Technology rules at Truliant Federal Credit Union

Apr 1, 2000 12:00 PM, Kate Henry

What sets Truliant Federal Credit Union, Winston-Salem, N.C., apart from competitors is its drive to lead the pack of financial institutions as a technologically advanced security innovator, says Darrell Wilson, security director for Truliant.

When Wilson was selected by Truliant for the lead security position after an exhaustive hiring process last year, it was with the express mission of bringing a vision for the future to fruition. He was asked by Truliant to review all security policies, manuals, training, equipment and programs. At his command, a technology-driven operation has been born of thoughtfully integrated access control, digital recording and alarm systems.

The capabilities of the systems have rendered redundant manpower virtually obsolete; Truliant has no security officers, says Wilson.

He points out, however, that the human factor is key to the planning, implementation, maintenance and expansion of the integrated systems.

Bringing experience to bear Wilson brought to Truliant a distinguished body of professional experience that includes more than a decade in law enforcement, and 10 years in private security. He keeps the integrated systems at Truliant under control by becoming certified in the technology that drives his operation.

Six of Truliant's 20 branches along the east coast are currently online with digital monitoring fed directly into Wilson's office in Winston-Salem. During the course of this interview, Wilson called up video of a remote access control site from his desktop PC and e-mailed a capture to this writer. Backups are not necessary, he says, because the system is capable of 99 days of image storage on hard disk, and alarms are monitored locally.

The remaining branches will be upgraded this year under Wilson's on-site supervision. He says he will complete the upgrades by selecting and programming the systems' trigger points.

Procuring "smart" equipment "Never mind Y2K compliant," says Wilson. "Our security operation is year 2005-compliant."

When he began the involved process of selecting the right security providers, the deal-sealers were job site performance, technological expertise, and a willingness on the part of the providers to adapt to what Truliant wanted.

"I'm the kind of person who likes to take advantage of every feature a given product has," points out Wilson. "I am not a smoker, but if I were, and had a car with four ashtrays, I would want to use every one of them. Optimizing the potential of system components is another aspect of our security operation that sets us apart."

Wilson tested equipment on-site and selected equipment with expandability; specifically, C*CURE 800 access systems from Sensormatic, digital recording systems from Lanex Corp., and alarm panels from Radar, Diebold and Priority One. HID smart cards are used for the access systems. The chip-driven cards are programmed for use for cash transactions and proximity access control, says Wilson. When an employee opens or closes a door, security immediately has a photo and personnel information displayed on its monitors.

"The three systems function as one integrated unit," he says. "We selected alarm panels with relays that send signals to the access control unit and the digital recording unit. The systems perform their assigned tasks, while alerting the other systems to perform their assignments."

"When a robbery button is pushed, the alarm goes into silent mode and alerts the monitoring station. At the same time, the trigger closes and locks the perimeter doors, and the alarm panel activates the digital recorder to record at a high rate of speed and imprint the alarm type on the captured images"-images which can be viewed instantly by Wilson at his office.

Wilson says his operation is also unique in that he and his associate in operations, Tammy Bennett, handle all programming and troubleshooting for the systems.

"The alarm and access systems are installed by outside companies, and I add the triggers after the alarm is functional. The digital is supplied by Lanex Corp. and is installed by Ms. Bennett and myself."

Digital captures incidents Like any full-service, multi-million-dollar financial institution, Truliant Credit Union faces risk from robbery, theft, vandalism, fraud, employee dishonesty and burglary.

Wilson says digital recording capability has helped reduce employee dishonesty and various types of theft, and has deterred robbery attempts.

"It has also provided a valuable tool for settling complaints about loss of money or mishandled transactions," he adds. Wilson says Truliant employees are also made aware that their actions are monitored 24 hours a day.

"We communicate to employees that the systems are not there to watch them so much as to ensure their safety." He points out that employees are at as much risk as the company of falling victim to false accusations and claims.

"The intrusion systems aid in the apprehension of criminals during the commission of a crime. They provide an early warning, and ultimately, give the employees a sense of well-being and safety in a dangerous job," says Wilson.

Benefits tangible and intangible Such intangible benefits of the systems are invaluable, but many tangible ones have resulted as well. "We have terminated two janitors for attempted larceny, prevented ATM fraud, identified and replaced inoperable cameras in a remote branch, identified and corrected persons violating secured areas, prevented visitors from wandering around the buildings, and have been able to identify alarm causes, times and response times," says Wilson.

Increased productivity has also been a benefit of the systems, according to Wilson. He describes access controls that identify people at particular places and times, ensuring monitoring and correction of unproductive work habits, and restriction of secured areas to unauthorized people. He points to pre-timed events such as branch door openings and closings that have allowed managers to use their time more efficiently.

Looking toward 2005 Wilson reiterates Truliant's commitment to being on the leading edge of security. "As a rule, financial institutions have been reluctant to spend money on security. The 1968 Banking Law allows anyone to be designated a 'security officer.' The video systems used now in many institutions are the same as those used 10 to 20 years ago. I'm fortunate to work for a company that focuses on looking ahead and investing in the future," he says.

Wilson cites staying ahead of crooks and hackers as a prime objective in technology and systems planning. "We are challenged to plan for 'what could happen.' We review our systems, components and vendors frequently to continue to select the ones that are right for us. Security is a changing technology, and Truliant plans to stay ahead."

Upcoming projects at Truliant include: the completion of digital and access systems installations at all branches before the end of the year; integrating biometric fingerprint identification with other system components; and exploring the possibility of having Lanex Corp. write software to allow the company's network to monitor the digital system.

"Our goal is to plan ahead of technology as we know it today, optimizing and building on its capabilities," says Wilson.

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