Page 54 - Security Today, June 2017

The Best Defense Electric security fencing may be the best offense
BLy Kathleen Hannon
ocation, location, location truly matters when it comes to choosing perimeter security. Retail businesses, lo- cated in city and suburban districts, are able to pick from a wide variety of detection-based perimeter secu- rity options that can be very effective: smart cameras,
monitored alarm systems, beams, etc. While such systems are often reliant on a law enforcement response, their proximity to residential neighborhoods enables a timelier response from police.
But location provides an additional security challenge for commer- cial businesses located in industrial areas. Sparsely populated at night and on weekends, law enforcement can often be too far away to in- tervene before a theft occurs, and the losses can run into the millions.
“Police are shorthanded and furthermore, they have to prioritize life safety issues,” said Keith Lewis, CargoNet expert and for bureau investigator. “So, if it’s Saturday night and raining, and some alarm is going off in a warehouse district, I can pretty much guarantee by the time police get there, you’re going to get a piece of paper document- ing the fact you’ve been robbed.”
For these businesses, perimeter security becomes vital. But what kind of security is available that can defend itself, if the police aren’t going to get there in time? One option is guards. The other is an elec- tric security fence.
How an Electric Security Fence Works
Relatively unknown outside a few markets that suffer relentless theft, such as salvage yards and freight companies, an electric security fence offers something alarms and cameras cannot: self-defense from exter- nal theft. While models vary a bit, electric security fences are pretty similar to one another. They are:
• •
Constructed inside an existing fence or other barrier to prevent accidental contact.
10-foot high and composed of 20 strands of steel wire.
• Labeled every 10 feet or so with multilingual warning signs.
• Energized by solar panel, to ensure security is intact during a
power outage.
• “Safe but memorable” in the shock they issue, utilizing pulsed
electricity rather than mains.
• Wired to monitored alarms that sound at any attempt to spread,
scale or cut the wires.
With these systems, contacting law enforcement becomes a back- up measure, rather than the first response.
Considerations When Contemplating an Electric Security Fence
Budget is always the first consideration. Electric security fencing is priced very much like regular fencing: based on the size of the yard. Unlike regular fencing, installation is rolled into the monthly service fee to ensure there are no start-up costs.
Service is another consideration: these systems are sold as a ser- vice, rather than a product, which means all maintenance, monitoring and technical service is rolled into the monthly fee. Providers usu- ally include regular service visits as well as troubleshooting. Rent- ing, rather than owning, the electric security fence has the additional advantage of protecting companies from any liability claims: liability remains with the service provider, rather than the business.
Safety is always a concern, but in the United States, all electric security fences use pulsed electricity, not mains. The shock is akin to static from an electrical appliance: deeply unpleasant, but safe, even if a child or someone with a pacemaker comes in contact. Moreover, as the fences are built inside existing, non-electrified fences, contact requires trespassing.
Another issue tends to be permitting. A number of municipalities do not have a standard for electric security fencing, which can add to the standard lead time of six weeks for installation. To enable the pro-
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PERIMETER SECURITY