There are thousands of break and enter cases in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) every year, and a great majority of them occur at commercial or business properties. Security alarm systems are a popular way to deter such crimes, and as a bonus, they increase business operational efficiency.
Logistics and warehouse companies are attractive targets for theft because they are loaded with valuable goods. Often trucks, loaded with goods to be delivered the following day are left on-premise at night, end up being broken into. Large floor spaces and multiple entry points make warehouses difficult to secure. Inadequate security can give thieves ample opportunities to cause financial damage, mess-up delivery schedules and lower employee morale. That is why logistics companies and storage warehouses must ensure physical barriers and security systems to protect their facility against intrusion.
How do security alarm systems protect your warehouse?
In the simplest form, security alarm systems work by securing entry points such as doors or windows with sensors that communicate with a control panel. The control panel is the computer that arms or disarms the system using a touchpad. The panel can be armed manually after the last person leaves the premise or can be programmed to automatically arm at the end of the business day and disarm at the beginning.
If a security sensor is breached while the system is armed (such as a door or window is opened), a high-pitched, loud alarm sounds. This can then send an alert to you if you decide to monitor your alarms yourself. But think about it – would you like to receive an alert in case of such a breach at 2 AM? Multiple nights a week?
Mind you, according to police reports, 98% of alarms are false. This means that 98 out of 100 times you will receive an alert, it will likely not be a break-in. That is why police do not prioritize security alarms and may not show up for hours if there is an alert. What is more alarming is in most areas, after 2 or 3 false alarms, police will not show up at your property at all in the future.
You can better protect your property and improve police response by employing an alarm monitoring company and using a “verified alarm.” For a very small monthly fee, your security provider will monitor your alarms. No matter what the hours are, your monitoring center will investigate instantly if there is any alert. An alarm can be verified by 1) sight and 2) sound. Meaning, you will either need to have video surveillance cameras or audio recorders for remote monitoring agents to verify that there really is an intrusion at your property.
Once the monitoring center has verified the intrusion, they can use speakers and strobes to remotely talk down to the intruders and enforce them to leave. If it does not work, they will contact the police once a remote agent has verified the alarm. Police will respond faster, hopefully, while the crime is still in progress.
Mind you, even for major road accidents, it does take emergency services 3/4 minutes to arrive, so there will always be a little delay in arriving at the site.
How do security alarm systems make your warehouse more efficient?
Your security alarm systems can also make your operation more efficient. With multiple entry/exit points and numerous staff coming and going, it is difficult to manually track if all doors have been shut properly at the end of the day. Your alarm system can do just that for you with complete accuracy. You can set up an alert to your phone if any door is left unlocked at the end of business hours.
Moreover, some warehouses have a business office and a back-end storage area with different hours of operation. Your security alarm systems can be set up to accommodate these different operational hours. This can also help you ensure that staff who are only supposed to work in the back end are not entering the front office or no one is entering the storage area after operational hours. Still, work continues as usual in the front office. Security alarm systems can be arranged to accommodate such customizations easily.
Additional security with video surveillance
Installing a video surveillance system can help both the security and operational efficiency of your warehouse. Surveillance cameras can be accessed remotely and help you see what is going on at your warehouse in case of security breaches after operating hours.
Intelligent video analytics can also be programmed to ensure operational procedures are being followed properly. For instance, if forklifts are only supposed to be used to reach higher shelves in your warehouse, the video surveillance system can be programmed to send alerts to a control room agent if a staff uses a ladder to load goods on higher shelves. Similarly, other requirements set by your insurance company can be programmed into your video surveillance system.
Signs and stickers
A surveillance sign or sticker visible on your property tells trouble makers that your property is professionally monitored. Although to you, it may seem like nothing more than an advertisement for your security service provider. But to a prospective burglar, it can be a deterrent. It tells them this is not a wise choice to attempt a break-in.
Test security alarm systems regularly
The last thing you want is to invest in a system and later find out it was not really working. That is why it is important to regularly test your security system to ensure your security plan is designed properly and is always functional.
Choosing a professional, expert security system provider can give you a well-run synchronized operation.
Interested to know more? Talk to us for a no-obligation consultation!
Written by : Carlo Di Leo
At the age of 24, with no experience in the security industry or any money in the bank, Carlo quit his job and started Spotter Security from his parent's basement. Founded in 2004, Spotter grew from a single man operation into a multi-million dollar security system integrator that caters to businessess and construction sites across Canada.
