When building a new corrections facility, security is of utmost importance not only for corrections officials but also for the surrounding community. One of the main components to a secure facility is a perimeter fence that will ensure offenders stay behind the prison walls. Many new products are on the market that are revolutionizing the scope of these systems and that may make choosing a perimeter system a bit more complicated. The Corrections Connection interviewed Bob Ross, VP of Marketing for First Defence II, Inc. and Steve Morrison, Deputy Director of Corrections, National Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology Center, Southeast Region. on this issue. The following provides some guidance to choosing perimeter systems.

Q: Besides cost, what factors should be considered before selecting a perimeter security system?

A: While cost is an important factor, the first consideration should always be the specific security needs of the facility and the size and physical restrictions of the perimeter zone. These requirements will greatly influence the design and installation of the system and ultimately the cost.

Q: What perimeter security options are available?

A: When it comes to perimeter security there are a many choices and that only makes the selection process more difficult. The best way to narrow your choices is to start by asking questions. Lights? No lights? Razor Wire? Wire-Free? Sensors? Alarms? Gates? New? Retrofit? Add-on?

Consider staffing needs, security procedures and daily operation needs. If you already have a central control area, it may make sense to monitor your perimeter with security cameras. If you have many inmates working the grounds and transport units coming and going, it may be important to have several gated areas. If you are in a residential area, it may be important to have a system that visually blends with the surroundings.

Several vendors are widely known in the industry for their perimeter security and sensor products including First Defence, Montgomery Technologies, Access Automation, High Tech, Perimeter Products and SIGCOM. Some are designers and manufacturers of perimeter structures and others provide sensors, alarms and perimeter surveillance equipment. Visit their websites to get a feel for the types of services and products they provide. In some cases, vendors such as First Defence provide their auto cad drawings and specifications via the Internet, making it easier for you to begin planning your system.

As a correctional administrator or architect, you should carefully review all of your perimeter security options and interview as many vendors as possible before choosing a direction.

Q: What testing is currently available for sensor detection?

A: According to The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center [NLECTC], testing guidelines for perimeter security include, but are not limited to: Probability of Detection (PD), False Alarm Rate (FAR), and Vulnerability to Defeat (i.e. typical measures used to defeat or circumvent the sensor). Below are descriptions: Probability of Detection provides an indication of sensor performance in detecting movement within an area covered by the sensor. Probability of detection involves not only the characteristics of the sensor, but also the environment, the method of installation and adjustment, and the assumed behavior of an intruder.

False Alarm Rate indicates the expected rate of alarms that are not attributable to intrusion activity. A nuisance alarm is an alarm in which the reason is known or suspected (e.g. animal movement/electric disturbance) and was probably not caused by an intruder. A false alarm is an alarm where the cause is unknown and an intrusion is possible, but a determination after the fact indicates no intrusion was attempted.

Vulnerability to Defeat is another measure of the effectiveness of sensors. Since there are few sensors that reliably detect all intruders and still have acceptably low False Alarm Rates, the potential for "defeat" can be reduced by designing sensor coverage using multiple units of the same sensor, and/or including more than one type of sensor, to provide overlapping of the coverage area and mutual protection for each sensor.

Q: When preparing a request for bid, how much information does a perimeter security/sensor vendor need?

A: At a minimum, the vendor is going to need the general layout of the perimeter area including size, dimensions and gate requirements. According to Bob Ross, VP of Marketing for First Defence II, Inc. "gates add more labor and expense to a perimeter system so you need to know exactly how many gates are needed and what type." Are they going to be used for an emergency gate, a walk-through gate, will the gate be closed and opened a hundred times a day with frequency or just once a week for deliveries. "Remember a gate is a fence with a hole in it" explains Ross, "so it's going to create a lot of concern and completely change the overall cost."

The vendor will also need to know the footing conditions (ie. soil and ground cover), wind loads and snow loads of your particular region. "North is snow country and Florida is one of our highest wind load areas because of hurricanes" says Ross. "We need to understand the elements that we are up against so that the system is properly constructed to withstand any temperature changes, wind increases and soil conditions which can effect the structure and it peripheral equipment."

Q: What specific factors should be considered for sensors?

A:There are a wide variety of other considerations that should be assessed when placing sensors to monitor the perimeter of an area or building. Below are the five primary considerations:

POWER SUPPLY

The NLECTC explains that regardless of how well designed and installed, "all intrusion detection systems are vulnerable to power losses, and many do not have an automatic restart capability without human intervention." Potential intruders are aware of this vulnerability and may seek to "cut" power if they cannot circumvent the system via other means. It is critical that all elements of the system have power backups incorporated into the design and operation to guarantee uninterrupted integrity of the sensor field, alarm reporting, situation assessment, and response force reaction.

COMPATIBILITY

Make sure that the peripheral sensors, alarms and cameras that your select are compatible with your existing systems and/or perimeter structure. "I am not aware of any system that is not compatible with the First Defence Arched Barrier," says Ross, who warns that such considerations should be made before purchasing a system.

DIVIDE and CONQUER

Consideration should also be given to dividing the perimeter into independently alarmed segments in order to localize the area of the possible intrusion and improve response force operations. Internal zone sensors can also be impacted by a combination of external stimuli, such as machinery noise and/or vibrations, air movement caused by fans or air conditioning/heating units, and changes in temperature to mention a few.

PHYSICAL SPACE

A fundamental consideration is the need to have a well-defined clear/surveillance or isolation zone. Such a zone results in a reduction of False Alarm Rates caused by innocent people, large animals, blowing debris, etc. If fences are used to delineate the clear zone or isolation zone, they should be carefully placed, well constructed and solidly anchored, since fences can move in the wind and cause alarms.

NATURE and MAN-MADE FORCES

Most security zones have a unique set of environmental factors which are taken into consideration when designing the system, selecting the sensors, and performing the installation. Failure to consider all the factors can result in excessive "false alarms" and/or "holes" in the system. External zones are likely to be affected by the prevailing climate, daily/hourly fluctuations in weather conditions, or random animal activity as well as man-made "environmental" factors. The secret is, "the system must be designed with anticipation with as many possible failures as can be conceived. If you put a sensor out in the middle of the grass and someone mows over it, you should have expected it," said Ross.

Q: Are there hidden costs to watch out for?

A: Costs of such intrusion detection systems are easy to underestimate. Sensor manufacturers often quote a cost per meter, cost per protected volume, for the sensor system. Often this figure is representative of the hardware cost only and does not include the costs of installation, any associated construction or maintenance. Normally, the costs associated with procuring the sensor components are outweighed by the costs associated with acquiring and installing the assessment and alarm reporting systems." Each manufacturer will have different estimates, but labor should represent anywhere from 50-60% of the total cost.

Resources:

Check out the NLECTC's recently-updated handbook on Intrusion Detection Systems, created in cooperation with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center [SPAWAR] for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ([DARPA and the National Institute of Justice Joint Programming Steering Group. "The handbook was developed to provide law enforcement & corrections security managers and specialists with a reference of current perimeter sensor technologies, capabilities, limitations and integration methods" explains Steve Morrison, Deputy Director of Corrections, National Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology Center, Southeast Region.

The handbook is currently available in HTML format on the Internet at http://www.nlectc.org (HINT: choose publications on the left-hand side, then choose security).