Security Systems and Equipment (CCTV, Alarms, Communications)
Domain 7 tests the operation and limitations of CCTV, alarms, access-control hardware and communications equipment, including the evidence trail.
CCTV and surveillance systems
- Know camera coverage, blind spots, recording mode and retention period. Check time and date synchronisation at the start of each shift. Monitor for incidents, not for private or unnecessary viewing.
- Privacy still applies: cameras should cover public or operational areas, not private spaces, and signage should tell people they are recorded. Access to footage and passwords is restricted. Export evidence in a way that preserves the original, record the hash or export log, and maintain chain of custody.
Alarm systems
- Know the difference between intruder, panic, fire and door alarms, and the response procedure for each. Verify the alarm location, attend with a colleague if possible, and never assume it is false. Record activation and reset times, false alarms and faults, and report faulty detectors.
Communications equipment
- Radios use call signs and clear, short messages. Use the phonetic alphabet for letters, state the recipient first, and use 'over', 'out', 'standby' and 'roger' correctly. Check battery and signal at handover; keep a backup phone and emergency numbers.
Worked example
CCTV shows a person climbing the perimeter fence at 02:10. Reasoning: the guard radios the control room with location and description, calls police, does not approach alone, and keeps observing. He notes the camera number and time, exports the clip without deleting anything, and logs the police reference.
Traps
Using a personal phone to film monitors; deleting 'unimportant' footage; sharing passwords; ignoring an alarm because it is usually false; failing to test radios; leaving a camera on a private area.