and requires a reaction. Verification often determines the type of reaction.
The alarm panels for intrusion detection do not allow to verify the situation that has just happened.
The alarm panels for fire detection, if they can (if programmed) give automatic reset to the area in flagrante delicto and after a few seconds give a verified alarm, in case of repetition. But they fall short in giving the desired verification information.
The best system to check what is happening anywhere is the CCTV system. In fact, in many security schemes, it is included exclusively for this function.
Reaction
It is the work that allows to control, counteract or mitigate the exception generated in the detection. The reaction can be very different depending on different conditions that exist in each case. Almost always the reaction can be accompanied by a human decision.
And where is the fault?
We simply forget that many of our subsystems only fulfill one of these three functions.
That is, some integrators or end users, want to install an alarm and expect that it no longer finds theft. Many want to install cameras and expect it to serve as an alarm and even a policeman. Others install an access control system and then despair because the report was not complete enough.
When handling integrated security systems (a trend since the last decade), it is essential to understand that for each element it detects, there must be some form of verification, before it can react.
Put another way, for every sensor or reader you place, you must install a camera that verifies the actions.
It is valid that the same camera serves as a verification to multiple sensors, readers or situations, as long as its image is clear, sharp and sufficient to verify all situations.
Then the integration software you use, You have to have the possibility of associating an image to each routine or exceptional event, in such a way that both live or in research, the video associated with each action is clearly appreciated and there is no way of mistakes.
It is then understood that the entire system must be fully synchronized and unified.
Simple and clear criteria
All that is intended in a current electronic security system is that the automatic detection actions are verified in order to make a correct decision in the reaction.
Similarly, when controlling something remotely (for example, a light or a door) it is important that it is associated with a video that allows to verify that the desired thing was done.
So or simpler?!
* Germán Alexis Cortés Hernández is a Colombian electronic engineer, president of the Insetrón Consulting company – Electronic Networks Consulting. Instructor of WINGS and the ALFIL academy. He has participated in numerous Building Automation projects in Latin America. [email protected] - [email protected]
