Designing a command and control center or global security operations facility is not for the faint of heart or for those who resist intensive planning. It is an expensive endeavor, requiring the owner, all stakeholders and contractors to completely buy in. But, with attention to detail and focus on the vertical market or end-use, the result can be a facility ready for the future today with a lower total cost of ownership tomorrow. 


According to experts, the overall goal should be enhanced situational awareness and continuity of operations designed to foster safety and security, with technology tailored to the owner’s challenges.


Not only does the infrastructure itself dictate the look and feel of the final specification, but it also determines whether it is a new construction or a retrofit application. Are legacy systems in place? If so, a plan for dealing with and assessing the current inventory of legacy systems must be in place. This consideration should significantly drive cost. 


In fact, legacy systems can be a primary issue when developing technology solutions, especially when integrated into newer event management and physical security information management (PSIM) software platforms. Unfortunately, older reporting systems don’t lend themselves well to integration with newer data collection and tracking systems and they often can’t provide the detailed data needed for robust security. In addition, the network infrastructure and its future capacity must be addressed, necessitating an assessment of computer operations, server capacity and bandwidth requirements. Other considerations are system redundancy, primary and secondary communication pathways, and power and backup. 


One of the first questions to ask before starting relates to what the facility’s primary use will be. Is it a control center for security and surveillance at an airport or mission-critical facility? Or, does a national retail chain use it for access control, data, intrusion detection, RFID and video? Are there remote and satellite offices and locations with different security criteria to add to the equation? Maybe it’s designed for third-party monitoring, used by dealers and integrators in the security industry, as is the case with the one-year-old Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) in New York built by SecureWatch 24 Security LLC (SW24). SW24 Security is a privately held, full-service provider of electronic and physical security services founded and run by former high-level law enforcement officials and staffed by a bevy of security-industry experts.


SW24 Security has parlayed a keen understanding of technology and years of industry experience in the New York Police Department and FBI into the creation of the largest privately installed network of video surveillance cameras in the United States. Some 30,000 cameras, sold and installed over the past 10 years connect to its network operations center. 


However, the crowning glory of SW24 Security is its $4 million, state-of-the-art electronic monitoring and operations Fusion Centre, a 25,000-square-foot, UL-approved and Central Station Alarm Association Five Diamond-rated commercial and residential central station. The focus of the facility is all things video: surveillance, analytics, verification, escort, concierge, license plate recognition, video management software, wearable cameras and more. The company also offers a range of integrated solutions, including hosted and managed services, access control, executive protection, fire and life safety, mass communications and emergency notification, background checks, investigative services, uniformed guards and undercover operations.


Smart buildings take the lead


Technology, situational awareness, and smart devices and buildings are resulting in a more holistic approach to monitoring, said Jay Stuck, 
executive vice president, SW24 Security. 


“This is the 21st century of video monitoring, with smart cameras coupled with video central-station services,” he said. “Whole-building monitoring is the next big thing. Google sees it in the acquisition of Nest [smart thermostat manufacturer]. It’s all about smart appliances and smart buildings and no longer limited to security at a front and back door and windows.”


For SW24 Security, which also provides executive protection, another emerging trend in central-station monitoring services is global positioning and location-based geographic services to keep track of key personnel and executives anywhere in the world.


Stuck said SW24 Security planned the Fusion Centre on paper for some 15 months before a shovel was turned. 


“We tried to design to a number of different scenarios as far as the infrastructure,” he said. “We wanted a scalable server array and then decided on the signature of our facility: a 40-foot-wide-by-11-foot-high video monitor array. We didn’t do it for the ‘wow’ factor, but we felt it was necessary to best serve our enterprise customers. Every one of our operators is looking at any situation and together can determine the next step or protocol.”


Faith Group LLC, based in St. Louis, is a consultancy that has completed dozens of strategic plans and concept of operations for command and control facilities. A current project is a new Airport Operations and Emergency Operations Center for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. 


Faith Varwig, principal of Faith Group, concurs that communication centers should be developed to support the goals and objectives of the end-user. 


“While technology plays a key role in supporting those goals, it’s clearly established policies and procedures, roles and responsibilities which enable the facility to do what it was designed to do: enhance situational awareness and operations and save lives,” she said.


Establish operational criteria


A key consideration in designing any command and control center is to establish a clear concept of operations, according to Varwig. 


“You have to define primary and secondary stakeholders and agree on clear goals and objectives,” she said. “One of a number of drivers of the technical specification is the vertical market, the number of systems to be considered, where and from whom they are coming, and who owns the system.”


She added that each vertical market has different operational criteria. 


“While the physical configuration of the center with dispatch consoles and large visual displays may appear similar, the data collected and systems are very different,” Varwig said. “A good example is a traffic control center compared to a 911 PSAP [public safety answering point]. They have a similar look and feel but many different systems to deal with.”


Regulatory issues also can affect the focus and intent of the design specification. 


“Tightly regulated facilities, such as airports, tend to be more focused on specific data points, than say a college campus environment,” she said.


Technology contractors or integrators may not be part of the team on day one, but should be brought into the process as early as possible to provide insight into related construction issues. 


“In the example of the Phoenix Sky Harbor project, as it moved from planning to final design, the technology and building facility have been separated into at least two different procurement packages,” Varwig said. “This approach ... allows the selection of the final contractors to be focused on what each contractor/integrator brings to the table rather than rolling everyone into a single bid.”


The most difficult part of any command center design is planning for new technologies.


“Security is the most important cultural shift of our generation,” Stuck said. “We have to stay on top of the industry and technology. The idea of simply monitoring a couple doors and windows are gone. For the industry, it will mean higher RMR [recurring monthly revenue] when you are looking at the entire building. Everyone thinks security, but it’s much more than that.”


SW24 Security’s video wall 
is the centerpiece of its Fusion Centre, providing situational awareness 
for central station operators.