Guide to securing your home - Australian Security Industry Association Ltd (ASIAL)

Guide to securing your home

Here are some of the physical security options you should consider when securing your home:

Alarms and Alarm Monitoring

Physical / Barrier Security

Locking Devices

Smoke / Fire Detectors

Lighting - External and Internal

CCTV / Video intercom

Home automation

Alarms and Alarm Monitoring

The installation of an alarm system is a vital investment in protecting families, property, and possessions. When you combine this with an alarm monitoring device you can turn your alarm into an even more effective security system.

A monitored alarm provides a continuous record of conditions at your property (including detailed reports of openings and closings) so you have a complete record of what has happened at your property/premises, even when you are not there. Any change in conditions can be transmitted immediately to the central station and the appropriate response initiated (tailored to meet your needs, whether police, fire, ambulance, security patrol, maintenance technician or to a list of authorised personnel).

Monitoring is the key reporting link in electronic security. An alarm control interfaces with a communications device to deliver a message for response. A pager system, cellular device, radio or digital communicator can send these signals over the telephone. The central monitoring station (the location that receives and responds to this critical information) decodes and responds to the data it receives and acts according to pre-set instructions from the user.

ASIAL operates a well respected grading scheme for central monitoring stations in accordance with Australian Standard 2201.2-2004 (Intruder Alarm Systems - Central Stations).

ASIAL Certified Monitoring Centres

Physical / Barrier Security

Physical Security devices have become an indispensible tool when it comes to the protection of people and property.
Physical security equipment comprises an extremely wide range of product types, these include:

Security doors / screens – External doors should be solid and able to withstand brute force. If you like to keep your door open, consider installing security screens on your doors and windows but make sure they meet Australian standards for security use. A peephole in the front door is also useful as it allows you to see who is calling without opening the door.
Security fencing – Fencing can act as a deterrent to thieves and vandals so choose a high fence rather than a low one and it should be of solid construction. It is essential all gates are locked and you could also employ an intercom system to screen entry.
Shutters and grilles – They offer excellent protection from intruders, particularly for houses and lower floor apartments. Ensure they meet Australian standards for security and fire safety as they must also allow occupants to easily exit the property in case of emergency.
Safes – Safes are an excellent way of protecting valuable items like jewellery, laptops and other small devices, depending on the size of the safe you have installed. Police recommend engraving valuable goods with your drivers licence number so the goods can be traced and are harder for thieves to sell.

Locking Devices

Devices such as Deadlocks, Multi Point Locking Bars, Safes, Padlocks, Window Locks etc. are in most cases the first and last barriers encountered by an intruder.

When installing locking devices the issue of security versus egress must be considered. Insurance companies often insist on double-sided key locks and window locks before they will insure a property. However, Fire Departments, Councils and the Building Code of Australia requires us to allow emergency egress with a single handed pushing action or a downward motion with a lever handle. There are a number of devices available that meet with existing egress laws and secure property to an acceptable insurance level for both domestic and commercial environments.

The average house will have a number of potential entry points for an intruder. These include front and back doors, windows, garage doors and patio doors. Generally the front and back doors are comprised of timber doors and frames. There are two types of deadlocks that can be used in this situation, the deadlatch and the deadbolt. Both styles of locks can be key operated from the inside or operated by a turn knob or snib. Emergency egress laws at this stage do not apply to houses.

The deadlatch is a self-latching device. As the lock is closed a deadlatching trigger is activated allowing the lock to engage its deadlocking function meaning the latch is now in a fixed position until released by the key or inside turn knob. This function prevents an intruder slipping a credit card or similar object between the door and the jamb to push the latch back and gain access. Home units must use a deadlatch that features automatic unlocking of the inside knob when opened by the key from the outside.

Deadbolts have a similar deadlocking feature as the deadlatch the difference being that they are not self-latching and require the use of the key or the turn to throw them into the locked position. Please note, in accordance with Australian standards, these locks cannot be used on home units.

Locks are available for most types of windows, garages and patio doors. The general devices used for this application are locks that use a pin or bolt to lock them. The pins or bolts are locked into position by a press action or by a key.

Smoke / Fire Detectors

Smoke detectors are the most sensitive method of detecting a fire and should be used wherever conditions allow. Smoke detectors are, however, vulnerable to false alarms caused by dust, steam or smoke from cooking. Where there is a likelihood of false alarms caused by any of these effects a thermal detector should be used instead. It is important to choose a smoke detector, which is approved to Australian Standards or to a recognised overseas body such as UL or LPC.

Heat detectors are normally used in environments where a smoke detector would generate false alarms - such as kitchens or shower rooms. Rate-of-rise heat detectors will alarm if the temperature goes above a fixed threshold or if the temperature is rising very quickly. This type of detector would be the first choice in an environment where a smoke detector could not be used.
However, detectors are not enough. It is recommended that every home have a fire escape plan that is know by all members of the family. More information is provided by the NSW Fire Brigade on their Fire Escape Plan Website

Lighting - External and Internal

Well placed external lighting can act as a good deterrent for intruders. Sensor lights are the most effective as they don’t need to be on all the time but are activated by movement. Lighting should be mounted well out of reach of tampering and, if possible, placed on all sides of your home.
Internal lighting can be connected to an electronic timer to switch on at given intervals to give the impression that someone is home when you are away for the evening or an extended period of time.

CCTV / Video intercom

A CCTV monitoring system allows you to see exactly who it is knocking at your door and is particularly effective for screening entrants to your property when combined with an intercom system and automatic controls for locks and doors.
When installing a CCTV system it is important to choose the correct system for your purpose. Here are some things you need to consider when installing CCTV:

Object size / camera angle of view - Camera angle of view determines how clear details can be seen on the monitor.
Lens quality - Do not take lenses for granted, they are vitally important in ensuring a usable image is produced. Optical quality differs among different manufacturers, and among different models of the same manufacturer so shop around.
Chip quality (CCD / CMOS) – This relates to the physical chip size and type of chip used in the cameras’ optical processor. This affects the resolution and the sensitivity of the camera and will affect the quality of the final image.
Camera electronics and Image processing quality – The camera further processes the CCD/CMOS chip signal. This means it can slightly improve it, or make it worse depending on whether the final image is compressed and by how much.
Transmission media – Any method of transmitting the image has its own limitations and is susceptible to external factors and interferences such as cable problems, distance the signal has to travel, noise etc. Transmission losses reflect directly on the picture quality.
Analogue to Digital Conversion (A/DC) - All CCD/CMOS chips first produce analogue signal. A/D conversion occurs in streamers, IP cameras, Digital Video Recorders etc. This conversion can also reduce the signal quality.
Compression - All CCTV images must be compressed which results in some loss of quality. The key is to find the best compromise between image quality and data storage capabilities.
Monitor / Display - display device technology now come in a range of formats such as CRT, LCD and Plasma. Typically Standard definition CCTV is produced by in an interlaced TV standard, hence interlaced CRTs provide best quality video. LCDs are progressive scanning display devices and are good for computer decoding and non-interlaced display and all displays are at best quality in their native resolution.
Observer / Operator - picture quality perception is also influenced by the observer and this includes the viewing distance from the monitor and the lighting conditions (dimmer light is better). Operators cannot observe more than one screen at a time and multiple monitors should only be viewed for a short time.

Information prepared by Vlado Damjanovski CCTV Labs April 2008. www.cctvlabs.com

Home automation

Home automation devices can be activated using a range of different interfaces. These include touch screens, panic buttons, TV screens, keypads, hand-held remotes, computers or mobile phones.
Some of the devices or appliances that can be automated include:

Computers
Audio and video entertainment systems
Telephone and intercom systems
Security and monitoring systems
Electrical appliances
Lighting
Pool and spa devices
Irrigation systems
Air conditioning systems
Auto gate and door dystems
Locks and doors can be fitted with automatic controls and combined with a video intercom system and CCTV monitoring to allow you to see exactly who it is knocking at your door and screen entrants to your property.