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Ensuring false alarm elimination

Axis Communications was involved in an installation in Kyalami, Johannesburg, for an upmarket housing estate that was surrounded by open areas. The installation comprised seven Axis thermal cameras and three D/N cameras overlooking a zoned electric fence connected to a fibre optic cable running around the perimeter of the estate.

The cameras were configured with Milestone (head end VMS) to detect any human presence. The big challenge at the complex was the repeated triggering of the electric fence alarm, because of false alarms caused by either a tree branch or animals.

“The guards had no visual identification and had to walk out to the triggered zone, which left the entrance to the guard house vulnerable. In addition, the guards had no idea what to expect when arriving at the affected area. The proposed solution was to use thermal cameras to provide long-range coverage over the fence line,” said Roy Alves from Axis Communications.

“Running analytic software allows the system to provide more accurate detection of human activity and suppresses false alarms. The software was configured to provide a pop-up full screen on the computer in the guard house and plays an audio alarm to attract the guard’s attention. Each event is logged and has to be acknowledged, which provides the residents with the assurance that the guards are acting responsibly. The solution has facilitated security for both the residents and guards, who now have clear identification of any alarms.”

Estate issues

Alves pointed out that falsifying identity in order to gain access to estates and tailgating are among two of the issues at hand. “In addition, theft by contractors, corrupt guards, internal syndicates, and renting a unit and then robbing neighbours feature as problem areas.”

Issues to be tackled include poor consultancy, with the wrong systems being specified. In addition, a third party is sometimes used to monitor and maintain the solution, so if there is a problem, the situation lends itself to no one party taking ownership. Another problem that arises is that lack of maintenance is apparent due to the system integrator not being qualified.

“An internal security manager can be the conduit between the trustees and an external company. While both have their advantages, an external company is the route to go because they are trained to handle security issues. The upside is that one can put the onus on them as they are paid to provide a service,” said Alves.

He believes that thermal perimeter surveillance, with integration to an alarm system and access control is a good starting point. “Remote accessibility and notifications with alarms for tampering on cameras should be instituted. In addition, neighbours need to start communicating more effectively as a first line defence to theft.”

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