Environmental Monitoring Solutions
,

Safeguarding Renewable Energy Sites In 2022 With Environmental Monitoring Solutions

With the UK hosting the COP26 Summit towards the end of 2021 and reaffirming its commitments to net zero, the onus is on both public and private sector organisations of all shapes and sizes to go green.

Small and medium businesses account for around half of UK business-driven emissions, the same proportion as larger businesses and almost a third (30%) of all current UK greenhouse gas emission, which includes emissions from households, industry and government.

Important choices are therefore having to be made, not least regarding how firms choose to power their operations. Many are opting for renewable energy providers to fuel their sustainability strategies, and in the UK by far the most prominent renewable energy source is wind.

According to the Office for National Statistics, electricity generation from wind power has increased more than sevenfold since 2009, the sector staffed by 7,200 full-time employees in 2019 and turning over around £6 billion a year.

Solar deployment is also on the rise. An important part of this is solar farms – currently there are more than 450 in the UK which have a combined capacity of more than 11.5 GW per year.

Keeping wind and solar farms safe

Wind and solar farms are vital assets that need protecting as the UK transitions towards its net zero targets. While manned guarding can be used to secure these premises, it is not always the most practical solution. Here, remote CCTV monitoring provides an effective way to manage any threats, and the Corps Monitoring Centre (CMC) is able to provide a full range of environmental monitoring services.

Indeed, we believe that human expertise and experience, combined with cutting-edge technological solutions, represents the most effective way of protecting renewable energy assets on a 24-7, 365 day a year basis.

This combination of expertise and equipment enables us to provide advanced monitoring of environmental factors such as light levels, power changes, river levels and tides, exhaust content, wind speeds, rain levels and other conditions. Armed with this capability, wind and solar farm operators can plan and manage potential risks to their business, knowing that unexpected events will be responded to as quickly as possible.

However, not all alarms warrant action. False alarms are a problem that spurn valuable time and resources, an issue which is exacerbated with some wind and solar farms due to their remote locations.

This is why Corps Monitoring has integrated Umbo into our monitoring centre. An AI-powered computer vision false alert reduction system, Umbo is able to cut false alarms by as much as 95%.

How? Alerts triggered by client cameras onsite are routed to Umbo Light for analysis. Light then forwards true alerts to the monitoring centre, ensuring that operators spend time only on those alerts that matter.

The integration of Umbo has significantly enhanced the efficiency of Corps Monitoring Centre. By filtering out false alarms and allowing our team to focus on genuine threats, the speed of response offered to our customers has improved, offering them greater peace of mind that their assets are safe.

For more information on Umbo please visit our website or contact us at sales@corpsmonitoring.co.uk

 

/by
CCTV Live Surveillance Has Come To The Party

CCTV Live Surveillance Has Come To The Party

CCTV Live Surveillance has played a starring role in the news of late.

As investigations into alleged Downing Street parties continue, news reports suggested that The Metropolitan Police was set to receive full access to all the evidence it needs, including CCTV footage.

The British Security Industry Association estimates that there are as many as 6 million CCTV live surveillance cameras operating in the UK. That works out at approximately one camera for every 11 people. There should be no doubt about the pivotal role that security cameras play in preventing crime and terrorism in public and in private spaces.

CCTV live surveillance has been a hidden hero in keeping businesses, employees, and assets safe over the past two-years. However, as we enter this new, and hopefully last chapter of the virus, businesses mustn’t become complacent with their site security. The presence of CCTV live surveillance cameras and lighting alone is often enough to deter any would-be intruders or trespassers.

Because of the effectiveness of CCTV, we expect to see a shift towards more tech-based security operations. There will still be a physical presence, but organisations will want smaller, more highly skilled, and trained teams, who will be better paid, to complement their technology.

CCTV live surveillance is most effective when it is viewed as part of the wider enterprise security ecosystem. By combining CCTV with other systems such as alarms for HVAC, lighting, access control, fire detection, water detection and intruder detection through an integrated software platform, organisations can build a complete picture of their assets and design a multi-layered defence against any security threats.

CCTV cameras in the outer perimeter of a site function in two ways: firstly, as a detection and deterrence tool; and secondly, for evidence if criminals are determined to break through. Another layer of cameras within the building can then be linked to the intruder alarm system. These capture the intruder’s movement and trigger the alarm system.

The Corps Monitoring Centre (CMC) in Glasgow, an alarm receiving centre (ARC) that holds the very highest gold ARC II accreditation, allows our operators to access crucial data, receive instant alarm notifications and share this information with customers and predetermined users anytime and anywhere. While on the phone to the police, live CCTV footage enables us to provide vital identifying information such as the intruder’s appearance, their clothing, and which vehicle they are driving. The intruder alarm also lets us determine their exact location.

Ultimately, using CCTV live surveillance as part of a larger integrated enterprise security approach will make people safer, organisations more efficient, and security service more customer centric. Advances in CCTV technology only serve to hammer this point home.

Risk, threat, and disruption are part of our sector’s everyday lexicon. But the security providers that meet new challenges, keep people safe and add value for their clients will be the ones that come out the pandemic stronger.

/by
Andy Topp
, ,

Andy Topp Joins Corps Security

Corps Security has appointed Andy Topp as its new sales director.

Topp will work with executive director Mark Rogers and the rest of the senior leadership team to broaden the company’s approach and develop new market sectors – particularly those interested in a more ethical approach to procurement now that Corps is a social enterprise.

Andy will work closely across the Corps Security organisation, including our Corps Monitoring division which provides CCTV monitoring systems and services, fire alarm monitoring, personal protection services, and intruder alarm monitoring.

Topp has more than 20 years’ experience in the security and facilities management industry, having held senior roles with Reliance Security Services, Securitas Security Services and ISS Facility Services where he was most recently national sales director – single service for 10 years.

Andy Topp said: “I am thrilled to be joining Corps Security. As the only major social enterprise in the security sector, it is completely unique, and I look forward to helping to grow the organisation and thereby increase its positive impact on the local communities in which it works.”

Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security commented: “I’m delighted that Andy is joining us and bringing with him a wealth of senior experience in our sector. His ability to work at both a strategic and tactical level to deliver results will be a significant boost to the team.”

/by
How CCTV Monitoring Can Keep Your Business Secure During Quieter Periods
, , , , ,

How CCTV Monitoring Can Keep Your Business Secure During Quieter Periods

With a ‘work from home directive’ still in place, key decisions made by business leaders around this time of year is whether to keep their office or workplace open.

What are the overhead savings versus potential revenue lost? How badly do my staff need to take a break? What are we really going to miss out on by closing for a few days? These are the sorts of questions that company bosses will be weighing up.

While reasons exist to support both approaches, many will be closing their doors to let their employees recuperate and enjoy times with their loved ones.

That means leaving corporate premises unoccupied. Once that decision to close has been made, the next most important question is, how do I ensure my workplace is secure? A question to which there are many answers.

Let someone else do it for you

Indeed, some firms may be located in buildings which have their own security setups and protocols for holiday periods. Others, meanwhile, may hire some form of temporary security presence to keep watch while staff are away.

Another option is to tap into the benefits of remote monitoring. The dynamics of security are already changing to the extent that CCTV monitoring, CCTV live surveillance, and remote monitoring are becoming increasingly relevant. COVID-19 has led to occupancy levels reducing in many cases, leaving buildings less well attended than they were previously.

Remote monitoring represents a cost effective and consistent solution that doesn’t take time off. These systems involve cameras which signal alerts to an external monitoring centre, whose staff can issue immediate alerts to on-site staff or dispatch their own response personnel.

Everything happens in real-time through intuitive and comprehensive dashboards, voice activated commands and with the backup of full logistical and human resource management.

Furthermore, if your organisation is spread over multiple sites, remote monitoring solutions are easy to scale up (and down) depending on the number of sites that need protecting – it is far easier to adjust security requirements with this sort of setup than it is to move and adjust operations purely comprised of on-the-ground staff.

Peace of mind

Manned guarding, especially on a 24/7 basis during periods of low occupancy, can also present a prohibitively expensive option to companies.

Moreover, the risk of working through the night in certain places may outweigh the benefits, and organisations may also be housing highly sensitive data that makes them reluctant to station outsourced personnel on-site by themselves.

In all of these cases, CCTV monitoring, CCTV live surveillance, or remote monitoring should be considered as a financially viable, safe alternative which is able to rapidly notify the relevant authorities without the need for any human security officer on site.

Of course, we hope that no alerts need to be made. Often, the presence of cameras and lighting alone is often enough to deter any would-be intruders or trespassers.

Whatever option business leaders take to protect their premises, it is critical they ensure it balances both their security and financial needs.

/by

Contact Corps Monitoring

Secure your future

Get in touch today to see how we can keep your people and property safe and secure with our CCTV monitoring services

Contact Us

ACCREDITATIONS AND INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIPS

  • Accreditations and Industry Memberships

About Corps Monitoring

Corps Monitoring provides a range of electronic security solutions including CCTV monitoring, intruder and fire alarm monitoring, personal protection services and keyholding, as well as environmental monitoring, call centre management and lone worker monitoring.

Corps Monitoring is a division of Corps Security, the UK’s leading independent specialist security solutions provider. The Corps group is a certified social enterprise.

Latest News