Richards Closed Circuit Television

Nothing seemed to stop the burglars,' says Ellis Fellows, Managing Director and Chairman of Ellis J Fellows Transport. 'We had a constant stream of break-ins where they were targeting our lorries, trashing cabs and stealing CB radios. They also got into the warehouse, causing damage there.'

But the last straw for the Midlands haulage boss, whose company specialises in a mixed cargo collection and consolidation service for next day delivery, came on two successive Thursdays, in what he is sure were 'steal to order' break-ins.

'We came in one morning and found six full sets of mirror arms and glass worth over £1,000 had been stolen. That caused us a lot of aggravation because we had to replace them before we could move the lorries as it's illegal for them to be on the road without mirrors,' says Ellis. 'Then, just a week later, we had the whole doors stolen from two lorries. They climbed over our fence, took the doors off, and then slid the doors underneath our gates. That cost £6,500 to replace, but again it was the aggravation that was the most trouble, because it delayed jobs we were scheduled to do for the same client on both days.

Then we tried something new in the security business, and for the first time in years I'm able to get a good night's sleep knowing our premises are safe.'

So what is this revolutionary system?

Using the very latest technology, the security company's central control station is connected to closed circuit
television cameras at the customers' premises, providing immediate, remote 'real-time' surveillance for a fraction of the cost of traditional manned security guarding.

'I have a total of seven cameras on site which, during the day, are linked to a screen in our offices,' says Ellis Fellows.

But the system really comes into its own when the hauliers lock up at night. Anyone getting into the yard breaks an invisible beam which automatically switches on the powerful outside lights and activates the cameras, connecting them instantly to screens at the security company's headquarters via an ISDN link. It also sounds an alarm in the control centre, so within seconds of any intruders breaking the beam they will be observed and recorded, and the security officer will let them know they have been seen. The central monitoring station, about 40 miles away at the control centre, can use an electronic tannoy system to tell the intruders they have been spotted, are being recorded and that the police have been informed.

'It really is a superb system, which for all its sophistication, costs less than half a week's wages if we had a guard on site.'

As well as acting as a deterrent, it gives police the opportunity to catch thieves red-handed, and can provide them with recorded evidence which can be used in court.

The company behind this innovative new system which is set to revolutionise the traditional world of manned guarding is Richards CCTV. For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, security staff in the control centre can undertake remote surveillance of customers' warehouses and industrial sites.

The service harnesses the very latest technology, Digital Video Storage Transmission (DVST), which programmes the cameras either to send pictures on a surveillance routine, or as in the case of Ellis J Fellows Transport, be activated if a beam is broken on site.

The equipment on Ellis Fellows site was installed by Richards CCTV who have connected a number of sites in the West Midlands to the Central Station.

'The whole package has been brought together absolutely seamlessly,' says Ellis. 'The equipment is first class, and the overall service provided by Richards CCTV gives absolute peace of mind.'

The service also includes the option of security staff at the control centre being able to operate lights and gates at customers premises.

It is this peace of mind which is so appealing to Ellis Fellows. 'It had got to the stage where you wondered what was going to happen next. It really is wonderful to get a decent nights sleep without worrying about what was going on back at the yard.'



Case History 'When your business has been broken into about 30 times in five years and two 'steal-to-order' break-ins in a week have netted goods worth £7,500, it's a sure sign that extra security measures need to be taken.' Further Information: Security Enclosures Typical Installations		Nothing seemed to stop the burglars,' says Ellis Fellows, Managing Director and Chairman of Ellis J Fellows Transport. 'We had a constant stream of break-ins where they were targeting our lorries, trashing cabs and stealing CB radios. They also got into the warehouse, causing damage there.' But the last straw for the Midlands haulage boss, whose company specialises in a mixed cargo collection and consolidation service for next day delivery, came on two successive Thursdays, in what he is sure were 'steal to order' break-ins. 'We came in one morning and found six full sets of mirror arms and glass worth over £1,000 had been stolen. That caused us a lot of aggravation because we had to replace them before we could move the lorries as it's illegal for them to be on the road without mirrors,' says Ellis. 'Then, just a week later, we had the whole doors stolen from two lorries. They climbed over our fence, took the doors off, and then slid the doors underneath our gates. That cost £6,500 to replace, but again it was the aggravation that was the most trouble, because it delayed jobs we were scheduled to do for the same client on both days. Then we tried something new in the security business, and for the first time in years I'm able to get a good night's sleep knowing our premises are safe.' So what is this revolutionary system? Using the very latest technology, the security company's central control station is connected to closed circuit television cameras at the customers' premises, providing immediate, remote 'real-time' surveillance for a fraction of the cost of traditional manned security guarding. 'I have a total of seven cameras on site which, during the day, are linked to a screen in our offices,' says Ellis Fellows. But the system really comes into its own when the hauliers lock up at night. Anyone getting into the yard breaks an invisible beam which automatically switches on the powerful outside lights and activates the cameras, connecting them instantly to screens at the security company's headquarters via an ISDN link. It also sounds an alarm in the control centre, so within seconds of any intruders breaking the beam they will be observed and recorded, and the security officer will let them know they have been seen. The central monitoring station, about 40 miles away at the control centre, can use an electronic tannoy system to tell the intruders they have been spotted, are being recorded and that the police have been informed. 'It really is a superb system, which for all its sophistication, costs less than half a week's wages if we had a guard on site.' As well as acting as a deterrent, it gives police the opportunity to catch thieves red-handed, and can provide them with recorded evidence which can be used in court. The company behind this innovative new system which is set to revolutionise the traditional world of manned guarding is Richards CCTV. For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, security staff in the control centre can undertake remote surveillance of customers' warehouses and industrial sites. The service harnesses the very latest technology, Digital Video Storage Transmission (DVST), which programmes the cameras either to send pictures on a surveillance routine, or as in the case of Ellis J Fellows Transport, be activated if a beam is broken on site. The equipment on Ellis Fellows site was installed by Richards CCTV who have connected a number of sites in the West Midlands to the Central Station. 'The whole package has been brought together absolutely seamlessly,' says Ellis. 'The equipment is first class, and the overall service provided by Richards CCTV gives absolute peace of mind.' The service also includes the option of security staff at the control centre being able to operate lights and gates at customers premises. It is this peace of mind which is so appealing to Ellis Fellows. 'It had got to the stage where you wondered what was going to happen next. It really is wonderful to get a decent nights sleep without worrying about what was going on back at the yard.'