The UK's first city centre cctv scheme was installed in King's Lynn in 1987 and by 1994 there were some 220 systems in operation or on the drawing board. By 1997 there were over one million cameras installed in the UK, with 150 000 of them in London alone.
As the technology improves, the effectiveness of the systems also increases. In the London Borough of Newham, for example, cctv cameras are now being used with face recognition technology to identify known criminals as soon as the camera picks them up.
Not surprisingly, this growth has attracted the interest of many companies as a possible source of additional revenue – in specifying, installing, maintaining and managing the systems. So how much scope is there for the broader-based electrical contractor to get more involved in the security business?
As the market for cctv has grown, so has the number of companies installing them. Those that have developed a reputation and track record have much more chance of winning a contract for a large installation than an electrical contractor that 'does a bit of security'. Indeed, those in the know are wary of appointing electrical contractors for security work, and there is an unwritten law in the industry that the electrical contractor will employ a security specialist for that side of the contract.
"Most of the installation work can be carried out by an electrician but specific skills are needed for the initial design, termination and commissioning," points out Adrian Pike of Southern Electric Contracting. And this view is shared by many of the people involved in the specification of the systems and the appointment of contractors.
"Electrical contractors may know the electrical and electronics side very well but it is the human perspective of how the system is used that's important," warns Peter Fry of the CCTV User Group. "Factors such as the ergonomics of how the system is laid out, siting of cameras, the implications of the Data Protection Act – all of these have to be taken into account – so our members would be looking for a track record or references from similar projects," he adds.
Organisations like the CCTV User Group tend to be made up of the larger users such as local authorities, which are involved in the big city centre schemes. And this is where much of the investment has been seen recently. Under the Government's recent CCTV Initiative, the Home Office allocated some £79 million for new cctv schemes in England and Wales, and over 300 schemes have been short-listed to benefit from these funds.
Realistically, traditional electrical contractors have little chance of getting involved in such complex schemes, as specialist companies are usually already working with the local authority and will often be involved from the outset in putting the bid together.
However, the success of city centre schemes has also given a boost to privately-funded schemes and most new buildings have some cameras installed almost as a matter of course. There is potential business here, certainly, but it's also a potential can of worms if the necessary specialist skills are ignored.
"We get a lot of our work from sorting out poor installations by companies that think all you have to do is put a camera on a wall," says Oscar Faber's security specialist Darren Walton. "We would never use an electrical contractor to provide cctv because they do not know enough about it," he adds.
There is clearly a temptation to get round the reservations of those in the know by adding 'security' to the company name, but firms that try it can be sure that their sins will find them out. "You can't tell whether a company knows what it's doing by whether it has security in the name," observes Darren Walton. "But you can tell within about five minutes of conversation if they know what they're talking about."
The specialist skills of installing cctv are partly related to the function of the system itself and partly to the setting up of the equipment. "The wiring is easy but the commissioning requires an understanding of what you are trying to achieve," notes Rolf Jackson of Haley Somerset Consulting. "There is a knack to choosing the right location, angle and resolution," he adds.
These views are shared by one electrical contracting company that has been very successful in establishing itself as a security specialist – Gratte Brothers Specialist Services. "Security is more conceptual than the standard electrical services," explains general manager Michael Trott. "You have to look at security as a complete picture. For example, an electrician installing a video door entry system will probably install it in the same way that they would a light fitting. Someone with an understanding of security will consider the various camera angles and choose the position that gives the best picture, rather than just an acceptable picture."
Another big difference is long-term involvement, as Michael Trott points out with another lighting analogy: "If you put in lighting and it works you can just walk away, but with security you cannot walk away; a security system requires ongoing involvement, and maintenance is another source of revenue."
The Specialist Services division was set up seven years ago and now has 70 staff and a turnover of £11 million, but there was considerable investment required. As well as the obvious costs, such as staff training, there is also the time and effort in gaining appropriate accreditation.
Although there is no compulsory accreditation required for installing cctv, most specialist companies hold accreditation from the National Approval Council for Security Systems (NACOSS). This has less to do with the ability to install the system properly and more to do with the integrity of the staff – the scheme was originally introduced for burglar alarm installers. To gain NACOSS accreditation, all staff have their background vetted, going back 15 years. "If there are any time gaps in the history of a member of staff, even if it was just a four week holiday in Australia, we have to sign an affidavit attesting to that, so it is very rigorous and time-consuming," explains Michael Trott.
One can certainly understand that end-users like to feel confident in the people who have a working knowledge of their security systems. Equally, they want to be sure that the equipment is going to do the job – and at the moment that equipment is pretty complicated. More often than not the various components will come from different manufacturers so special skills may be needed to integrate the camera, the dome, the lens and telemetry.
"There are a lot of factors that affect the quality of the video picture so it takes skill to provide the best results," says Simon Wright of Panasonic. "Over the next few years we will see more 'plug and play' camera systems for smaller projects and it should be possible for the electrical contractor to install these, but at the moment systems are still quite complex."
There will also be a growth in digital recording technologies but, again, they are not quite ready for the non-specialist. "Digital technology and signalling has the potential to make cctv a more effective crime prevention and reduction tool," notes the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). "Digital cameras need less light, are smaller and more powerful than analogue systems. However, specification, installation and maintenance does not always meet the high standards needed to maximise effectiveness. There are also different types of technology, not all of which are compatible, and this can lead to problems, especially for the police, when they need to collect evidence to present in court."
So the message is loud and clear: cctv is still a specialised area that requires specific skills. It is not closed off to electrical contractors, nor is it something they should get involved in without knowing what they're doing. It's interesting to note that many of the companies now specialising in this area came from an alarms background and knew nothing about the video side. They have had to learn, recruit staff with the necessary skills and train their existing staff. With the right sort of investment and commitment, therefore, there's no reason why electrical contractors should not be able to develop the same expertise.
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
