Now that you know how to get members in and out of your club using an access control system, you need to move into the realm of enforcement and safety. The first part of securing your 24 hour access fitness center is performed by installing a surveillance system.
Most insurance companies that insure this type of facility require a minimum 4 camera system. The system will consist of a 4 camera digital video recorder (DVR), a vari-focal (fancy word for manual zoom) camera, 3 dome cameras, a video monitor, a power supply for the cameras, and a battery backup for the entire system. The insurance companies generally require that the vari-focal camera watches the comings and goings at the front door, a dome camera views the treadmills, one views the free-weight area, and the last one views the back door.
I would suggest that there are other areas of your club that are important to you from a safety / security standpoint, and so I advise that all of my customers trade up to an 8 camera surveillance system instead of the 4 camera system. With the added cameras, I recommend having a parking lot camera, a foyer camera, a camera watching the front desk, and a camera watching the circuit area. 8 cameras provides you with significantly better coverage than 4. I also recommend installing an LCD video monitor viewable by your members as the enter the club. This concept is used as a theft deterrence by stores, and you'll be using it to just remind members that they are on video.
In my next post, I'll discuss other devices and options that can make your surveillance system more functional, and easier to use.
2 comments:
I am looking for a good quality surveillance system that's easy to use. Sam's club has one for $995 that looks like a good deal. Do you think this is a good deal?
I think the purchasing power of Sam's probably does work in their favor to be able to offer a surveillance system at a pretty reasonable price. It's probably designed to be used in an office environment for example, where it would generally just sit there and record, and the surveillance history would rarely be used. In a 24/7 fitness center, you'll actually look at your surveillance history alot, so make sure you find a DVR that is very easy to use.
Consider looking into having a professional surveillance company give you a quote on a comparable system and have them educate you about the differences. The big drawback with a system from Sam's is that you won't have anyone to call to help you learn how to use it + if it ever needs service, it's doubtful that you'll find anyone to work on it.
In short, I recommend using a commercial variety surveillance system.
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