After Hours: Alarms

Not all alarms are the same. There are conventional, perimeter position sensors and motion-based alarms; and there are verified impact-activated audio alarms. Conventional security systems are motion-based and work in a lot of ways like a flashpoint beam – walk in front of it and you trip the alarm. Savvy criminals have learned to test the placement and vulnerabilities of alarm sensors. Another drawback of these systems is that if they trip a sensor, the alarm screams and the criminal usually runs away, knowing it can take the police a long time to respond. Next time, the criminal knows to try another point of entry.

The reason it often takes the police a long time to respond is because most police departments give standard alarms a low dispatch priority. Why? Because 98 percent – a staggering number – of all alarm activations are false.

Verified audio-intrusion alarms work differently than motion-based alarms. First of all, they are silent, so a criminal has no idea the alarm was even triggered. When a verified audio-based alarm is armed and then subsequently triggered by an intrusion, trained professionals at a monitoring station actually listen in to verify whether a break-in is in progress at the facility, or whether a false alarm has sounded. If the alarm is false, the system is reset without needing to notify the church officials or the police. If it is a real break-in, the police are dispatched as a verified "burglary in progress." This is considered a high-priority dispatch by police because it has been verified that a crime is taking place.

As outlined above, selecting the right security solution is critical to protecting your facility. But let’s face it, you’d rather not ever have to test the system. The following is a list of crime-prevention strategies designed to help make your facilities and grounds less attractive to criminals, and therefore less vulnerable to crime, theft and vandalism.

Around Your Facility

• Avoid blind spots provided by doorways, fences, support buildings and landscaping.
• Place mechanical or electrical devices, such as meters, transformers, etc., in lockable recessed vaults or within the building.
• Limit roof and upper-floor access. Items to consider: drainpipes, window frames, storage units, decorative ledges, dumpsters, vehicles and walkway covers.

Landscaping

• Keep trees at least 10 feet from buildings to prevent window and roof access.
• Trim trees to increase visibility, keeping lower limbs 8- to 9-feet above ground.
• Limit shrubs to low ground cover and group plants together. Hedging along walks helps to channel pedestrian traffic.

Fencing and Gates

• Except for special areas, such as utility locations and parking lots, use fencing and gates with discretion.
• Surround all construction near facilities with high fences and secured gates.
• Secure all gates with heavy-duty padlocks.

Exterior Lighting

• Place wall-mounted or freestanding lights 12- to 14-feet above the ground.
• Direct lighting at the facility if the building is patrolled from the exterior.
• Light the area around the facility if the buildings are patrolled from within.
• Use effective lighting at all entries.

The reality is that today, churches face the same security challenges as any other business, school, government or commercial facility — and the liabilities that go along with it. Is your church prepared?

Sonitrol Corp. (www.sonitrol.com) is a commercial security provider with a special focus on educational and religious facilities. The company’s integrated suite of offerings includes audio-intrusion alarms, monitored video, CCTV, access control and fire-detection solutions. Tim Hickey, marketing manager, specializes in K-12 school security. He can be reached at thickey@sonitrol.com or 610.725.9737. Howard Sanders, vice president, has extensive experience in church security and providing solutions to religious organizations. His contact is hsanders@sonitrol.com, 817.302.2001.