-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open/Close Signal Processing Bulletin 2040 5/21/98 Copyright (C) 1992, Coastal Security Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- An opening is a signal which is transmitted each time an alarm panel is turned off (disarmed). A closing is a signal which is transmitted each time an alarm panel is turned on (armed). The central station provides an array of opening and closing supervisory and reporting services: 1. Open/close supervision requires the central station to challenge openings that occur outside scheduled hours. 2. Late to open/close supervision requires the central station to notify a call out if the premises is not open or closed at the scheduled time. 3. Opening and closing reports can be prepared and sent by fax or by mail to the person responsible for security. -------------------------------- Supervision of Openings This service is provided to businesses who wish to restrict the access of their own employees to the premises after normal hours. In order to supervise opening and closing activity the central station needs to know the normal business hours for the premises. Openings that occur during the scheduled hours are logged without requiring operator intervention. When an opening occurs outside the scheduled hours, the central station operator will challenge the opening using the procedure established for the account. Establishing a procedure for challenging openings depends to a large extent upon the capabilities of the alarm communicator and how well the business management conforms to its own business hours schedules. If the communicator is capable of sending separate codes for each user, the central station can simply dispatch the alarm to the appropriate call out. It is not necessary to make a verify call to the premises since the central station already knows who opened the premises and that the person who opened is not authorized to do so according to the schedule. Unscheduled openings are normally dispatched to a call out and not to the police. Remember that the unauthorized opening was made by an employee of the business. The employee will most likely be able to convince the police that he is authorized to be on the premises. He will have a key to the premises and even know the code to turn off the alarm system. When the central station receives an unscheduled opening signal without a user code, the central station operator must make a verify call to the premises. The operator will ask for the employee's name and code. The code must be correct and the employee's name must appear on the account's access list without any restriction for the time at which the opening was received. If the employee (1) does not recite a valid code, (2) is not on the access list, or (3) is on the access list with a note restricting his hours and the the opening signal was during the hours of the restriction, the central station operator will challenge the opening using the procedure established for the account. When establishing a callout list for unscheduled openings it is important to restrict the list to persons who are top management or owners able to respond to event. A carelessly devised list could have the central station operator reporting an improper opening to a co-worker who is also not permitted after hours access. -------------------------------- Supervision of Closings Closing signals should always be logged. The purpose of a closing signal is to update the status of the account in the central station computer. The supervision of openings and closings does not commence until an initial closing signal has been received. Occasionally, an account will be established with an early closing window. The purpose has been to notify a business owner if his employee closes early (costing him business). The central station does not recommend this procedure. If an employee is determined to close early, he can still do so by leaving the alarm off. Business owners who rely on employees to open and close the premises should subscribe to opening and closing reports. -------------------------------- Late to Open/Close Supervision Once the normal business hours have been entered in the central station computer, the computer can schedule a test to determine whether the premises is open or closed each day at the appropriate time. If the premises is not open by the scheduled opening time or closed by the scheduled closing time an alarm is produced. Usually, a verify call is made to the premises. If no one is there, someone from the call out list is notified. The person notified should be able to respond to the premises and set the alarm. -------------------------------- Opening and Closing Reports Alarm log reports which are limited to openings, closings and late to open or close signals can be prepared on a weekly basis and can be faxed or mailed to any designated recipient. The report allows the person responsible for security to know when the premises has been opened and closed. If the alarm communicator transmits user codes, the report can also show who opened and closed the premises. If you receive down loads from the central station. You can produce the same reports in your own office. The Central Station Job Manager (CSJM) program will allow you to print all of your opening and closing reports with a single command. You may also print opening and closing reports using internet access. -------------------------------- Business Hours Schedules The central station computer is capable of storing eight general business hours schedules per account and can also store special schedules for holidays. If the alarm communicator transmits user codes, the central station computer can store separate schedules for individual users and for groups of users. It is very important to set up the business hours schedules so that only unauthorized or exceptional events cause the central station operator to act. If the business owner has his own user code, he should have an individual schedule which gives him full access at all hours so his openings will not be challenged. If the business employs a cleaning crew, the cleaning crew should have its own user code and a schedule which is consistent with times at which it may open and close the premises for cleaning. Since holidays are not always observed on the same dates, the holiday schedule must be updated every year. When a holiday is omitted from the schedule, a dishonest employee can open the premises on that holiday and not be challenged. If an access list is required, the persons with access are listed in the call out section of the central station computer. Individual code words can be assigned and there is room in the comments field for access restrictions. An access entry can be distinguished from a normal call out entry because the access entry will have no telephone number. -------------------------------- Matching Service to Concerns I want to know if my employees are opening and closing my business at the right time but I don't need to know immediately: UNSUPERVISED OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS WITH WEEKLY REPORTS If one of my employees opens the business after hours, I want to know about it immediately: SUPERVISED OPENINGS I want to know if I or one of my employees forgets to turn on the alarm system. I can't afford to go without protection over night: LATE TO CLOSE SUPERVISION I rely on one employee to open my business. If he fails to show up to open my business on time I want to be notified immediately: LATE TO OPEN SUPERVISION