Full Guide to CCTV Monitoring
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Table of Contents
There are now more than 70 million CCTV cameras in the United States.
Video surveillance has become central to everyday operations — and for good reason.
CCTV monitoring can’t stop all criminal activity, but it’s among the best tools for deterring and investigating crime. Installing a proper CCTV camera system should be at the top of your priority list if you’re not already using them to protect your business or private property.
Read our full guide to CCTV security monitoring before you buy a system and attempt to install it yourself. This guide looks into the key reasons why you need one, as well as how to choose and properly install the best system.
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The Benefits of CCTV Monitoring
All businesses worry about crimes like theft, vandalism, and trespassing. But they tend to worry less once they’ve installed a functional CCTV monitoring system that can give them an eagle-eye view of their entire property.
Closed circuit television systems have been in use for more than fifty years. In recent years, the technology behind them has undergone rapid and significant improvements.
The latest CCTV surveillance systems now use internet protocol cameras, also known as IP cameras. IP cameras stream live footage and make it possible for you or your security team to remotely monitor the footage from anywhere in the world.
That’s not all they do. In addition to streaming and recording images captured through video surveillance, IP cameras use motion detection sensors that send alerts whenever there is movement. This makes it more difficult to miss a threat.
Like alarm systems that draw instant attention to a particular door or window, like in secured hospital environments, motion detector sensors make it easy to determine the precise location of the source of the threat.
Modern CCTV systems also allow for remote positioning. You can angle or move the cameras as needed to capture different views. This allows you to monitor potential threats from different points of view and have visibility from different angles if a dangerous situation occurs.
Many CCTV systems also include thermal cameras, which pick up on changes in temperature. This allows you to see images in dark or dimly lit areas.
A small investment in a modern CCTV system can also save businesses money in the long run. They make your facility safer for workers and customers, as well as protect valuable assets such as inventory, equipment, cash, and data.
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How Do You Install a CCTV System?
Traditional CCTV systems are hardwired to your electrical panel and via cables to an on-site control room. You can still choose this traditional method, but many businesses prefer remote live monitoring solutions that connect via the internet.
No matter what type of surveillance system you choose, it’s best to hire a professional installer who can set up the camera system on your behalf. The installation process involves many steps.
Step 1: The Site Survey
Professional installers will do a site survey to determine where video cameras are needed and how many you’ll need to provide the greatest security. Once you select the type of cameras you want and agree on where to place them, the installation will begin.
Step 2: Camera Installation
Wireless cameras are a popular choice for residential properties because they don’t require rewiring and are, therefore, the easiest to install. Most commercial facilities and businesses, however, prefer to hardwire their cameras to a central power source.
During installation, the installer will run all the wires needed to make the necessary electrical connections. Sometimes that requires opening up walls or removing ceiling panels. Once the wiring is in place, they’ll mount your cameras at the proper heights and position them in a way that captures as wide an area as possible.
Step 3: Video Recording System Installation
The next step in the process is to install the video recording system so that you can store and save your CCTV footage. This can be a network video recorder (NVR) or a digital video recorder (DVR), depending on the type of CCTV system you choose.
IP cameras, which connect via the internet, use NVRs to record digital videos. Analog cameras require DVRs, which convert analog footage into a digital format. A DVR system requires connection with coaxial cables, so running wiring in ceiling panels or behind walls may be necessary here as well.
Step 4: Connection to Your Monitoring Center
Once the recording system is in place, a professional installer will connect the cameras to your monitoring center or control room. With modern systems, this is done via the internet, while traditional systems with on-site control rooms require cables for connection.
Step 5: Testing the System
The final step is to test the system and verify that the surveillance images are available for monitoring in real time. Professional installation companies will ensure that your system is working at optimum levels, and that operators are seeing the highest-quality images possible.
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Who Should Monitor the Security Cameras?
It’s up to you to decide who you want to monitor your security system and where you want them to monitor it from.
On-site monitoring requires that you have someone on the premises to watch the surveillance video footage. For large businesses with multiple cameras that need constant surveillance, that could require hiring an entire internal security staff.
Remote monitoring allows you to outsource to a third-party monitoring center to provide 24/7 surveillance. You may also choose to hire a private security firm, which may staff your location with security guards to work in your control room or to watch your cameras from their own management system.
Where and who you rely upon for CCTV monitoring often depends on how many cameras you have. It also depends on how much you need to keep an eye on your business or facility. The key is to make sure that you have enough CCTV operators in place to watch the system in the appropriate manner.
Here are some tips to help you decide who should monitor your CCTV system and from where.
The Benefits of an On-Site Monitoring Station
Many businesses find it beneficial to hire a professional security company to put security guards in charge of CCTV monitoring. With professional, trained guards watching your CCTV system, you can have peace of mind knowing that if they detect a threat, they can immediately respond and take the appropriate action.
The combination of CCTV monitoring and physical guards on site is ideal. Video surveillance cameras and visible security guards are both excellent crime deterrents. Use them together to significantly reduce threats and prevent crimes.
Another benefit of having an on-site monitoring station is that there will be less eyes on your footage. You can set protocols so that only the guards in your control center and designated employees or officers of the company can see the footage. With a remote video monitoring service, you can never be 100% sure who’s watching your footage.
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The Pros and Cons of Remote CCTV Monitoring
Remote video monitoring can give you around-the-clock peace of mind, but there is one drawback:
It won’t stop an immediate threat.
Monitoring video surveillance cameras from a distance is an excellent way to detect suspicious activity. Yet without a physical guard on site to protect you in the moment, you’ll still be at risk. The best that remote monitoring centers can do is contact law enforcement or other emergency services if a security breach or safety threat arises.
The biggest benefit of using remote monitoring is the lower cost.
Hiring monitoring services that employ operators is more cost-effective than hiring trained security guards to watch your CCTV cameras. Security guards go through extensive training to learn specific skills, such as de-escalation and emergency response techniques.
For this reason, their cost per hour is higher than CCTV operators who aren’t trained to confront or handle physical threats.
Keep in mind that the added cost of hiring physical security guards is well worth it. Guards offer an added layer of protection that can make both your employees and customers feel safer in your place of business.
For Some Businesses, On-Site Monitoring Isn’t an Option
Deciding whether to monitor your CCTV cameras onsite versus a remote location may be a simple matter of logistics.
If you need to observe several cameras, or if you require several people to monitor them, you’ll need to have the space to do so. It’s not always possible to designate a control room. If you lack the space to set up your control room in the proper manner, remote monitoring may be your best option.
Not sure what’s required in a CCTV control room or how to set one up?
This article dives into what equipment you’ll need, how to position screens and operator workstations, and the type of lighting and ventilation required. It’s more complicated than you may think.
How Many People Do You Need to Monitor a CCTV System?
There is no right or wrong answer to the question of how many people are needed to monitor your CCTV video feeds. It depends on several factors, including how many cameras you have and whether the locations under surveillance are high-traffic areas.
In low-traffic areas where activity is infrequent, a single operator may be able to monitor several screens at a time. In high-traffic areas or high-risk areas, you may need more than one guard per screen to keep track of everyone coming, going, or loitering.
If you’re looking to maximize the number of cameras that one person can monitor at a time, you can use “blank screen monitors.” Working as a CCTV operator means staring at screens for hours at a time, but blank screen monitoring can make it easier on the eyes. The monitors only display images when there is movement or activity. With this approach, operators have less images to focus on at a single time.
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Whether you own or operate a small retail store, a bank, a hospital, an office building, or a manufacturing plant, every type of business and industry can benefit from CCTV monitoring. But it’s best to rely on professionals to get it set up.
A professional security company can help you determine what the right system is. They’ll also install that system, set up your monitoring process, and make sure that it’s working to its full capacity. It’s a complex process that most people cannot and should not handle themselves.
If you plan to increase or upgrade security at your place of business, don’t delay. To find a professional security team that can make your business safe inside and out, visit Security Explorer now.
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