Enhanced VMS and PSIM, on the other hand, introduce the new concept of automated adaptive response plans. The operator is guided through a dynamic, on-screen, step-by-step response plan specific to each incident type. There’s no need to search through manuals or recall procedures from memory in a high pressure situation.
“The value of an integrated process flow is it improves consistency with respect to the quality of the response,” explains Matherson. “If you have the standard operating procedures and they pop up when an incident takes place, then you have a greater chance that the response will be consistent no matter who is handling the call, because they’re all following the same procedure. You are less reliant on the capabilities of the individual staff member since the information is presented uniformly to al
l staff members who handle calls for service.”
Another key difference between traditional VMS and Enhanced VMS or PSIM, according to Banerjee, is that the latter approaches enable you to have a two-way conversation between integrated systems. After following proper protocols, for example, an operator doesn’t have to touch two systems to initiate a campus lockdown through an access control system. It can be executed with a single keystroke or mouse click as part of a sequential process using Enhanced VMS or PSIM.
Because each operator action is tracked through the Enhanced VMS or PSIM, campus police departments can also document how incidents were handled for subsequent review. What was the nature of the incident? When and where did it start? What specific actions were taken and by whom? How and when was it resolved?
“Anytime you can go back and retrace the steps that were taken to understand what took place, there’s huge value in that – from the standpoint of training as well as quality assurance,” says Matherson. “Having the ability to go back through an incident and find out where procedures were or weren’t followed to the letter is very valuable in terms of making sure that if something was done out of step, you can take corrective action next time.”
Colleges are also required to report data on specific types of crimes. Campus security departments can use the robust reporting capabilities or Enhanced VMS or PSIM to capture logs of reported campus crimes and even go a step beyond to capture details about how such incidents were handled.
An Enhanced VMS or PSIM solution can also be used for scenario training for critical events. For example, a campus police or security department could simulate an event by running through response plans in a safe, controlled way. This can be done at a simple walk-through level all the way up to more complex scenario staging, and for any type of scenario, from severe weather events to campus-wide emergencies. This is accomplished by loading the response plan into the Enhanced VMS or PSIM solution, running the drill, and letting the system track what happened. The result is a step-by-step audit trail with links to recorded video and audio communications (assuming that audio is integrated with the system). Security departments can use this capability to refine and perfect disaster plans so they’re better prepared when real emergencies happen.
Is Enhanced VMS or PSIM Right for You?
“Whether urban or rural, large or small, each campus has its own unique set of security challenges,” says Matherson. “But a common thread across all campuses is achieving better situational awareness and management when events take place.”
Both Enhanced VMS and PSIM can help higher education institutions and healthcare facilities achieve this goal.
The good news is even if you haven’t figured out which solution is best for your institution, some VMS vendors provide an easy upgrade path. For example, Enhanced VMS comes built into the NiceVision VMS. If you don’t want to purchase the added capabilities up front, you can license the features at a later time. Similarly, Enhanced VMS also offers an upgrade path to PSIM.
“The bottom line is that security vendors have to have a unique awareness with respect to budget cycles at campuses,” says Matherson. “And more importantly, you have to show them the value of the technology so they can wrap it into their strategic plan and be able to digest it and support it from a budget standpoint.”
Linda Haelsen is the marketing communications manager for Nice Systems.
