When most people think of security monitoring they think of intrusion detection. While it's true that many monitoring applications focus on burglary detection and response, clients today need much more in terms of monitoring capability and related services. That's why the Control Center, RFI's proprietary central station, has the systems, processes and people in place to provide the highest levels
of monitoring and response performance. New services also provide monitoring customers with a host of exciting new benefits.
Following are just a few examples.

Environmental monitoring

In many situations a change in environmental conditions can spell disaster. That's where environmental monitoring systems come into play. For instance, specialized sensors can quickly report a dangerous rise in temperature in a section of a refrigerated warehouse, computer room or other facility where a constant temperature range must be maintained at all times.

Another critical environmental factor in thousands of processes and materials is relative humidity. For example, out-of-tolerance humidity levels in a pharmaceutical company's manufacturing facility can cause fine powders to clump, fouling processes and adversely affecting final product. In the semiconductor and many other industries, even small variations in humidity
can have disastrous effects on process efficiency and output. To prevent
these types of problems the Control Center can monitor for dangerous changes in humidity levels, averting damage and potentially large losses.

"From temperature to pressure, humidity, toxic gases and much more, if a client needs to constantly monitor for changes in their environment we can provide a solution," says Mark Simpson, manager of the Control Center. "Our computerized systems immediately tell us of the exact nature of the problem so we can take appropriate action as quickly as possible."

Internet connectivity

The rapid growth and reliability of the Internet has given rise to a new way of receiving security and other related signals. In the past, most signals were transmitted from the protected premises to the monitoring center through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The Internet is now proving itself to be a better route. Not only is signal transmission relatively faster through the Internet as opposed to PSTN, the costs are generally lower and reliability is higher.

"The Control Center is fully capable of receiving signals through the Internet," says Simpson. "This is especially important for our clients who are moving their communications infrastructures to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)."

Video verification

In most situations, emergency signals from a burglar alarm system are sent via standard phone lines or the Internet (see above) to a monitoring center. At that point, a dispatcher usually calls the business or residence to verify that the signal is not a false alarm. If not, the appropriate authorities are dispatched.

While this procedure is effective in most situations, more and more authorities are requiring specific verification of an emergency before providing a response. Remote video monitoring provides a solution by allowing dispatchers to visually confirm emergency situations and relay critical information to responding authorities. This verification capability helps ensure a faster and more appropriate response when help is needed.

Enhanced reporting

Through its exclusive Service Management Portal (SMP), the Control Center provides customers with a powerful tool for monitoring system activity. For example, SMP can provide security management with consolidated daily reports for openings and closings throughout a facility, even if those facilities are located in different parts of the world. "Many central stations send opening/closing reports every seven to ten days," says Simpson. "With SMP, the client is able to see this information any time he or she wants."

Reports can also be created to show the date, time and type of any system activations. Beyond reporting, customers can also use SMP to request and track calls for service.

For more information about a particular application, or an update on all of the Control Center's capabilities and how they could benefit your organization, we invite you to contact your RFI representative.