A TASK AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SENSITIVE SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER

Modern security control and display systems for protected facilities have improved the effectiveness of Security Operations Center (SOC) personnel. The most effective of these utilize sophisticated computerized systems to primarily provide quick and accurate control and display of alarm associated and routine access functions. These functions are a critical part of the responsibilities assigned to SOC personnel. However, they perform other critical tasks that can be simplified by hardware, particularly in the crisis management and administrative task areas. Also, protected facilities with limited fiscal resources require some type of security control and display system but often cannot justify the cost of equipment and technical support associated with sophisticated systems. This paper describes a design approach, consisting of four independent building blocks, that provides functionality and complexity commensurate with facility-specific requirements and technical support capabilities. The versatility of the design is demonstrated by showing how the less complex blocks satisfy the needs of fiscally limited facilities or the blocks can be integrated to satisfy the needs of the largest security installations. Also, the independent blocks can be integrated into existing installations to provide needed additional functionality with minimal impact on operations and existing equipment.