Spring Bank Holiday security patrol team in Southend save man’s life

The Spring Bank Holiday on Monday 25 May witnessed a security patrol team from Approved Contractor Scheme-registered Stambridge Security Services save a middle-aged man who was suffering from a potentially life-threatening heart attack at Southend-on-Sea Pleasure Beach.

Security Industry Authority (SIA)-licensed door supervisors Jamie Spiers and Patrick Bourke were on patrol at the Pleasure Beach when they received a call from a colleague at around 2.00 pm stating that there was a male in distress.

It was a busy and hot day. Spiers and Bourke found the unconscious man lying on the beach fully dressed and breathing erratically. He was having a cardiac arrest. Both officers are qualified First Aid trainers and immediately called the Emergency Services who advised that they should start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ie CPR).

Spiers started chest compressions while Bourke alerted Southend-based Stambridge Security Services’ Control Room staff to ensure that CCTV was capturing everything. The two door supervisors also took it in turns to administer rescue breaths.

Air Ambulance on scene

Spiers said: “Thankfully we were in the right place at the right time. We took turns in helping the man to breathe because it was so tiring. It took about 15 minutes for the paramedics to arrive. We were relentless, consistent and we did not stop. When the Emergency Services arrived they took over and used a defibrillator. The Air Ambulance also came to the scene.”

Once Spiers and Bourke had handed the man over to the Emergency Services, they cordoned off the busy Pleasure Beach. As it was a Bank Holiday, the traffic was very heavy so they directed cars away from the scene to enable the Emergency Services to transport their patient to Southend Hospital.

Three days later, a security operative at Southend Hospital called Spiers such that he could chat to the man whom he and Bourke had saved. He was very thankful.

On that note, Spiers stated: “I’ve been a door supervisor for 12 years and I was born and bred in Southend. Patrick and I have worked together in crowd control and always focus on making sure we can create a safe environment. I’m just glad we could help. Who would have thought that Patrick and I would save a man’s life?”

Critical and key workers

There are upwards of 400,000 licensed security operatives in the UK and, like Spiers and Bourke, many continue to work as critical and key workers in safeguarding and protecting hospitals and sheltered accommodation, supporting social distancing in supermarkets and transacting other essential operations.

Ian Todd, CEO at the SIA, said: “It’s important to remember that many individuals in the security industry are working as critical and key workers during this emergency period. The scenario in which Jamie and Patrick were involved is testament to the fact that, despite the challenges, many operatives and businesses are going the extra mile to serve their communities.”  

The SIA is actively promoting the industry’s dedication and commitment through the #SIAHeroes campaign. The Regulator is sharing inspiring stories of security operatives who are keeping the public safe and secure at this critical time.

*Read all of the #SIAHeroes stories online here

Notting Hill Genesis surveillance upgrade project witnesses Cloudview and Amthal Fire & Security working in tandem

Amthal Fire & Security has been working closely with secure cloud CCTV specialist Cloudview in order to upgrade legacy network surveillance systems and realise smart cloud-based and, importantly, compliant solutions for the benefit of staff and residents involved with Notting Hill Genesis. 

Notting Hill Genesis is one of the largest housing associations in London and the South East, with its head office at Kings Cross and five further site locations requiring high quality protection for more than 1,500 office-based members of staff.

Amthal Fire & Security has been working closely with Cloudview to take responsibility for security maintenance across the office portfolio, alongside ensuring the safety and security of residents housed in both new and existing dwellings.

To ensure efficiency savings, compliance and smart capability when it comes to CCTV, Notting Hill Genesis’ visual data partner Cloudview has supplied its specialist systems for Amthal Fire & Security engineers to install across the office and development network.  The new system removes the need for DVRs and allows authorised personnel instant and secure remote access for the management of evidential footage stored as required in case of a threat or an emergency scenario.

Compliance with the GDPR

Suki Kahlon, office services manager for central services at Notting Hill Genesis, informed Security Matters: “The need to update CCTV systems for ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was of paramount importance, both for the Notting Hill Genesis team and also for our residents and their safety. Partnering with Cloudview and, later on, Amthal Fire & Security has been of great benefit. They understand our working environment.”

Kahlon continued: “Both companies operated in such a way as to enable a scalable upgrade programme of works across our office base and various housing developments. Essentially, our ambition is that wherever we have CCTV systems in place, we want to upgrade to the cloud and bring our networks together in a centrally managed visual data infrastructure. The Cloudview solution has been well received by building managers and authorised personnel.”

To date, Amthal Fire & Security’s installation and maintenance teams have completed install works at the head office in Kings Cross and at the West London office in Hammersmith, in addition to new housing development connections.

Visual data

The new surveillance technology is created to offer alerts when instant action is required and based on what’s identified as a threat. Visual data can be accessed anywhere at any time and on any device. It can also be shared immediately and saved for up to 12 months if required, with 30-day delete options as standard in order to comply with the GDPR.

Crucially, the data is only accessible to authorised personnel, all of whom have audit control capability for full compliance.

Stephen Bates, CEO at Cloudview, observed: “Notting Hill Genesis is committed to providing safe and secure communities in which residents can thrive. Equally, the client is very clear on its responsibilities to its team members who are at the heart of these communities. The need for smart surveillance technology that can be centrally managed is integral. We were delighted to offer a solution that could bring these requirements together. With the help of Amthal Fire & Security, we have enabled a seamless installation process between all Notting Hill Genesis’ offices and housing developments.”

Phil Bryant, manager of the strategic accounts team at Amthal Fire & Security, added: “At the heart of social enterprise is the overriding need to create homes and communities in which residents want to live, with management taken care of by the dedicated local teams employed by Notting Hill Genesis. The organisation now has smart systems in place to ensure ongoing safety and security.”

Bryant continued: “The Cloudview system installed by Amthal Fire & Security, with both of us operating in constant collaboration, has proven to offer best value and significant efficiency savings that can be maintained to ensure ongoing compliance and simple maintenance plans. It also allows Notting Hill Genesis staff to have a much more reactive and instant approach to any threat identified, thereby affording total peace of mind.”

Call for Entries launched by Global MSC Security for prestigious 2020 Gordon McLanaghan Award

Entries are now being accepted for the seventh annual Gordon McLanaghan Award, which recognises an individual, project team or organisation that has gone above and beyond the Call of Duty to achieve an innovative technical security solution.

The free-to-enter award is managed by Global MSC Security and judged by an independent panel of respected UK security practitioners. The panel look for compelling evidence of innovation and the impact that a technical security solution has had in solving a specific issue.

This prestigious award is presented in memory of Gordon McLanaghan, an innovator within the Bristol City Council CCTV and Emergency Control Centre, who sadly passed away back in 2014.

Previous winners of the Gordon McLanaghan Award are Dyfed Powys Police (2019), Cornwall Fire and Rescue (2018), the Cumbria Constabulary (2017), Gloucester City Council (2016), Jim Guiton of Dacorum Borough Council (2015) and Safer Communities Glasgow, who won the inaugural trophy back in 2014.

Derek Maltby, managing director of Global MSC Security, stated: “The Gordon McLanaghan Award is open to any organisation in the UK that has implemented a truly innovative technical security solution in the past 12 months. Since we launched the award in 2014, it has been dominated by some truly inspiring and successful projects undertaken in the UK public sector.”

Maltby went on to comment: “The Gordon McLanaghan Award is truly agnostic, so if you have a solution that has set a benchmark, or has been delivered in a new and creative way in the private or public sector arena, we would encourage you to enter this year.”

Derek Maltby

This year’s winners will be presented with a piece of Bristol Blue glassware as well as a cheque for £1,000 at a gala charity dinner hosted on the evening of Monday 9 November at The Bristol Hotel in central Bristol during the 2020 edition of the Global MSC Security Conference and Exhibition.

*Details on how to submit entries can be found here. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 30 September

Smart R Distribution provides vital link for CCTV expansion at New Cross Hospital

As a direct consequence of COVID-19, many hospitals have needed to quickly erect new portable buildings to expand the capacity of certain sensitive areas. In turn, this has created a requirement to immediately expand the scope of existing CCTV systems to ensure Control Room operators are able to monitor and react appropriately to any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the new buildings.

New Cross Hospital, which is run by the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, is just one of many throughout the UK faced with the challenge of ensuring all areas of its campus can be monitored on a 24/7 basis. Providing 700 beds and employing circa 9,500 members of staff, it’s the largest teaching hospital in the Black Country, having been originally built in 1900 as a workhouse.

The need to install a new 4K camera in a location over 300 metres from the hospital’s Control Room initially seemed daunting in terms of the cost of laying the network cabling normally needed to transmit the ultra-HD images captured by IP cameras.

“Apart from the cost of the engineering work and the disruption caused by installing the new cabling, it would also have taken several days to achieve,” said Dan Mather, director of Derby-based JKE Security who’ve enjoyed a long-term working relationship with the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust.

“We clearly needed to find a much simpler and cost-effective solution which would enable our clients to take full advantage of the superb quality images captured by 4K cameras and, if necessary, pass evidence of any wrongdoing to the police.”

Finding the solution

Mather sought advice from Smart R Distribution, the Haverhill-based specialist electronic security products distributor. The business was able to offer Mather an assurance that its own brand 602POE-2P single port PoE Ethernet Extender would be able to reliably support a new 4K Wisenet PNP-9200RH dome camera by facilitating the transmission of the IP images over the hospital’s existing coaxial cabling.

The Smart R 602POE-2P is proven to be able to robustly transmit data over any two-wire cable and, with the ability to handle bandwidth of up to 200 Mbps, is more than capable of coping with the transmission demands of the Wisenet 4K camera.

“Although we didn’t source the camera directly from Smart R, it could not have been easier to connect it to the Ethernet Extender,” said Mather. “It was truly a case of plug-and-play, with both devices installed, configured and working within half a day.”

Commenting on the successful installation of the new camera, Paul Smith (head of security and car parking for the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust) said: “During this challenging time, it’s essential that we’re able to continue to provide a secure and safe working environment for all our heroic colleagues who are so compassionately caring for people suffering from the Coronavirus. I’ve been impressed with how quickly various companies within the electronic security supply chain have been able to join forces and use their combined expertise to provide us with an efficient and cost-effective solution.”

IDIS and Galeco Communications NHS project shortlisted for 2020 Safety and Health Excellence Awards

A cutting-edge project undertaken by video surveillance specialist IDIS and Galeco Communications designed to improve protection for vulnerable adolescents and children with mental health conditions has been shortlisted for the 2020 Safety and Health Excellence (SHE) Awards.

The project involved a 150-plus camera system being installed in stages across nine weeks to create what is one of the UK’s safest secure treatment centres for young people with complex care needs, thereby reducing the risk of physical harm to staff, patients and visitors alike.

The Bluebird House project has been selected out of more than 200 entries for this year’s SHE Awards, and is now confirmed as a finalist in the Best Health and Safety Project category. The winners will be announced in September.

Galeco engineers installed 110 IDIS 12 MP IR Super Fisheye cameras as well as upwards of 50 separate 5 MP IR bullet and 31x zoom IR PTZ cameras connected to 32-channel NVRs. All benefit from true plug-and-play set-up, minimising disturbance to patients.

Deployed across three secure wards and two high-level care units, the Super Fisheye models provide comprehensive coverage that’s much more affordably for the end user than the alternative of using three or more fixed lens cameras. Advanced video capture delivers HD scene coverage and allows staff to de-warp in live view as well as playback.

The 5 MP bullet cameras were deployed by Galeco engineers around the building exteriors. At the perimeter, 31x zoom IR PTZ cameras provide clear night-time image capture at distances of up to 200 metres. Each camera is set to perform virtual guard tours periodically during the day and also at night.

Featuring automatic object detection capability, these cameras recognise and automatically track objects, people or cars, alerting CCTV operators to suspicious activity and ensuring that potentially important evidence is always recorded.

Patient privacy requirements

To meet patient privacy requirements, access to live and recorded footage – and the use of specific video tools – is limited to staff according to their location and role. Individuals can only view and review footage from their own area of responsibility at one of the four designated monitoring stations.

The end result of the project has been improved safety standards and care provision, with clinicians and senior administrators now able to use the new video review tools for training, case review and incident investigations.

“At a time when our fantastic NHS staff are in everyone’s thoughts, we’re grateful that we’ve been able to make a contribution towards keeping doctors, care workers, patients and everyone who works with them safe,” enthused Ali Copland, managing director of Galeco Communications.

The project further demonstrates the value of team working and the application of smart technology to improve outcomes.

James Min, managing director at IDIS Europe, concluded: “Together, Galeco Communications and IDIS have shown what can be achieved at such a complex site in sensitive circumstances by adopting a genuine partnership approach.”

Amthal fires up 20th Anniversary celebrations by launching specialist logo

Amthal Fire & Security is celebrating its 20^th Anniversary with the launch of a new logo, dedicated to showcasing the company’s fast-growing and evolutionary journey towards becoming a fire and security specialist.

Launched in 2000 by close friends John Allam and Paul Rosenthal, Amthal Fire & Security now has over 60 members in the team and operates on a nationwide basis providing design, installation, maintenance and monitoring services across the commercial, public and residential sectors.

Amthal Fire & Security is dedicated to satisfying end user needs for security and safety by offering design, installation, service and remote monitoring of advanced electronic fire and security solutions, including intruder, fire, access and CCTV systems.

In 2008, Jamie Allam joined the management team to become commercial director and created the structure to drive an ambitious growth plan, incorporating all aspects of the business from operations through to sales and on to commercial targets.

Since last year, a dedicated senior management team has been created to manage day-to-day operations, including team members from across the business, some of whom began their Amthal journey as apprentices.

Jamie Allam commented: “Since we opened our doors in 2000, the economy and the challenges our clients face have evolved dramatically and our business has always taken a proactive approach. We’ve continued on our dynamic journey, transforming the way in which we work to operate as a total solutions provider for clients in order to deliver full fire and security services.”

Allam continued: “We’re very excited to reach our 20^th Anniversary and wanted a special way to celebrate our year, which reflected our mission, vision and values, both to our incredible team and our customers. The logo was created by providing keywords we associate with Amthal, such as ‘Strength’, ‘Diversity’, ‘Understanding’ and ‘Trustworthy’ alongside recognising our commitment to smart solutions and the latest technology.”

The logo will now be appearing across all social media channels and marketing material, and marks the start of the celebrations through the year, culminating in a special event on Amthal’s actual birthday, which is 14 November 2020.

Amthal Fire & Security is accredited by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE).

BSIA appoints Pauline Norstrom as Honorary Member of Trade Association

Pauline Norstrom has been appointed by the Board of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) as an Honorary Member of the Trade Association. Norstrom’s involvement with the BSIA stretches back over 20 years, with the dedicated security professional having served as chair of the Association from 2014-2016 as well as serving for six years as chair of the Video Surveillance Systems Section.

During her tenure as chair of the Trade Association, Norstrom championed the BSIA’s strategy, part of which was to promote the value of member services over and above price in what is a highly competitive marketplace, duly resulting in the development of the White Paper entitled ‘The (Real) Price of Security Solutions’.

As chair of the Video Surveillance Systems Section, Norstrom ensured that the BSIA was represented on the National CCTV Strategy Board and speaking for the whole industry, in turn leading to the development of BS 8495 focused on the extraction of digital evidence, the BSIA’s Privacy Masking Guide, the Chip and PIN Guide and the Code of Practice for the Design, Installation and Maintenance of Video Surveillance Systems.

Pauline Norstrom

Norstrom was also a key driver behind the development of the leading research project entitled ‘The Picture Is Not Clear: How Many CCTV Surveillance Cameras in the UK?’, the most extensive study of the number of CCTV cameras in the UK in the last 20 years. This particular project positioned the BSIA in the mainstream media in the UK and globally.

In 2016, Norstrom founded Anekanta Ltd, which from 2019 has provided expertise for converging new and legacy technology, examining ethical considerations and the potential impact of the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Prior to this, Norstrom headed up the global marketing function of Dedicated Micros, followed by senior Board and leadership roles in related UK and US technology businesses.

Norstrom is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a member of the IoT Security Foundation and the Security Industry Association’s Cyber Security Advisory Board and also a member of British Mensa.

Norstrom is a regular public speaker and writer providing thought leadership and ideas to the industry and its stakeholders.

Mike Reddington, CEO at the BSIA, said: “The BSIA is delighted to appoint Pauline Norstrom as an Honorary Member of the Association. Pauline’s contribution to the industry and our Association will play an essential role in clarifying the industry’s position on facial recognition, and will go some way towards helping to explain the benefits of this technology, recommending ethical uses and building the trust of the public. We can then move forward the next iteration of research on CCTV cameras.”

3xLOGIC strengthens European operation with appointment of UK business development manager

Alex Buckle

3xLOGIC, the provider of integrated and intelligent security solutions, has announced the appointment of Alex Buckle as UK business development manager. Following the business’ highly successful launch into the European market last year, this is a significant appointment for 3xLOGIC and Buckle will be responsible for continuing to build the profile of the company in the UK.

After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University, Buckle entered the security industry in 2015 as sales executive for Dedicated Micros. He subsequently took up positions with NetVu and Arkessa before joining Vista in 2017 as its business development manager, where he remained until joining 3xLOGIC.

“So far my career has given me tremendous insight into the supply chain and the specific needs of end users, consultants and system integrators,” commented Buckle. “It’s this experience that has allowed me to develop an excellent level of commercial awareness and understanding, and I intend using these attributes to create new opportunities in line with 3xLOGIC’s strategic growth plan.”

Buckle added: “I was attracted to this position due to 3xLOGIC’s integration of CCTV and access control coupled with its business intelligence platform, allowing customers to take enormous amounts of data and turn it into actionable information. This role gives me a massive opportunity to help organisations across the UK drive operational improvement from data in new and exciting ways.”

A leading innovator in server, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things as well as cloud-based technology for over 15 years, US-based 3xLOGIC boasts a wealth of expertise in the development and integration of access control, video surveillance and video management systems. Buckle is tasked with promoting the numerous benefits of 3xLOGIC’s solutions, which provide comprehensive, cost-effective and multi-dimensional security infrastructures that are easy to manage, simple to install and can scale in line with changing needs.

Gary Rowden, 3xLOGIC’s vice-president of commercial sales, concluded: “I’m delighted that Alex has joined us. His extensive skills, knowledge and experience will help us rapidly expand our presence in the UK. We have an enviable track record in redefining what’s possible with security technology and our success in the highly competitive US market is testament to our ability to stay one step ahead of the competition.”

360 Vision Technology appoints Sara Fisher as business development director

360 Vision Technology, the UK CCTV company, has announced the appointment of Sara Fisher to the role of business development director.

Formerly sales and marketing director at AMG Systems with full responsibility for driving sales and marketing activities, Fisher’s new role will be geared to supporting end users, system integrators and security consultants in the ITS, local authority and oil and gas sectors within the UK and across international regions.

Sara Fisher

“Having worked with Mark Rees and the team for a number of years, I’m extremely excited to be taking on this new position,” enthused Fisher. “I’ve admired 360 Vision Technology’s innovative and high-performance camera and lighting technologies for some time now and cannot wait to start promoting another great British brand. Primarily, my aim will be to increase 360 Vision Technology’s global presence across a number of key market sectors.”

Rees stated: “Supporting the company’s continued growth plan, we welcome Sara as an excellent addition to the 360 Vison Technology team. Having worked with Sara in a technology partnership with her previous company, it was clear that her experience and tenacity was aligned with our own company’s ethos and aspirations. Sara’s role is set to lead us into new sectors, as well as strengthen those in which we’re already making inroads. I’m thrilled to have someone of Sara’s calibre and experience joining the team.”

AMG expands sales and technical support with appointment of Amanda Cowell

AMG Systems, the developer of wireless and hybrid communication transmission solutions, has expanded its depth of customer support by appointing Amanda Cowell as sales and technical support engineer.

Supporting AMG’s sales and technical support manager Ian Creary, Cowell’s new role will be to provide pre- and post-sales technical support. Previously a network engineer with responsibilities ranging from on-site installations to maintenance, Cowell has worked on projects in the UK as well as in Europe and the US.

“I’m really excited to be starting with AMG and I’m looking forward to taking on the challenges that are to come,” said Cowell. “My objective is to bring some fresh ideas and provide technical support for the entire AMG family.”

Creary added: “We’re delighted to welcome Amanda to the technical team at AMG Systems. Her networking qualifications, certification and experience, combined with the CCTV experience gained in her previous role, will prove invaluable in providing pre- and post-sales technical support for our internal sales team and valued customer base.”