User Manual

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Assisted treatment
If a fire alarm is triggered in Building X, then it is
extremely helpful to know exactly where the alarm was
triggered and whether it was an automatic detector or
a manual call point. Knowing the local danger potential
(flammable liquids, chemicals, etc), whether large
numbers of people may be present in the building and the
most appropriate access route for emergency services etc.
would clearly help to organize the response.
As in any emergency situation the most important thing is
to remain calm and follow the pre-determined response
plans. In such an instance a centralized monitoring
system can be of great assistance as it can guide the
operator step-by-step through the relevant customized
workflow procedures.
Homogeneous operation
A centralized monitoring system also provides the added
advantage of homogenous operating procedures,
regardless of the idiosyncrasies of the various connected
subsystems. This not only helps to eliminate operator
errors, it also reduces the required operator training time.
CCTV
Both for supervision purposes and in response
to emergency events, being able to see what is happening
at the relevant location is obviously a great help to the
security manager. Automatically being presented with live
pictures of that location on the same screen as the event
information itself is a valuable feature supported by many
centralized monitoring systems.
Analysis
As all status changes are stored in a history log-file
(together with the date and exact time) this data can be
extremely useful in analyzing what happened before,
during and after any particular occurrence. In this way
lessons can be learned, any weaknesses identified and the
appropriate corrective measures taken.
Reports and statistics
Good system management also needs to be “seen to be
being done” and reports are an essential part of this
process. Whether we want to document system
availability, response times to particular situations,
number and types of fault, detector testing procedures,
etc. corresponding reports can be generated from the raw
data supplied by the history log-file. A typical report may
indicate an unusual number of faults occurring in
a particular area or whether intermittent or recurring
faults are causing specific problems. Such information can
be of great help to the security manager.
Planned maintenance
To keep all information together in one database and on
one system, the scheduling function of a monitoring
system can be used to keep track of planned maintenance
activities. Reminder notifications can be generated when
service work is due and reports can be entered regarding
the completion of the work and any comments or test
results that might have been made by the service
engineers.
3rd party integration
It is important that the centralized monitoring system is
able to access all the information provided by the various
3
rd
party subsystems installed across the network.
Systems supporting an open communication protocol
such as BACnet or OPC greatly facilitate this integration
process. This flexibility also helps to protect investments
by ensuring compatibility with any subsequent expansion
projects. More detailed information on centralized
monitoring systems can be found in the application
guide: “System integration and management”.
6.3 Networks and integration
The basis for integration in a centralized monitoring
system is the communication network. The majority of
higher education institutions consist of a number of
buildings. In some cases these buildings may be spread
out in various parts of a city or they may be loosely
integrated in a campus structure. In both cases the
technical building supervision will be centralized in just
one of these buildings. Consequently it is important that
the various buildings can be linked together by a high
performance communication network.
Important considerations
Cyber security
One of the most important considerations in ensuring
secure operation of the building automation, fire safety
and security systems is cyber security. Maintaining
adequate encapsulation and separation (e.g. firewalls,
DMZs etc.) between the safety and security networks, the
university IT-network and the Internet is essential.
Implementation must always be carried out in
consultation with the responsible university IT-manager
and in compliance with the relevant manufacturer’s
guidelines.
More and more often, Ethernet connections extend all the
way to the field level. This offers many advantages;
however, control activities that were secure in the past
are now open to attack from both the outside and inside.
Reliable protection can only be achieved with a
comprehensive security approach, which includes the
following key factors: confidentiality, integrity,
authentication and authorization.
An appropriate security solution requires a comprehensive
strategy. Planning, implementing and managing such a
comprehensive and up-to-date security concept,
customized to individual needs may require a number of
site-specific preventive measures.