Sadly in many areas of the UK arson accounts for a worryingly high proportion of fires. In some locations this can amount to 70% of all incidents, causing tens of millions of pounds worth of damage and disruption every year. Fortunately, protection against the threat of criminal attack, and specifically in this case arson, can be provided by remotely monitored CCTV - particularly overnight.
This is especially important given that, according to the Arson Prevention Bureau, 84% of ‘major' arson fires take place under cover of darkness when effective cover needs to be maintained. If the perpetrators of arson are left undetected, they may attempt to set fire to whatever combustible materials are to hand externally, or try to gain access to the inside of a building where the consequences of their actions will be even more damaging.
It is in the detection of unauthorized and potentially malicious intruders at the earliest possible stage, when they first seek to gain access to a site, where remote monitoring really comes into its own. In practice, using remotely monitored CCTV if an incident does occur, strategically placed detectors will be triggered and the relevant images from a series of on-site CCTV cameras, adjacent to the specific event, transmitted to a dedicated Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC). Here operators can visually confirm what is happening and issue verbal warnings if necessary (via on-site speakers) to intruders - experience suggests that this step alone is a sufficient deterrent for over 90 per cent of intruders. Where offenders are more determined, operators can rapidly alert the emergency services and key holders so they can take appropriate action.
