Does your business employ keyholders? They can be a critical part of your security strategy. Usually managers or skilled members of staff, keyholders will live close to their workplace and respond quickly to call outs or security alerts. Some companies prefer to hire an external keyholder service provider.
Regardless of how you source your keyholders, they can have a crucial part to play in the fight against intruders and keeping your site secure.
But could advances in technology make keyholders redundant?
The benefits of keyholders
Keyholders provide an additional layer of security. The advantages of having your own keyholders on-site include:
- Keyholders can arrive on site within minutes and provide insider knowledge and access to aid emergency services.
- Businesses that operate night shifts, deliveries and open forecourts benefit from keyholders where rota working means it is essential business premises are secure at all times.
- If your keyholders are current members of staff they will be well versed in the business’ security activities. They will be reliable and easy to reach.
- If a site is regularly broken into, the keyholder may even provide useful information to the security services regarding next steps in security to prevent the incident from re-occurring.
- Keyholders are important parts of the businesses chain of command, passing on security tips and advice to other employees regarding the day-to-day security of the site.
New technology and keyholding
Smarter cameras and faster remote connections to CCTV are just two examples of how technology is improving security to sites and is changing the landscape of security technology as a whole. As a result of these developments, some keyholders may feel that their role is no longer required.
For example, in the future, analytics could help predict the likelihood of a break-in, with advanced CCTV able to alert the emergency services. So, Farsight’s operators can secure a site remotely with just the touch of a button.
Whilst these technological developments continue to advance, they still rely on a human touch to ensure they run smoothly.
In fact, advanced security technology could actually support a keyholder and make their job more effective. Imagine being able to log into the businesses’ CCTV cameras from home before driving to the site? This could not only help to justify the reason for travelling in, it could also help the keyholder alert other members of staff to a break-in too.
What does the future hold for keyholders?
Whilst technology will continue to become smarter, it is highly unlikely that the role of a keyholder will become any less important. Securing a business is down to comprehensive decision-making skills which require a human element.
Likewise, post break-in, keyholders have an essential role to play in working with the emergency services, and Farsight’s own operators, to secure sites against future incidents.
Far from becoming obsolete, keyholders and the technology provided by remote monitoring services, have a job to do – working together.
Find out more about our remote monitoring services.