Security system questions and answers

It depends mainly on how many doors you’re securing, whether those doors already have electric locks and cabling, which credentials you choose, and whether you want cloud or on-site software. Because buildings vary so much, we price after a site walk and give you a written quote. Ask every company for the first-year cost and the yearly software cost as two separate numbers so quotes are easy to compare. See access control.

They work the same way at the reader. Cards suit buildings that want photo ID badges or on-site printing. Fobs are tougher and fit on a key ring, which suits warehouses, yards and shops. Many buildings also add phone credentials. The type of credential matters more than its shape: older low-frequency cards and fobs can be copied, so for a new system we recommend newer encrypted ones.

We cancel it in the system in seconds and it stops working at every door. You don’t need to re-key any locks, every entry is logged, and a replacement can be issued to the person straight away.

Cloud-managed systems let you manage doors from anywhere and update themselves, usually with a software subscription. On-site systems run on equipment in your building, which suits sites that want everything local or have strict IT rules. We install both and explain the trade-offs on the site walk. Our Kantech and Genetec Synergis comparison shows how two popular options differ.

Yes, with the right readers and system. Phone credentials work by tapping or holding the phone near the reader, and most buildings run them alongside fobs or cards for people who prefer one. Our glossary explains mobile credentials.

Doors on the exit path must let people out and release as required when the fire alarm activates. We wire them to do that and work with your fire alarm contractor on the tie-in. Whether a lock stays locked or unlocks when power is lost depends on whether it’s fail-safe or fail-secure, which we choose door by door.

The main drivers are the number of cameras, whether they’re indoors or outdoors, cable runs and mounting heights, the recorder and storage, how long you keep footage, and any network upgrades the cameras need. We quote after a site walk so the price matches your building. See security cameras.

IP cameras are the standard for new commercial systems. They give sharper video, remote viewing and smart features such as person and vehicle detection and licence plate recognition. If you already have analog cameras, we check whether the existing cable can be reused so you can upgrade in stages.

Cloud recording keeps footage off-site, so it’s safe from theft or tampering, but it usually has a subscription. On-site recording uses a recorder in your building and avoids those fees, but the recorder itself needs protecting. Many buildings use both. We recommend one based on your risks, internet connection and budget. Our Avigilon and Genetec comparison covers two popular platforms.

Yes. Modern systems have phone and computer apps for live video, searching recordings and getting alerts when a person or vehicle is detected. We set up the access for your team and show them how to use it.

Remote video monitoring is when a monitoring team watches live alerts from your cameras. Hightower offers it 24/7 through our monitoring partner. When a camera detects a person or vehicle, they check the video, warn people off through a speaker and call police or your contact if it’s real. It suits yards, parkades, lots and buildings that sit empty at night, and usually costs less than a guard. See how it works.

Yes. Licence plate recognition cameras read plates at gates, parkade entrances and lot exits, so you can search by plate later. They need the right angle, distance and lighting, so we place them separately from the overview cameras.

Yes. We install solar-powered and cellular cameras for yards, lots and remote sites, so they record and send alerts without a power line or wired internet. See remote site security.

Often, yes. We check each camera and the cable to it. Working IP cameras can usually move to a new recorder, and older analog systems can be upgraded in stages. Read upgrading from a DVR to an NVR.

Yes, in practice. Privacy commissioners in Alberta, BC and federally say businesses using cameras where people can be recorded should post a clear, understandable notice before people enter the area. The sign should state the purpose and give a contact for questions or requests to see footage. A plain notice such as “This building is monitored by video surveillance” is the usual starting point.

Alberta and BC privacy law don’t set a fixed number of days. The rule is to keep footage only as long as it’s needed for your security purpose, then delete it securely, and to keep footage of an incident until it’s resolved. Many businesses start at about 30 days and keep longer where the risk or their insurer calls for it. Ask your insurance broker what they expect, and we’ll size the storage to match.

Not at washrooms, change rooms or other places where people expect privacy, and not at neighbouring properties or passers-by more than your security purpose needs. Keep access to footage limited to a few authorised people. We plan camera positions with you with these points in mind.

Often a lot of it, yes. Cloud and phone-based video intercoms don’t need a handset in every suite, so most of the work happens at the entrance. We still test the existing wiring, door release, power and internet first, because an older building can need extra work. See video intercoms.

Most people answer visitors from a phone app and unlock the door from it. If some residents or staff can’t or won’t use one, tell us during planning and we’ll look at options for them.

The number of entrances, the condition of the wiring and door hardware, the number of suites or tenants, any software fees for cloud systems, and whether you’re adding access control or parcel lockers. Ask for the installed cost and the yearly fees as two numbers. We give both in a written quote.

It depends on the building. ButterflyMX is built around the intercom and works for commercial as well as residential entrances. 1VALET suits buildings that want parcels and amenities in the same resident app. Read our full comparison.

Most intercoms we install give couriers their own way in, such as a delivery code or a delivery button, and can send them straight to a parcel room or locker bank. Every delivery entry is logged.

Yes. An intercom at a yard or parkade gate can call the office or a phone, and staff can open the gate remotely after seeing who’s there.

A courier picks the recipient on the locker screen and a compartment opens for the parcel. The recipient gets a notification with a code and collects the parcel any time. The lobby stays clear and parcels stop going missing. See parcel lockers.

Our lockers are open to every courier, and we plan courier access and instructions with you as part of the project. Using them is far easier when the lockers are easy to find and the instructions are clear, so we help with placement too.

Lockers come in several sizes, and we choose the mix from the parcels your building receives. Oversized items need a plan, such as a notification so they can be collected from the office. We cover this during design.

That’s the property’s decision. We set up the system; whether to charge anything is up to you.

In many cases, yes. We check the intercom and locker software and set up courier access so drivers are let in and sent to the lockers. Where they can’t connect, couriers get their own entry code.

A monitoring centre watches your alarm 24/7 and follows your response plan when it goes off, such as calling you, a keyholder or emergency services. Our glossary explains the term, and intrusion alarms shows what we install.

Good sensor placement, proper training for staff, app control, and video verification so the monitoring centre can see what set the alarm off before anyone is sent.

Cameras, door controllers and intercoms all depend on the network. Poor cabling or weak Wi-Fi is a common reason cameras drop offline or video lags. Power over Ethernet (PoE) lets one cable carry both data and power to a camera, which keeps installs tidy. See business networks.

Cat6 handles most runs inside a building, up to about 100 metres each. Fibre is better for longer distances, such as between buildings or floors far apart. We choose based on your layout.

Yes. A cellular communicator sends alarms to the monitoring centre over the mobile network, and the panel runs on a backup battery during a power outage.

Sensors on the fence report the exact zone where someone is climbing or cutting, and an electric deterrent fence can warn them off. Cameras can turn to the zone that tripped. See monitored fences.

Usually, yes. Keeping cameras, door controllers and intercoms on a separate network stops them competing with office traffic and makes them harder to reach from other devices.

Don’t factory reset it. A reset can erase users, schedules and settings. Write down the brand and model, photograph the controller or recorder labels, and call us. We regain admin access to systems you own. See system rescue.

Yes. We review what’s installed, regain admin access, fix what’s wrong, document it, and then fully support it going forward. When it helps, we work with the manufacturer to make things right and keep costs down.

Whatever you have: the brand and model of the system, photos of the equipment and its labels, any logins or paperwork, and a short list of what’s not working. If you have none of it, call anyway. We can work out the rest on site.

Usually, yes. Where you own the system, we regain admin access, check what’s installed, fix what’s wrong and support it from there. Our takeover checklist lists what to collect first.

Kantech has discontinued its ioProx wireless fobs and receiver, and the new ioSmart wireless fobs don’t work with the old receivers. Read our notice for the options.

No. We work on commercial buildings only, including apartment and condo buildings, offices, shops, warehouses and industrial sites, schools and dealerships.

Alberta: Edmonton and area, Fort McMurray, Athabasca, Red Deer, Calgary and area, Lethbridge and Lloydminster. BC: Kelowna, Kamloops, Penticton, Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo. Anywhere else, we have a parachute team ready to go anywhere. Ask us about it. See service areas.

Yes. On every project we hand over admin access and full documentation.

Yes. Alberta and BC are our main markets, and we also take work in Saskatchewan, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and the USA. For anywhere else, we have a parachute team ready to go.

Every building is different, so a price without seeing the site would be a guess. We explain what drives the cost on each service page, then give you a written quote after a site walk.

Our team writes them from the work we do, checks product facts against the makers’ public information, and updates them when things change. How we write our guides explains the rules we follow.

Yes. We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 587-920-1610 (Alberta) or 236-473-1610 (BC). See our 24/7 emergency service.