Computerized Guard Tour System Keeps Campus In Check

Aug 1, 2003 12:00 PM

With more than 1 million square-feet, six off-site buildings and 16,000 students, the 20 safety officers at College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill., are constantly on the move completing their security rounds. However, there was a time when the process wasn't quite as efficient, according to George Kessler, a campus safety officer at the college.

“We used to use one of the old time clock systems to inspect more than 200 checkpoints,” said Kessler. “The process was slow and when the tour was complete we had to compile information by hand in order to produce reports, which took hours.”

According to Kessler, it was also difficult to determine which checkpoints, if any, were missed during a tour. He knew there had to be a more comprehensive system.

Three years ago, the campus installed a computerized guard tour solution from Poway, Calif.-based TISCOR to help schedule and track security and safety tours. The computerized guard tour management system, called TourWatch, comprises software, hand-held computers and barcodes to monitor all tour and inspection activities. Preprogrammed bar codes that identify each item or site are placed on the equipment or location requiring inspection. Officers use portable data collection devices to scan the barcodes of all security checkpoints visited during their rounds. The device records each scan, providing proof that the item or location was inspected. To further ensure the site was visited, the hand-held device documents the time, date and location of the inspection. The system's tracking capabilities provides a method for monitoring productivity and analyzing trends.

Prior to beginning a tour, a route is downloaded from a PC to the hand-held computer. The application then directs officers to the checkpoints in a set order, ensuring no area is missed. Additionally, the program provides a feature that enables officers to complete the inspections in any order they wish while in the roam mode. Within minutes after completing their rounds, the officers download data stored on the device to a PC. The computer database is then updated, allowing officers to print out accurate, tamper-proof reports that outline daily security operations. Officers also have the ability to document incidents in the field, such as vandalism, a broken window, or an exit light that is out.

“The system keeps our officers moving and allows them to complete security rounds much faster,” said Kessler. “Everything is computerized, allowing us to improve our tracking of security operations. The system saves us between five and 10 man-hours per week.”

Although the program is tailored for guard tours, it also can be used for tracking inspections on a variety of equipment. The campus has between 300 and 500 fire extinguishers that the safety officers are responsible for inspecting on a bi-annual basis. The officers placed barcodes on all of the fire extinguishers and use the system to track those inspections as well.

Because the computerized guard tour system ensures that every area is checked, productivity and accuracy have increased. Since there is no manual data entry or hand-written logsheets to interpret, the system has virtually eliminated the element of human error. All information is stored from the point of collection, ensuring a high degree of data integrity. The system also creates a permanent, historic data file that provides a variety of reports.

“The computerized system has allowed us to make our security rounds much more comprehensive,” said Kessler.

Share your story…

Every month, we are offering information about managing guard services and leading in-house staff. Among other things, this page will offer an opportunity for readers to share the management lessons they have learned and to provide other helpful information to their peers in the industry.

To offer suggestions, or to contribute to this page, contact Jennifer Pero at 770-618-0135 or e-mail jpero@primediabusiness.com

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

This month in Access Control

• Targeting The Customer
• Electronic Pedigrees
• One Hero Among Many
• Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• More from September's issue