Security System Design

The family is home for what they believed to be a quite evening. Suddenly, the home alarm system is piercing the tranquil evening as the high-pitch alarm reverberates through the house.

Do you freeze in panic? What do you do? Go downstairs? Get to the safe room? Check to see what activated the alarm and where?

The public figure's status makes them an appealing target of the obsessed, criminal, crazy or the crusader. There is no time to think in the above scenario. The response must be immediate, hopefully following a predetermined plan of action.

The situation would be far more favorable with the use of an outdoor perimeter detection system that would provide an earlier warning of an intrusion. Such a system could provide several precious seconds, when seconds count.

Determining appropriate security for the residence is a three-step process. The first step in determining appropriate security for the residence is to review the risk assessment on the principal.

The second step is to conduct a risk assessment of the area in which the residence is located. What types of crimes have been committed in the area of the residence in the last year? Crimes against persons, or property? Who were the previous occupants if any? Did they have an elevated risk assessment?  Are close neighbors at an elevated risk?

After answering all the above questions, the third step is to conduct a security survey at the residence to determine the accessibility and vulnerabilities so that necessary steps can be taken to reduce risk or harm to the principal and their family.

Planning and preparing security measures for the residence incorporates the same-layered system approach as would be used for other locations. The major difference is that the residence is where individuals will have the most control over their environment.