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Bank on safety

When looking to limit your risk of a residential robbery or burglary, storing your valuables off-site is marketed as a safe choice. Popular storage options include safety deposit boxes and vaults. The use of these facilities is governed by contract, most of which limit the provider’s liability in the event of loss or damage to your stored possessions.

With crime on the rise, one calls into question the measures in place to limit loss or damage occurring at these facilities. Deployment of security officers is commonplace, but in the event of an armed robbery a security officer can only be expected to offer limited resistance.

The Active Track device is a way to protect property and life and has been implemented successfully by various banks and vaults throughout South Africa. The device is a hand-held, versatile unit designed with the pressures of the security industry in mind.

The Active Track’s built-in RFID reader allows the security officer to check in at the various scanning points set up by the security service provider. Its GPS functionality, combined with the mobile and GSM capabilities ensures that the precise location and time of each scanning event is recorded in real-time. The device can be used in areas with limited signal, by relying on a connectivity of as little as seven per cent for optimal functionality. This is useful where security services are rendered below ground or in similar areas of poor signal.

The data captured by each Active Track is available to both management and the security service provider in real-time via Active View, the Active Track’s online portal. The data is available in numerous formats to suit the needs of the various users.

Active Track can also be used to assist security officers in panic or distress situations. If an emergency arises, the security officer can activate the built-in panic button. This triggers an automated SMS to the security service provider, and an alarm in the Active Track 24-hour call centre. The call centre responds by calling the device to determine the nature of the emergency, and what action needs to be taken. If the emergency is such that a panic button cannot be triggered, the security officer can activate the shock sensor by simply dropping the device.

The call centre will place a silent call through to the device and listen in on the situation, whereafter it will notify the security services provider of the events on site. This enables the security provider to take swift and appropriate action.

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