Security Systems – What level of system do I need?

When it comes to designing a security system there are many different factors you should take into consideration such as level of cover, functionality, type of equipment and budget.

The first and most important element is deciding on the level of cover required as factors such as lifestyle and past experiences need to be looked at closely.

 

For example take three identical four bedrooms detached houses on the same road in the same town. All three are owned by a family of four with two small children but they all have different life styles and experiences.

House No.1:

·         The husband and wife both work full time and the children are at nursery during the day. In the past they have had no problems with theft.

 

House No.2:

·         The husband often works away whilst the wife looks after the house and children alone. They have a friend who had a break in where a car was stolen last year.

House No.3:

·         The husband also often works away whilst the wife looks after the house and the children. Unfortunately they had an aggravated break in whilst they were in the house 2 years ago.

Although they are all the same house, with the same size of family the level of system would need to be completely different due to their lifestyles and past experiences.

For example, below is a proposed system for each family based on the information above.

House No.1:

·         Monitored Alarm System 

·         Security Lighting

House No.2:

       ·         Monitored Alarm System

·         Standalone CCTV System

·         Security Lighting

·         Security Locks

House No.3:

·         Monitored Alarm System

·         Monitored CCTV System

·         Entrance Gate with Video Entry

·         Security Lighting

·         Security Locks

Although the above appears to be a basic rule of thumb there are also other factors which should be considered, such as insurance requirements, vehicles, valuables and sensitive information such as company records and data.

These factors will all have an effect on the system design, so for example House No.1 may own a desirable high value car such as a BMW M5 so a CCTV system and gate entry may be required to provide a more suitable system.

Once the level of cover has been decided the rest of the process is fairly straight forward and should flow from one stage to the next.

 

With this in mind the next factor to decide on would be the functionality of the system. This means deciding how the system will be used, for example which door would be used to enter a property how will the CCTV images be viewed and what happens when the call button at the gate is pressed.

Once the system functionality has been decided it will then determine the amount and type of equipment required to meet expectations. It would be no good if you wanted to use a side door to enter your house and the key pad was in the main hall way.

At this stage the budget also comes into the equation as this will have effect on the types of equipment to be used. For example an 8 camera CCTV system may be required but the budget may only allow for an entry level system rather than a top of the range system.

(For more information on this please see one our previous articles “CCTV Equipment – Cheap V’s Expensive”)

Now it may seem like there is a lot to think about but a good security designer will be able to guide you through all the options to create the right system that meets all your expectations as well as creating an environment you feel safe and comfortable in.