security insider august/september 2013

VOL.18 | ISSUE.4 | SEPT 2013

PUBLISHED BY THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION [ M AG A Z I N E ]

THE MAGAZINE FOR SECURITY PROFESSIONALSS E C U R I T Y

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Delivering the Message onSham Subcontracting

Providing a fair and transparent environment for businesses and consumers | NBN Update

INSIDER_Aug/Sep 2013 Iss4_52pp 29/8/13 7:27 PM

DELIVERINGTHEMESSAGE ONSHAMSUBCONTRACTING

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4 //SECURITY INSIDER SEPT 2013

CONTENTSVOL.18 | ISSUE.4 | SEPTEMBER 2013

PROVIDING A FAIRAND TRANSPARENTENVIRONMENTFORBUSINESSES ANDCONSUMERS

ASIAL Strategic Partners:

20NBN UPDATE

30 36

06 | President’s message

08 | Decline in robbery and theft:

Inter-state comparisons

10 | Active shooter guidelines for

places of mass gatherings

14 | Study Finds US Security

Industry to be $350 billion

market

16 | Security 2013

18 | Bob Bruce awarded ASIAL

Life Membership

26 | Q & A with Honeywell

32 | The geometry of PSIM

35 | Monitoring centre

certification listing

38 | Hot Products

41 | ASIAL new member listing

WHEN CUSTOMERSWON’TPAY



The past couple of months have been busy for the Association with the

Security 2013 Exhibition and Conference, the annual Gala Dinner and

opportunities for the Industry to learn, network and relax.

After more than a decade in Sydney, the event will head south to Melbourne in

2014.The move has been warmly welcomed by exhibitors with an impressive 80% of

exhibitors already committed for next year.

The Security 2013 Conference featured a

number of distinguished international experts,

including Don Randall, MBE, Chief of Security

at the Bank of England and one of the

architects of the successful Project Griffin who

offered insights into the way the Police and

Private Security providers successfully interact

in the UK. Dr Anne Speckhard, Adjunct

Associate Professor of Psychiatry at

Georgetown University Medical School shared her experiences from talking to

terrorists, to understand what motivates someone to become a terrorist.

The week also enabled the ASIAL board, secretariat and member representatives

from around the country to meet up to discuss issues and strategies impacting the

Industry.The meeting included invited representatives from the NSW Police, Cameron

Smith, Director, Security Licensing Enforcement Directorate and Chris Beatson,

Director NSW PoliceLink Command.

Commencing in June and concluding in November, the Association’s consumer

awareness campaign continues through advertising in the Qantas – The AustralianWay magazine. In mid-August the Association also participated as a major sponsor of

the Security in Government conference attended by government security executives.

ASIAL’s 2013 Annual and Financial Report is now available for members to review

(www.asial.com.au/ar). I am pleased to advise that despite numerous challenges, the

Association has enjoyed another strong year. Despite the removal of the mandatory

membership requirement in NSW, membership levels have remained stable and the

Association has returned a small surplus.The Association’s 44th Annual General

Meeting will be held at 7.45am on the 20th November at the Park Royal Hotel,

Parramatta which I encourage you to attend.

Finally, as a recent ASIAL Survey has shown, digital business strategies are

becoming an increasingly important component of our members business strategies.

ASIAL’s social media footprint is also starting to grow and evolve.Whilst for some, it

may mean venturing into unknown territory, I would urge you all to engage with the

Association through LinkedIn and Twitter. For more information contact the ASIAL

Secretariat.

Kevin McDonaldPresident

PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT’’SS MMEESSSSAAGGEE

Opportunities forthe Industry to learnand network

THE MAGAZINE FORSECURITY PROFESSIONALS

Editorial and Advertising

Security Insider is published by

The Australian Security Industry

Association Limited

PO Box 1338 Crows Nest, NSW 1585

Tel: 02 8425 4300 • Fax: 02 8425 4343

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.asial.com.au

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Views expressed in Security Insider do not

necessarily reflect the opinion of ASIAL.Advertising

does not imply endorsement by ASIAL, unless

otherwise stated with permission. All contributions

are welcomed, though the publisher reserves the

right to decline to publish or to edit for style,

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ASIAL does not accept responsibility for misleading

views. Copyright©2013 (ASIAL) All rights reserved.

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details can be found at www.asial.com.au.

[Next Issue] NOVEMBER 2013

ISSN 1442-1720


Rates of theft and robbery inAustralia have fallen dramaticallysince the turn of the new century,according to a new report releasedtoday by the NSW Bureau of CrimeStatistics and Research.The reportfocuses on the period between 2001and 2009. Changes in offencecounting rules make comparisons incrime rates before and after 2009difficult but the report notes thatnational theft and robbery ratescontinued to decline between 2009and 2012.

Between 2001 and 2009, thenational robbery rate fell by 49.1%.NSW experienced the largest declinein robbery (down 58.9%) andTasmania the smallest (down 29.7%).The Northern Territory and ACTbucked the nationwide downwardtrend in robbery with bothjurisdictions experiencing increases(Northern Territory: up 53%, ACT: up11.3%). All Australian jurisdictionsexperienced falls in burglary, motorvehicle theft and ‘other theft’.

NSW had the largest fall inburglary (down 63.4%) and the ACThad the smallest fall (down 32.3%).Victoria had the largest fall in motorvehicle theft (down 70.1%), with NSWcoming in just below the national fall(down 60.3% compared with anational fall of 62.2%).The NorthernTerritory had the smallest fall (down26.9%).

South Australia had the largest fallin ‘other theft’ (down 50.5%), withNSW coming in just above thenational average (41.5% comparedwith a national fall of 39.3%).TheACT experienced the smallest fall(down 15.3%).

The director of the Bureau, Dr DonWeatherburn, attributed the declinein theft and robbery to a combinationof factors, including a reduction inthe number of people committingcrime to fund their heroin use, a

substantial increase in averageweekly earnings and tougher law andorder policies.

‘These are unlikely to be the onlyfactors in play’ he said. ‘Changes invehicle and household security andchanges in police tactics may alsohave played a role.’

Dr Don Weatherburn will addressthe ASIAL Industry Breakfast Briefingin Parramatta on the 20th November.


IINNDDUUSSTTRRYY NNeWWSS

44TH ASIAL AGMThe 44th ASIAL Annual GeneralMeeting will be held at 7.45am onWednesday 20th November 2013 atthe Park Royal Hotel in Parramatta.

Members are encouraged toattend the AGM, which will alsofeature a presentation by Dr DonWeatherburn, Director, NSW Bureauof Crime Statistics and Research.

DECLINE IN ROBBERY AND THEFT: INTER-STATE COMPARISONS

The 2013 ASIAL Annual &Financial Report is nowavailable atwww.asial.com.au/ar.

2013 ASIAL ANNUAL& FINANCIAL REPORT


NSW FIREARMSREGISTRY AUDITThe NSW Government has announcedthat it will undertake an independentaudit of the NSW Firearms Registry toexamine whether the Registry'soperations are efficient and effective andalign with its legislative and regulatoryresponsibilities.

Announcing the audit, Minister forPolice and Emergency Services MichaelGallacher said “We want to ensure theNSW Firearms Registry is meetingcommunity expectations with specificregard to public safety, and customerservice. In consultation with firearmowners and stakeholders, we've beentold there is a clear need for the firearmlicencing regime to be modernised andupdated to include the latest technology.”

The review will examine the creation ofa new 'Smartcard' Firearms Licenceregime that better secures personalinformation and streamlines the processfor acquiring firearms and ammunition.

In other changes at the FirearmsRegistry, Phill Houlton, Head of the

Firearms Registry has announced hisretirement. Prior to taking on the role atthe NSW Firearms Registry, Houltonheaded up the NSW Security IndustryRegistry.

Licensing requirements forinterstate based monitoringcentres providing electronicmonitoring of premises in QLDASIAL has sought an update from theOffice of FairTrading on developmentsregarding the issue of interstatemonitoring centres providing electronicmonitoring of premises in QLD.We havebeen advised that a policy paper hasbeen prepared by the Office ofRegulatory Policy for consideration by theSecurity Regulators Forum (SIRF).Unfortunately, SIRF has not met since theissue was raised in October 2012.

However, it is anticipated that theissue will be addressed at the SIRFmeeting to be held in Darwin inSeptember.

SA INQUIRY INTOSURVEILLANCEDEVICESAs part of the SA Legislative ReviewCommittee Inquiry in to SurveillanceDevices held in August,ASIAL wasinvited to address the Committee andrespond to questions.

ASIAL MEMBERBULLETINSMembers can now access a series of plainEnglish bulletins covering a variety of issues,including the latest one on Payments toEmployees undertaking training.Otherbulletins include:• Incident Registers• Unauthorised Subcontracting• Security Licence Classifications• Record Keeping• Queensland Worker’s Compensation Act

Changes• Misleading Representation of Monitoring

Centre Certification• AUSTRAC – Cash In Transit Compliance• Payments to Employees undertaking

Training


SECURITY INSIDER SEPT 2013// 9




The Mass Gatherings AdvisoryGroup on behalf of the Australia-New Zealand Counter-TerrorismCommittee (ANZCTC) has releasedguidelines which aim to provide abetter understanding of the threatthat active shooter incidents (ie aperson armed with a firearm(s) whois actively engaged in killing orattempting to cause serious harm tomultiple people) pose to Places ofMass Gathering (PMG).

Places of mass gathering (PMG)can pose a broad range of securitychallenges for their owners andoperators.They have beenspecifically identified - bothnationally and internationally - asattractive targets for religious andpolitical extremists, as well asdisgruntled or mentally impairedindividuals. Armed offender attackshave occurred and continue tooccur in crowded places such assporting, transport andentertainment venues.

The guidelines seek to illustratethe key role that private sector

stakeholders can play in developingand implementing appropriatelyinformed prevention, preparedness,response and recoveryarrangements to reduce the risksposed by such a threat.The guideshould be read in conjunction withthe National Counter-TerrorismCommittee’s National Guidelines forthe Protection of Places of MassGathering from Terrorism (2011).

Among the issues addressed in theguidelines include:• Characteristics of active shooter

incidents – notably the intent tokill as many people as possiblewithin a short period of time;

• Primary objectives – in mostincidents, active shooters needfreedom of movement and readyaccess to victims in order toachieve their objective;

• Prevention – activities that mayreduce the severity or impact ofthe emergency event;

• Preparedness – emergencyplanning, resourcing capability

and preparedness, as well ascontingency planning;

• Response – strategies aimed atevacuating or isolating people orthe offender;

• Recovery – strategies to addresscommunity confidence, scenepreservation/ investigation andbusiness continuity.

A copy of the ‘Active ShooterGuidelines for Places of MassGatherings’ can be found onwww.nationalsecurity.gov.au

ACTIVE SHOOTER GUIDELINES FORPLACES OF MASS GATHERINGS


FWO ATTACKSSECURITYCOMPANY FORUNDERPAYMENTS:IGNORANCE IS NOEXCUSE”In a recent judgement handed downin the Federal Court, a securitycompany was fined $66,000 forunderpaying around 20 employees.The FairWork Ombudsman claimedthat the company did not makesufficient effort to ensure compliancewith award wage rates.

ASIAL members are reminded thatthey can access accurate professionalIndustrial Relations advice, assistanceand wage information by calling 028425 4300, going to the Member Areaof the website or sending an email [email protected].

The findings of a recent survey of family businessesconducted by RMIT University has revealed a picture ofincreasingly pessimistic family businesses that aresurviving, but certainly not thriving. Among some of thereport’s findings include that 55% of family businessesdo not have a strategic plan; 62% do not have a formalboard of directors; and 64% would seriously considerselling their business if approached.

To view the full report visit www.mgiaust-survey.com.


SMALL BUSINESSESSURVIVING NOT THRIVING

One of National Protective Servicespopular security guards, ArsèneBounda, has been awarded the YoungLeader of the Year by the Celebrationof African Australian National Awardsheld in Canberra on 27 July 2013.

National Protective Services is acertified and Quality EndorsedSecurity company. Based in SouthMelbourne, the company hasdelivered security services to agrowing list of commercial, industrialand government organisations forover 25 years.

Arsène is a passionate and diligentmember of the National ProtectiveServices Team, effectively combiningboth work and study. He has recentlypassed the Victoria Police Education

Entrance Examination and theAustralian Defence Force YOUSession, which has enabled him tojoin the Officer's Training School at theRAAF’s Victorian base in East Sale.

NATIONAL PROTECTIVE SERVICESSECURITY GUARD AWARDED‘YOUNG LEADER OF THE YEAR 2013’

To provide parents with assistance inplanning safe parties for their children, amobile application has been releasedthat provides a step by step guideincluding a party checklist, venue safetychecklist together with an alcoholmanagement plan and other features.

According to the App’s creator, NaomiOakley (a formerVictorian Police memberand owner of U-Nome Security), 'on anygiven Friday, Saturday or Sunday nightpolice across Australia are called toteenage parties to deal with out ofcontrol gatecrashers who have harmedguests and or caused property

damage.Poor planning is the majorreason for parties getting out of control.

The App’s features include:• Assistance in party planning and

registration• Step by step guide for party planners• Party checklist• Optimised guest lists• Venue safety checklist• Demonstrated alcohol management

plan• Automatic reminders and prompts• Keep track of party timeline• Instant Facebook and Twitter feeds

• Fast Instant Messaging betweenguests

• Rate your guests• Quick dial to 000, taxis and friends• Administrator and guest modes

The Party Survival App aims toprovide parents with a level of comfortthat contributes to a safe partyingenvironment for their children and theirguests. It is hoped that App willcontribute towards a reduction in thelevel of party related trauma andhospitalisations.

The Party Survival App is availablethrough the Apple Store.

PARTY SURVIVAL APP LAUNCHED



ASIS International (ASIS) and theInstitute of Finance and Management(IOFM) have jointly announced therelease of “The United States SecurityIndustry: Size and Scope, Insights,Trends, and Data,” an extensivebenchmark study of the private securityindustry’s expansion over the pastdecade and projected future growth.

Over 400 security industry executivesparticipated in the United StatesSecurity Industry Survey, conducted inlate 2012. A companion survey ofsecurity manufacturers and vendors,security services providers, dealers,distributors, installers and integratorswas also conducted in order toenhance market projections. Informationcollected was analysed, aggregatedand combined with additional data fromrelated national studies conducted by

ASIS and IOFM, as well as publiclyavailable information from U.S.government data and market researchof homeland security spending.Key highlights of the report include:• $350 billion market breaks out to

$282 billion in private sectorspending and $69 billion in federalgovernment spending on homelandsecurity

• Operational (non-IT) private securityspending is estimated to be $202billion with expected growth of 5.5%in 2013; IT-related private securitymarket is estimated at $80 billionwith growth of 9% projected for 2013

• Number of full-time security workersis estimated to be between 1.9 and2.1 million

• 42% of respondents indicatedspending on training would increase

in 2013, with 12% anticipating a riseof 10% or more

• Private detective/investigator is oneof the fastest growing occupations,with anticipated growth of 21%projected through 2020; several ITpositions are anticipated to grow22% through 2020The report is available for purchase

in the ASIS Store online atwww.asisonline.org/bookstore.

STUDY FINDS US SECURITY INDUSTRYTO BE $350 BILLION MARKET

One of the main challenges facing a servicebusiness is maintaining a reliable cash flow.It’s obviously necessary to bill for all partsand labour on the job, but don’tunderestimate the importance of maximisingyour employees’billable hours.

If your technicians write their job reportson paper forms and then make a special tripa couple of times per week to drop theminto the office, how much might that costyour business?

The problem goes deeper than youmight first think.1. Delayed cash flow: the sooner you

create an invoice and send it to thecustomer, the sooner you can be paid,which can have a noticeable impact onyour cash-on-hand.The best possiblescenario is to bill on the same day, at thecompletion of the job.

2. Greater vehicle expenses: working onan estimate of one dollar per kilometre tocover wear and tear, an extra 20 km triptwice a week to drop off paperwork willcost your business $40 per technicianper week.

3. Loss of billable hours: this additionaldriving could take up to 90 minutes per

week. If your employee also spends halfan hour per visit catching up with officestaff, this could total 21/2 hours ofdowntime per week per employee, duringwhich you incur employment expenseswithout billing customers. If you charge$75 and employee costs are $60 perhour, this could cost your business over$330 per employee per week.

4. Duplication of effort: when using paperforms, information is manually copied atdifferent stages of the workflow. Forexample, your office staff may type outthe customer details on a job sheet forthe field employee, who then re-writesthem on another form, along with detailsof the work performed and parts used,which is then re-typed by office staff toprepare an invoice. If this consumes onebillable hour for a field employee and twohours for office staff, this could cost over$150 per week per field employee.

5. Lost, incomplete or incorrectpaperwork: A job sheet misplaced oraccidently thrown out will delay invoicing;a lost supplier invoice will prevent youfrom billing for job-specific purchases.The administrative staff time invested in

resolving these problems, or chasing upmissing or erroneous information, couldcost $50 per field employee per week;not resolving these issues could cost farmore.In this example, the total cost to your

business is $570 per week for eachemployee in the field. Depending on yourworkflows, this figure could be greater orsmaller, but it’s still a significant hit to yourbottom line.

At $39 per licence per month, thesimPRO Connect mobile app can greatlyreduce all these inefficiencies. Paired withsimPRO Enterprise in the office, you have acomplete job management system, fromquotes to invoicing, with scheduling andstock management. No more manualduplication of information, no morestopping into the office to drop offincomplete forms—just unparalleled visibilityto boost your employee productivity—andyour bottom line.

ADVERTORIAL

GOING MOBILE TO MINIMISEDOWNTIME AND BOOST CASH FLOW




Against the back drop of alcoholfuelled violence in the Sydney CBD andKings Cross area, Rosehill GardensRacecourse stands out as abenchmark venue for compliance andharm minimisation.This is exemplified bythe result of the 2013 Sydney Carnival,where the Racecourse hosted over40,000 patrons and saw just oneindividual charged for assault.

Previously, the venue has had lessenviable results. It has been over-represented in the number of reportedassaults and in 2009 had restrictionstemporarily placed upon its liquorlicense as a direct result. Effectivecollaboration between the NSW Police –Rosehill Local Area Command (LAC),Australian Concert & EntertainmentSecurity (ACES) and the Australian TurfClub (ATC) has significantly reducedonsite assaults and driven compliancewith the Liquor Act NSW and otherregulatory bodies.

Since 2010, Rosehill Gardens hasbeen classified as a Category 3 Venue(assault rating), resulting in no additionalconditions being placed on the venue’sliquor license, no ‘strikes’ or imposedrestrictions. A variety of initiatives, fromthe use of social media to theintroduction of security on horseback,have assisted to achieve this result,including:• Staff training: A comprehensive

training package has beendeveloped to ensure all staff are

aware of and able tocomply with the ATC’sRSA policies, and torefresh knowledge andcompetence in relation tothe Liquor Act.The ATCalso recognises the needto build RSA principles intomanagement practicesand daily operations. Byundertaking this training,staff and management areconsistent in the operationof ATC premises and themessage the Club isdelivering to patrons andthe community.

• Self-imposed alcoholicbeverage sale restrictions: TheATC restricts alcoholic beveragepurchases to four alcoholic drinksper transaction on race days and twoafter 4pm.This initiative is designedto combat drink stacking and curbrapid alcohol consumption.

• Patron awareness / education: Inaddition to mandatory signage theATC has erected customisedsignage at all pedestrian entrancesand exits. Digital messages arealso displayed at points of saleand on the ‘big screens’.Theintroduction of a policy thatexcludes entry to any patron that isobserved to be consuming or inthe possession of alcohol onapproach to the venue.

• Live CCTVmonitoring of patronbehavior & crowd movement: Adigital surveillance system has beeninstalled to maintain the integrity ofthe venue and to monitor all publicentertainment areas.Trainedoperators are employed during racedays and major events to monitorcameras located in bars and lawnareas.

• RSA Monitors: Responsible Serviceof Alcohol Monitors are employed bythe ATC and deployed for race daysand major events.This role providescustomer service, age verification,and sobriety assessment and is aneffective conduit between patrons,bar staff and security.

• Mounted Security: The ATCMounted Security section isdeployed for race days and majorevents, and actively participates inincident management. ACES and theATC have conducted combinedtraining with ground and mountedsecurity to ensure effectiveoperational utilisation.

• Project Eyewatch:The ATC hascollaborated with the NSW PoliceProject ‘Eyewatch’, establishing the‘Rosehill Racecourse Major EventDay Group’.This social mediaplatform allows for real-timecommunication and informationsharing between members of aclosed group within the localprecinct.

SAFER IN SYDNEY’S WEST






Australasia’s largest annual securityindustry event, Security 2013 Exhibition& Conference has reaffirmed its positionas the premier industry event for securityprofessionals in Australasia, announcinga record number of key industry decisionmakers and buyers in attendance andan increase of almost 20% in visitornumbers compared to 2012.Thesuccess of this year’s exhibition hasbeen further endorsed by the industrywith over 80% of exhibitors alreadycommitted to exhibit at Security 2014,which will be held in Melbourne fromJune 4-6 for the first time in 14 years.

Security 2013 exhibitorTroy Donnelly,General Manager at Ezi SecuritySystems commented,“SecurityExhibition is one of the best platformsin Australia to display our extensiveproduct portfolio.The quality ofprofessionals that visit our stand eachyear is second to none where we getthe opportunity to explain the benefitsof our products, and discuss morebroadly some of the current trendsimpacting the security sector, not onlywith our current clients but also withprospects as well.”

Kylie McRorie, Exhibition Manager,Security 2013 Exhibition said,“Security2013 was an outstanding success.Thecommitment, enthusiasm anddedication in evidence from exhibitorsand visitors was overwhelming and theirfeedback and ongoing support hasbeen both encouraging towards themove to Melbourne, and very positive

towards the improvements we havemade to the event this year. We areproud to host the annual SecurityExhibition and to be able to work withthe industry to showcase the latestsecurity innovations, trends and insightsand we look forward to an even biggerand better year in 2014 when we cometo Melbourne”.

Some of the highlights from thisyear’s show included:

CONFERENCE ANDSEMINAR PROGRAMSThe Security Conference organised byASIAL saw global experts present on arange of issues.These included DonRandall, Head of Security at the Bank ofEngland, who delivered the keynote

session on how to create safercommunities through engaging withpublic and private security partnerships.Bruce Blythe, Chair of CMI addressedissues relating to crisis managementand reputation management.

A panel of industry experts alsopresented a series of lively, practicalsessions in the Security SolutionsSeminarTheatre sharing insights intothe latest trends and issues impactingAustralian businesses, from aviationsecurity and hostile vehicle mitigation tomanaging risk in major events.

Internationally recognised expert onterrorism, Dr. Anne Speckhard, made aspecial guest appearance at Security2013, presenting the keynote sessionon the motives and factors that drives

Security 2013 Exhibitioncelebrates record visitornumbers and announcesmove to Melbourne


someone to become a terrorist. NBNCo’s Strategic Consulting Architect,Anthony Camilleri, provided an updateon the rollout of the NBN as well as itsSecurity Industry Engagement Activities.

PRODUCTINNOVATIONAND NEW PRODUCTOFTHE YEAR AWARDThis year’s exhibition showcased thelatest security solutions from over 150exhibitors both locally and from aroundthe world including the likes of Bosch,EZI Security, MOBOTIX AG andInterlogix. CCTV cameras, biometricidentification systems, bollards, electroniclocks, thermal imaging cameras andaccess control solutions were among thehundreds of products on display.Therewas also a record number of newproducts appearing for the first time onAustralian shores at Security 2013,including FLIR Systems’ FC-Series S:Thermal Imaging Camera and HID’siCLASS SEOS Credential.

Australian owned and operated, EziSecurity Systems claimed the prestigiousBest New Product of the Year Award forits Ezi Elkosta M50 Bollard.The uniquemovable bollard is developed towithstand the impact of a 6.8 tonnevehicle travelling at 80 km/h and featuresa world first integrated hydraulic driveunit complete with EFO-facility. SALTO’scloud-based access control solutionClay was recognised as first runner up,while Cognitec’s facial recognition

technology FaceVACS-VideoScan wasnamed second runner-up.

SECURITY2014 EXHIBITION& CONFERENCEFollowing the success of 2013, theSecurity Exhibition & Conference willreturn to Melbourne in 2014.The movewill offer new business and networkingopportunities, and will continue to bethe region’s essential meeting place forthe industry.

Natalie Moussa, Senior BrandManager at ID Warehouse said,“This isour ninth consecutive year exhibiting at

the Security Exhibition. We see theevent as an integral part of ourmarketing calendar each year, it’salways a great opportunity to showcaseour latest products and we’re verypleased with the quality of visitors andnew enquiries we receive each year. Asan exhibitor, it delivers great value for useach year and we are very muchlooking forward to Security 2014 inMelbourne”.

Geoff Plummer, BusinessDevelopment Manager at SmartlockDigital and Davcor Group commented,“We are looking forward to moving backto Melbourne for Security 2014.Thischange means we are openingourselves up to a whole new group ofclients who we previously may not havebeen able to reach, and significantlyincreases our return on investment.”

For more information on Security2014 Exhibition, visitwww.securityexpo.com.au orwww.breakingintomelbourne.com.au



Don Randall addresses the Conference




Former longstanding ASIAL Directorand widely respected industry figureBob Bruce has been recognized forhis contribution to the industry.TheASIAL Board has made Bob a Lifemember for his outstandingcontribution to the growth anddevelopment of the Association.

Bob was a long standing Director ofASIAL until he stood down in 2012following his retirement. During thistime he made a lasting contribution tothe Association through hiscontribution to the annual exhibitionand conference during its formativeyears and through his leadership of theCash in Transit Special Interest Group.Bob’s integrity, honesty and

candidness made him an invaluablemember of the ASIAL Board whoseinput was highly valued.

Much of Bob’s work was conductedbehind the scenes without any fuss orfanfare. He certainly didn’t seekplaudits nor acclamation for the workhe did.

The high regard and respect thatBob is held is reflected in thefollowing comments from Past ASIALPresidents:

“Bob has been a tower of strengthfor his company, for ASIAL, and forthis Industry.” Larry Circosta (1992-2001)

“I will never forget how Bobwelcomed and supported mypassage onto the board. Given hisstatus and reputation, it was greatlyappreciated and never forgotten!”Antony Elliott (2002-2006)

“Bob is an Old School Gentlemanand a man of his absolute word.Some people are referred to as“Glass half full” people others as“Glass half empty”. What I like aboutBob is that he keeps his thoughtsclose but wonders what idiot actuallydesigned the glass.” Ged Byrnes(2006-2012)

Bob Bruce awardedASIAL Life Membership

From left to right, Antony Elliott, Bob Bruce and Tom Roche, pictured during an ASIAL Board meeting held at Ballymore in 2008.



AASSIICC

A KEYFUNCTION OF ASIC is to maintain, facilitate and improvethe Australian financial system by ensuring that businesses operatein a fair and transparent environment.ASIC does this to protect theintegrity of the financial system and provide businesses andconsumers with confidence and certainty.

Small businesses make up almost 96 per cent of Australianbusinesses and have a significant financial impact on theAustralian economy, so it’s vital that they are adequately regulated.

ASIC is determined to help small businesses operate in a fairand transparent environment by making sure that they know andunderstand their legal obligations and by taking regulatory actionagainst those that intentionally cause harm to other smallbusinesses and consumers. In order to do this, we’re introducing anumber of initiatives.

ASIC is enhancing communication with small businesses aboutits role and their compliance obligations.We’re striving to reach asmany small businesses as possible, using a variety ofcommunications channels and working with other small businessstakeholders, including other regulatory agencies, businessassociations and business advisers.

ASIC is also developing new tools and resources that will makeit easier for small businesses to know and understand their legalobligations and comply with the law. We’ve released a newbooklet,Your obligations as a small businesses operator' thatcovers a number of topics, including:• ASIC’s regulatory role and functions;• types of business structures ASIC regulates;• individuals that may be disqualified from managing companies;• responsibilities of company officers;

• compliance obligations of company officers; and • where to find related information on the ASIC website.

The booklet can be downloaded from the ASIC website:www.asic.gov.au

ASIC’s website will also shortly have a small business webpagewhich will provide information that is relevant to small businessesand easy to understand.

Another way that ASIC is helping small business is througheffective regulation. We’re focusing our attention on those thatoperate small businesses and intentionally set out to cause harmto other legitimate small business operators and consumers andwhose actions undermine the wellbeing of the Australian economy.

ASIC is particularly concerned with the high levels of fraudulentphoenix activity in the construction, labour hire, transport, securityand cleaning industries.

Phoenix activity involves the winding up of a company and thesubsequent continuation of that business in a new company, oftenwith a similar company name, structure and staff.

The phoenix company phenomenon is a side-effect of the useof the corporate form and of limited liability; concepts that arefundamental to the global commercial system. It is essential to theconcept of limited liability that, when a company fails, the directorsand the shareholders, as a general rule, are not held personallyresponsible for the debts of the company.

Phoenix activity is not, therefore, inherently unlawful. Genuinecorporate failure where businesses have been responsiblymanaged and subsequently continue after liquidation usinganother corporate entity is a legitimate use of the corporate form.

Providing a fair andtransparent environmentfor businesses andconsumersBy Greg Tanzer*

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) isAustralia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator.



Fraudulent phoenix activity, on the other hand, generally involvesabuse of the corporate form by current or previous directors of thecompany to intentionally deny creditors their entitlements.

The impact of fraudulent phoenix activity on Australianbusinesses and the broader community was highlighted in arecent PriceWaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the FairWork Ombudsman.Titled, Phoenix Activity; Sizing the Problem andMatching Solutions, this report estimates that the total annualdetrimental cost of fraudulent phoenix activity on the Australianeconomy is approximately $3.19 billion. Of that amount, the reportestimates that the annual cost of phoenixing is:• Up to $655 million for employees, in the form of unpaid wages

and other entitlements;• Up to $1.93 billion for businesses, as a result of phoenix

companies not paying debts for goods and services that havebeen paid for but not provided; and

• Up to $610 million for government revenue, mainly as a result ofunpaid tax – but also due to payments made to employeesunder the Fair Entitlement Guarantee (FEG).

While there are many characteristics of illegal phoenix activity, themost common are:• The company fails and is unable to pay its debts;• Directors act in a manner which intentionally denies unsecured

creditors equal access to the entity's assets in order to meetunpaid debts; and

• Soon after the failure of the initial company (usually within12 months), a new company commences using some or allof the assets of the former business, and is controlled byparties related to either the management or directors of theprevious entity.

ASIC has a number of initiatives to combat fraudulent phoenixactivity.

Funding Liquidators: The Assetless Administration Fund (AAFund) was established by the Australian Government and isadministered by ASIC. It is used to finance preliminaryinvestigations by liquidators into the cause of the failure ofcompanies that have few or no assets. Liquidators prepare andlodge reports with ASIC who, in turn, may take enforcement action.

Disqualifying directors: ASIC can disqualify directors frommanaging corporations where they are involved in two or morecompanies that have been placed into liquidation within the pastseven years. ASIC relies on statutory reports provided byliquidators to support its decisions to disqualify directors frommanaging corporations. A significant number of statutory reportsallege illegal phoenix activity. ASIC Delegates who review thematters have the power to disqualify directors for up to five years.ASIC disqualified 72 directors from managing companies in the2012/13 financial year.

Liquidators Assistance Program: ASIC regularly helpsliquidators to secure the books and information of companies inexternal administration by ensuring that directors comply withtheir legal obligations. Directors who fail to meet their obligationsmay be the subject of ASIC initiated court action. In the2011/2012 financial year, ASIC prosecuted 402 company officersfor a total of 817 offences with fines and costs totalling morethan $1 million ordered.

Identifying and deterring phoenix activity: ASIC hasundertaken a new initiative to deter fraudulent phoenix activity byfocusing on directors who have a failed company in theconstruction, labour hire, transport, security and cleaningindustries where there have been allegations of fraudulentphoenix behaviour. We have identified individuals with currentcompanies and are using intelligence from several sources toidentify which of those companies are in financial distress andtracking towards external administration.

ASIC will use this information to deter those directors fromengaging in fraudulent phoenix behaviour.We will also continue towork with other key Government agencies and industryrepresentatives to raise awareness about fraudulent phoenixactivity that is not only illegal, but has far reaching and unfairconsequences for the Australian community.

Greg Tanzer is a Commissioner with the Australian Securities andInvestments Commission.

AASSIICC

“ASIC IS PARTICULARLYCONCERNED WITH THE HIGHLEVELS OF FRAUDULENTPHOENIX ACTIVITYIN THECONSTRUCTION, LABOURHIRE,TRANSPORT, SECURITYAND CLEANING INDUSTRIES.”

Greg Tanzer*


As many will be aware, ASIAL has for some time raised concernsabout sham subcontracting in the Security Industry. In particular,how the practice damages the reputation of our industry byencouraging customers to seek low cost security providers.

There is a genuine argument forencouraging and supporting those whowish to start their own business, large orsmall, and there is a compelling argumentfor genuine sub contracting as anecessary part of the private securitycontracting industry. However, there is noplace in our industry for illegalarrangements that destroy theopportunities for legitimate securitybusinesses to compete for contracts orfor individuals to be compensated for theirlabour at lower than minimum legislativeand award wages and conditions.

In this article I will discuss some ofthe consequences of shamsubcontracting, how it is “inadvertently”supported by some Governmentagencies, and what ASIAL is doing todeter the practice, while still supportingthe rights of individuals to operate agenuine small business.

What is “sham subcontracting”?Sham contracting is when an employerattempts to conceal an employmentrelationship by calling it an independentcontracting arrangement.This is usuallyto avoid paying legal minimum rates ofpay, workers compensation, insurances,

tax, and entitlements, such as annualleave and sick leave. It gives thePrincipal Contractor a distinct advantageover competitors by reducing their costsby anything up to 25%+. Arrangementssuch as these are not genuine and maybe regarded as sham contracting.

Sham contracting arrangements areunlawful under the Fair Work Act 2009(FW Act). Under the FW Act an employercannot:• Misrepresent an employment

relationship, or a proposedemployment relationship, to be anindependent contractingarrangement.

• Dismiss, or threaten to dismiss, anemployee in order to re-engage thatemployee as an independentcontractor to perform substantially thesame work.

• Knowingly make a false statementwith the intention of persuading aperson to enter into an independentcontracting arrangement.

When it comes to Local GovernmentTenders, the contract almost alwaysgoes to the proposal with the lowestprice. And the lowest price very often

comes from security businesses thatuse subcontracting arrangements andnot direct labour.While some sucharrangements may be bona fide thosethat are not result in:• Individuals (ABN holders) underpaid

and exploited.• Principal Contractors gaining an unfair

business advantage over competitors.• The so called “market rates” being

unsustainably low.• End users being exposed to “shonky”

business practices (includinguninsured and unprofessional work),and

• End users exposed to accessorialliability under s550 of the Fair WorkAct 2009.

ASIAL and the FairWork Ombudsman(FWO) have been working on aGovernment Procurement Initiative(initially focusing on local government)which aims to educate LocalGovernment on the pitfalls of using priceas the primary determinant whenallocating security contracts.To that endthe FWO have recently written to LocalGovernment Associations throughoutAustralia and met with Local


LLOOCCAALL GGOOVVEERRNNMMEENNTT PPRROOCCUURREEMMEENNTT IINNIITTIIAATTIIVVEE

Delivering theMessage on ShamSubcontractingBy Chris Delaney


Government Associations in New SouthWales,Western Australia and SouthAustralia with the following message:

“ASIAL has recently raised concernswith the Fair Work Ombudsmanconcerning the wages and conditionspaid by some security businessescontracted by local councils. Theseconcerns appear to be valid, based onrecent compliance activities undertakenby the Fair Work Ombudsman. Inparticular, there is evidence that afocus on obtaining services for thelowest price has proven to support arange of unlawful behaviours, includingunderpayment of wages and illegitimatesubcontracting arrangements. In someinstances security firms have beenfound to be significantly undercuttingminimum award conditions. Theconsequences of this are far-reachingand widespread, including for legitimateoperators in the contract securityindustry.

The alleged contraventions of theAct and the relevant modern award (theSecurity Services Industry 2010) reflectprimarily on elements of the contractsecurity industry, however there canalso be ramifications for those who are

involved in the procurement of theseservices on behalf of local corporations.For example, individuals involved in theprocurement of services at prices thatcan only be supported by the paymentof below-award wages could be foundto be personally liable forcontraventions of the Act and themodern award.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is keento work with organisations such asyours primarily to get a betterunderstanding of procurementpractices within local government andalso to establish the best way to workwith local councils to ensure that theyunderstand their obligations in ensuringthat bona fide contractingarrangements are established that helplimit or eliminate the risks for localgovernment, including vicariousliability.”

The Local Government Initiative willcontinue with the next stage to includethe development of Model TenderClauses and a Model WorkplaceManagement Plan to ensure moreobjective criteria with which tenderersmust comply.We will also refine the

communication processes to ensurethat the key messages get through togovernment decision makers.

A recent ASIAL survey of memberswho participated in government tendershas provided insights into the difficultiesthey face when competing forgovernment security contracts. Forexample:• The overwhelming reasons for not

tendering for government contractsare based on the inability tocompete on price and/or make asustainable profit from the work.

• Over 80% reported price as the mostimportant factor in winning a tender.

Some of the comments providedincluded:

“We lost contracts due to localsecurity companies requesting staff toget ABNs so they can underpay and notcomply with the Award, pay super andWorkcover like the rest of us do”.

“There is a lot of pressure to providea price based tender. We get theimpression that we have missed out onnumerous tenders to companies thatcould not be complying with legislatedrequirements”.






If you have not already completedthe survey, make sure you have your sayby completing the Tendering forGovernment Work Survey available inthe member’s area of the ASIALwebsite. Alternatively, you can [email protected] and request alink to the online survey. All responsesare kept anonymous.

How Governments inadvertentlypromote “Sham Subcontracting”Legislation in Queensland and Victoriapermits individuals who hold a securitylicence to operate a securityfirm/business as a sole trader withoutthe need to hold a security firm orbusiness licence.This situation has givenrise to a number of unintendedconsequences.

It encourages potentially unlawfulpractices whereby security businesses(Principal Contractors) engage individualABN holders to avoid costs of employingdirect labour, including minimum awardwages and conditions, workerscompensation, superannuation, leave etcin order to gain an advantage overcompetitors employing direct labour.

Some in business may believe that allsuch arrangements are lawful.The fact isthat, even though a person has agreedto be an independent contractor, thatperson may actually be an employeebecause the relationship is anemployment relationship. All too oftenthe parties to these arrangementsbelieve that it is a genuinesubcontracting arrangement only to findit is not.

ASIAL will be recommendinglegislative amendments to provide theopportunity for security firms orbusinesses to operate as legitimate soletraders while protecting the industryfrom the deleterious effects of shamsubcontracting.

The High Cost of getting it WrongEarlier this year a company and itsdirector were fined more than $286,000

for breaches of the FairWork Act,stemming from the incorrectclassification and payment of itsemployees as independent contractors.The fines are a record for FWOproceedings in NSW and is one of thelargest ever obtained by FWO nationally.

The company admitted to 17contraventions of the FairWork Actrelating to sham contracting, breaches ofa modern award and record keeping/payslip requirements. Its director alsoadmitted involvement in the 17contraventions under the "involvement ina contravention" personal liabilityprovisions of the FairWork Act (he waspersonally fined approximately $48,000).

The case serves as an importantreminder to businesses to correctlyengage and remunerate employees andthe perils associated with shamcontracting arrangements.

There is no single test to determinewhether a relationship is truly one ofemployment or that of an independentcontractor.The courts look at a range offactors to determine the issue and whilewhat the parties call themselves and thecontractual arrangements entered intoare relevant, they are not determinative.

As the Court has previously held:"Parties cannot create something

which has every feature of a rooster, butcall it a duck and insist that everybodyelse recognise it as a duck".

The above prosecution (and anumber of recent Federal Circuit Courtdecisions in similar prosecutions)highlight that:• it may not always be appropriate to

engage a person or company toprovide services under a contractingarrangement;

• trying to squeeze a work arrangementinto a 'contracting box', when thecircumstances call for an employmentarrangement and compliance withapplicable industrial regulation, canhave expensive consequences; and

• using contracting to push

responsibility for compliance withapplicable industrial regulation - andliability for non-compliance - down thesupply chain may not work.

The former FairWork Ombudsman NickWilson, warned last year that:

"Turning a corporately-sanctioned'blind-eye' to outsourced work that isperformed by another enterprise usingcontractors on below-award rates of paymay expose enterprises up theprocurement chain to liability. All partiesshould undertake due diligence whenoutsourcing work to contracted workers,particularly to lowest-cost providers, toensure lower costs are attributable toefficiencies in the business and not dueto the potential exploitation of workerson below award rates."

So, what now?The very nature of the security industrymeans that there is a commercialimperative for security businesses tosubcontract work to meet short termspikes in client demand. Having saidthat however, the practice of shamsubcontracting has a negative effect onthe entire industry and its customers.

Part of the solution is for Governmentagencies to show leadership whenallocating security contracts.They cando this by placing greater emphasis onquality service provision rather than thelowest possible price, which inevitablyencourages lower quality service fromunscrupulous providers.

Education of clients is the key,whether government or corporate.

In this regard ASIAL is working withFWO on the Local GovernmentProcurement Initiative, which in time willextend to include other levels ofgovernment.We will work with allGovernment agencies to develop fairand transparent guidelines that willproduce certainty and confidencethroughout the supply chain, resulting ina more professional and sustainableprivate security industry.

Note:The information provided above is for convenient reference only. ASIAL and Chris Delaney & Associates Pty Ltd providethis information on the basis that it is not to be relied upon in any or all cases, as the circumstances in each matter arespecific. Accordingly, we provide this information for general reference only, but we advise you take no action without priorreference to an Employee Relations professional. ASIAL members can contact Chris Delaney by emailing [email protected]


ASIAL has brought to the attention of Telstraissues concerning the migration oftelecommunication services onto the NBN.

As the NBN has been rolled outacross Australia, Retail Service Providers(RSPs) have inadvertently disconnectedsome customer’s security systems.Thishappens when the existing PSTN serviceis migrated to a digital service using theUNI-D port.Typically the home owner haslittle or no knowledge of the differences inthe technology and what is been offeredby the RSP, their prime concern is thatthey have a telephone service andpotentially a broadband connection.Usually it is not until the monitoring centreacknowledges a loss of communicationfrom the customer’s site and a servicetechnician is called that the problemcomes to light.

ASIAL has communicated industryconcerns toTelstra who have beenproactive in acknowledging the issue andresponding to remedy the situation. It hasgiven Telstra the opportunity to look attheir processes and how that informationcan be used to ensure migrating legacysystems onto the NBN meets the needsof customers.

The Government mandated roll-out ofthe NBN will create significant change intelecommunications in Australia.Telstra iscommitted to ensuring customers areable to achieve a smooth changeover oftheir copper based services to the NBN.This includes steps that can be taken toassist customers who have contractedwith security and medical alarm

companies for the installation andmaintenance of those services using inpremises telecommunications cabling.Alarm systems are typically not RSPproducts. RSPs generally do not have adetailed technical knowledge on howalarm systems operate. However,Telstra isworking to make sure their staff knowwhat to do when they become aware that

a customer does have such over the topservices.

It is not compulsory for Retail ServiceProviders (RSP) to offer UNI-V basedvoice products or to have the skills andappropriate licences to reconnectSecurity Alarm Systems when a customerchanges over to the NBN. Alarmcustomers will be advised to test their

NBNUPDATE

NNAATTIIOONNAALL BBRROOAADDBBAANNDD NNEETTWWOORRKK


By John Fleming*


system and communicate with their alarmservice provider.The NBN Co suppliednetwork termination device portconfigurations (UNI-V or UNI-D) allowRSPs to choose to deliver a range ofdifferent types of telecommunicationservices to their customers. At the presenttime the UNI-V port is the only one thathas a back up battery, NBN Co arelooking to extend this battery offering tothe UNI-D port by the end of this year.

VoIP networks offer a range ofcodecs ranging from G.711 to a numberof compressed codecs to savebandwidth.The only supported codecon the NBN UNI-V port is G.711; this isdesigned to provide a call qualityequivalent to the PSTN.

The NBN Co has advised ASIAL that itis establishing a test bench facility inMelbourne where security providers anddevice manufacturers can test theirdevices against a wide range of NBNservices from a range of NBN RSPs.TheNBN Plug Bench test facility will enablealarm service providers to perform a basiccompatibility test against different RetailService Providers.This is scheduled tobecome operational in September 2013;

interested companies are invited tosubmit an EOI to participate in testingtheir products.

Key challenges for the monitored alarmindustry will be when an RSP hastransitioned a customer onto the NBN.• If using the UNI-V port has the RSP

preserved the mode 3 connectionduring the cutover?

• If not, what remedial wiring will thealarm company have to do and at whatcost to the customer

• If using the UNI-D port what hardwiredIP product and or wireless product willyou use and what consideration hasbeen given to using a backup powersupply. Again these are additionalcosts for your customer.ASIAL‘s advice to the electronic

security industry remains the same asbefore, be vigilant and communicate withyour customers.The reality is that somecustomers may change their phoneprovider without realizing the effect ontheir alarm system. Raising awarenessamong customers of the potential failurethat may occur if they choose analternative network service is paramountto ensuring the alarm system continues to

function correctly.The Association has prepared a one

page electronic information sheet thatmembers can send out to their clientswith a monitored security system, whichexplains in plain English what theyshould do when the NBN rollout reachestheir home.The information sheet isavailable to members through themembers area of the ASIAL web or byemailing [email protected] andincludes the ability to include yourcompany’s contact details.John Fleming is the General Manager,ASIAL. He can be contacted [email protected].


NNAATTIIOONNAALL BBRROOAADDBBAANNDD NNEETTWWOORRKK


Physical Security InformationManagement (PSIM).The accesscontrol industry is pretty comfortablewith High Level Interfaces (HLIs) thesedays. In fact no respectable accesscontrol system would not have a suite ofHLIs available to interface to othersystems.The most important and themost usual we have been dealing withfor over 20 years now are interfaces toLifts, CCTV, Building ManagementSystems (BMS) and more recentlyintercoms. In a commercial high risebuilding these interfaces will probablysuffice where an integrated system isrequired. PSIM will be of more use inlarger buildings where there is in-housesecurity monitoring and guards.

However when you move to largermore diverse security installations withon-site monitoring and guards like aport authority, prison, university campus,airport or mine site the security controlroom is likely to have a much largerarray of systems to monitor and control.From one central point the securitydepartment will be monitoring all theusual security sub systems as well astaking phone calls, answering intercomsand communicating with mobile patrolsand staff over the two way radios.

Both access control systems (ACS)and video management systems (VMS)do part of what a PSIM does but noteverything.To be completely effectiveand improve efficiency a PSIM must notonly integrate the physical security butalso link it to the manpowermanagement software.

This means combining severaltechnologies including the physical suchas the ACS,VMS, BMS, Fire, Radio,Intercom & phones. But importantlyconnecting these to a system that logsall physical events and can pull relatedevents together and present them asone scenario to the operator by linkingan alarm, a relevant camera view orviews as well as bringing up a reportpage so that the operator can add hiscomments and response. It also mustautomatically pull up the recommendedStandard Operating Procedure (SOP)and present it to the operator. Thesystem must then go on to allow easyand rapid reporting and analysis ofhistorical events to help identify patternsand trends that have occurred over time.Management of operators and mobileguards must also be handled within thesystem.This involves creating diariesand programs of future activities, reports

on response times and staffperformance, the ability to cross-reference or link records, search on anyinformation in the security database,and present your findings in a variety ofways. Automatic dispatching of guardsto respond to an event is a great time

PPSSIIMM


By Roger Pearce*

THE GEOMETRYOF PSIMYes, just when you thought there were no new concepts in securitythey have come up with a new one. Well not so much new as anenhanced idea of what has been tried many times over the yearsbut now looks like it has finally come of age.

After

Before



PPSSIIMM

saving feature especially in anemergency when the control room isunder pressure during a crisis.

PSIM should also enable requests forservice to be thoroughly documented—from initiation, to deployment, toresponse. Routine activities should beescalated into incidents for furtherfollow-up. Operators should be able tosearch text fields across the wholedatabase and consolidate relatedincident and investigation data into caserecords for comprehensive tracking,analysis and reporting.This will bringclarity to complex investigations andscenarios by mapping relationshipsbetween seemingly disparate data.

Existing Security Control Rooms haveprobably acquired a range of subsystems over time to cope with thedemands of monitoring a large site butbecause they were installed at differenttimes by different integrators theyprobably have little or no connectionwith each other.The security operatorshave to do the co-ordinatingthemselves. So it is not unusual to see acontrol room set up for peak loadswhere there are staff monitoringcameras, responding to alarms, writingreports, taking phone calls, despatchingguards and answering intercoms all atonce. At times like this the operatorshave to make snap decisions and needfour pairs of hands to work all thesystems.This is then followed by a lullwhen things go quiet and little ishappening, allowing time to catch up.These peaks and troughs can besmoothed out by a PSIM as it willautomate a lot of actions even if theycome in rapid fire as they will in anemergency. In an emergency dozenseven hundreds of alarms occur over ashort period. With a PSIM the pressureis taken off the operator leaving him orher to concentrate on the overview ofwhat is happening and manage themost appropriate response.

This is where PSIM comes in.The aimis to put in an “Overlay” Graphical UserInterface (GUI) with all the sub systemsinterfaced to it so that there is only oneGUI workstation for the operator to use.This is the main differentiator betweenan integrated access control system orvideo management system and a PSIM.A PSIM does not just integrate itprovides intelligence as well.

This has many advantages over acontrol room that has grown just liketopsy with operators having to jumpfrom one keyboard to another and lookfor information on various monitorscreens.

Some of the advantages are:• All the sub system present on the

same maps and screens in the sameformat

• Consistent GUI operation for SecurityControl room operators no matterwhich sub system is being viewed.

• Operators only need one keyboard ,mouse and headset

• Every field device be it a reed switch,movement detector, card reader,camera, thermostat, temperaturealarm, fire alarm, Emergency CallPoint, lift phone, two way radio,iPhone, iPad, iPod all able to belinked or interrelated byprogramming.The interrelationships between all

devices and events are programmedinto the (PSIM) Overlay by way ofscenarios or related Inputs and outputs.An input can be from a device or anevent and can trigger an output orcreate an event.The aim is to make thewhole system event driven therebyminimizing the Control Room operator’sinvolvement in routine tasks leaving himfree to be proactive and ready torespond to the exceptional events.

Some good examples of thesescenarios that can be automated wouldbe:-

The Vice Chancellor drives onto the

campus and badges his card on theweekend, the air conditioning and lightsin his office turn on the lift is called tothe ground floor, and the relevantcameras come up on the monitors inthe Security Control Room to check hegets to his office safely.

A student calls from an Emergencycall point, the nearest camera comesup on the video monitor in the securityoffice, if after dark additional lightingcomes on, and the message is relayedto the nearest security patrol as a textor even a video. At the same time adoor or gate can be locked or unlockeddepending on the time of day or othercircumstance.

A high temperature alarm is triggeredin a computer room. An alarm isreported to all appropriate personnel viamobile phone or hand held device aswell as the Security Control room. Oncall IT personnel go directly to thelocation and take action.

There is a fire alarm from a particularbuilding the alarm reports to thebrigade as well as security. Airconditioning is shut down, an SMS textmessage is sent to the radio(s) of theguard(s) nearest that building and apage is broadcast to all occupants toevacuate.

To be effective PSIM shouldintegrate all of the technologies andsecurity operations.To know what isrequired the designer of a PSIM needsto immerse himself in the procedurescarried out day to day in the SecurityControl Room so that every facet of theoperation is incorporated in the design.

According to a November 2010 Frost& Sullivan report on the topic “Theworldwide physical security informationmanagement (PSIM) market isexpected to grow from $80.0 million in2009 to $544.0 million in 2015, with aCompound Annual Growth Rate(CAGR) of 37.6%.” So watch this space.

About the author*Roger Pearce is an independent security consultant with over 30 years experience in the electronic security industry. Over 15

years of which have been as an independent consultant advising clients on a range of security technology applications. He can

be contacted at [email protected] or www.sydneysecurityconsultants.com.au


Allcare Monitoring Services WA 379 A2 28 Feb 2014

ADT Security NSW 404 A1 30 Jun 2014

ADT Security (Data Centre) NSW 405 A1 30 Jun 2014

ARM Security WA 402 A1 10 Mar 2015

ART Security VIC 392 A1 30 Sep 2014

Calamity Monitoring NSW 383 A1 20 Mar 2014

Central Monitoring Services NSW 380 B1 21 Mar 2014

Commonwealth Bank of Australia NSW 389 A1 24 Sep 2014

Energize Australia VIC 391 C2 18 Mar 2014

Glad Security NSW 398 A1 25 Nov 2014

Golden Electronics TAS 395 A1 17 Oct 2014

Grade One Monitoring NSW 378 A1 13 Feb 2014

Grid Security Services NSW 381 A1 18 Mar 2014

ISS Security NSW 373 B3 25 Nov 2013

Linfox Armaguard VIC 393 A1 08 Aug 2014

Mekina Technologies TAS 399 A1 02 Nov 2014

NSS Group NSW 384 A1 07 May 2014

Onwatch NSW 396 B1 31 May 2014

Paul-Tec Australia NSW 409 A1 01 Aug 2015

Protection Pacific Security VIC 394 C2 9 Aug 2014

RAA Security Services SA 400 A1 12 Dec 2014

Secom Australia NSW 374 A1 14 Dec 2013

Sectrol Security VIC 369 B2 19 Aug 2013

Securemonitoring VIC 370 A1 23 Nov 2013

Securenet Monitoring Services NSW 386 A1 04 May 2014

Security Alarm Monitoring Service SA 387 A1 18 Jun 2014

Security Control Room VIC 411 A1 18 Aug 2015

Sesco Security WA 407 A1 03 Jun 2015

Signature Security WA 403 A1 30 Jun 2014

SMC Australia QLD 372 A1 07 Dec 2013

SMC Australia VIC 371 A1 16 Dec 2013

SNP Security (Newcastle) NSW 410 A1 17 Aug 2015

SNP Security (Sydney) NSW 408 A1 13 Aug 2014

Spectus WA 406 A1 12 Apr 2015

State Government Protective Security Service QLD 388 C1 22 May 2014

Westpac Banking Corporation NSW 382 A1 19 Mar 2014

Woolworths Limited NSW 397 C1 04 Nov 2014

Company (short form name) State Cert. No. Grade Expires

ASIAL Certified Security Monitoring Centres*

Current as at: 21 August 2013

*The above-listed ASIAL Certified monitoring centres comprise those establishments that have been inspected and graded forcompliance with the applicable Australian Standard: AS 2201.2 – 2004. PLEASE NOTE: ASIAL takes no responsibility for listedcompanies which may change the nature of their operations subsequent to Certification.

Australian Security IndustryAssociation Limited



How to avoid dealing with businesses who don’t pay, and what youcan do when they refuse to.

Non-payers, defaulters, fly-by-nighters.It’s a sad fact of business that if you dealwith customers on credit terms, you’relikely to have encountered the type ofcustomer who – when the work is doneor the product delivered – refuses to pay.Most of us have a horror story about aclient who consumed time, resourcesand cash before dodging their debt –sometimes declaring that they couldn’tsettle, other times simply going missing.

When considering this problem, it’sworth remembering why we sell on creditterms in the first place.We do sobecause it’s part of our service, becauseit distinguishes us from competitors whowon’t. In other words, it’s a courtesy. Itdoesn’t have to be extended in everycase, and it pays to remember that whatwe are actually doing every time we workwithout being paid up-front is, in effect,lending to our customers.With that inmind, here are some things you can doto deal with customers who won’t pay.

1. Avoid themThis is the most effective way to dealwith non-payers. Unfortunately, they don’tidentify themselves up front. A commonpractice is to ask new customers fortrade references, but this is flawedbecause customers are unlikely to giveyou the details of a company theyhaven’t paid.

Instead, make sure that youinvestigate the credit record of thecustomer in question.

Check the company’s credit historywith a credit reporting bureau such asCreditorWatch.The bigger the job, themore research you should do. If you dofind something adverse, it’s up to youwhether you’re going to deal with themon more stringent terms or not at all.

2. Have policies and proceduresIf you were a bank lending money, you’dput procedures in place to assess yourcustomers and chase their debts. Inbusiness, things should be no different:• Make sure that you have written

policies in place that govern whencredit can be extended, on whatterms, and how it will be pursuedwhen overdue.

• Get new customers to complete anaccount application form that detailsyour terms and policies.This helps toset expectations.

• Send reminders at 30 days and 45days, or whenever is appropriate foryour industry and your kind ofbusiness.

• Set a limit, such as 90 days overdue,when you will begin to take furtheraction.

• Credit reporting bureaus often offerdraft final notice letters informing

customers that their debt must bepaid immediately to avoid legal actionand the registering of a default.Having procedures to follow helps to

‘train’ your clients about your practiceswhile showing them that you take creditseriously. In addition, businesses whodon’t follow up usually get paid last, sohaving credit measures in place willoften get your business paid ahead ofsomeone else.

3. Chase the debtThe golden rule of payment collection isthat the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Make sure that your business activelypursues overdue debts.This can be byletter or telephone (try both) and – if youthink it’s worth your time – you can evenattempt to collect in person.

When a customer won’t pay, try tounderstand why. Do they have acashflow problem, or are they close tocollapse? If they claim cashflow, askthem to pay in instalments. Be surehowever that any agreement struckoutlines a precise payment scheduleand contains penalties (such asimmediate legal action and theregistering of a default) for a missedpayment.

A common reason customers cite fornon-payment is that the products andservices delivered weren’t what they


NNEEWW MMEEMMBBEERR BBEENNEEFFIITT

WHENCUSTOMERSWON’T PAYBy Colin Porter


expected.While this can be a ploy, try todiscuss any issues raised in good faith.You may need to offer compensation ora discount, which – though not ideal –will at least mean that your businessrecovers something.

4. Consider a debt collectorWhile debt collectors don’t do anythingthat you couldn’t do yourself, they aremore practiced and may have moresuccess in chasing your recalcitrantdebtor.Their usual practice is to work fora percentage of the debt recovered, andusing one can be a good idea if yourbusiness doesn’t have the in-house staff itneeds to chase debts on its own. Keep inmind however that debt collectors don’thave additional legal powers, and if theyare overzealous you may damage yourrelations with a customer by using them.

5. Report a defaultIf a business refuses to pay you after 90days, you should let other businessesknow by reporting the default to creditmonitoring organisations.While this mightnot help you to collect your particulardebt, the threat of such action can oftencompel a customer to pay.

Also, while in the past the sharing ofcredit data has been the domain of largecompanies and financial institutions, newservices aimed at SMEs are nowappearing on the scene. CreditorWatch,for example, is a credit reporting bureauand online community of businessowners who share information aboutdebtors in order to be instantly alertedwhen the businesses around them causepayment trouble. Users of the servicealso place a logo on their invoices toencourage on-time payment.

6.Take legal actionWhen all else fails, it’s time to considercourt action. Unfortunately, this is never aquick or inexpensive solution. Indeed, itcan take 18 months or more for theprocess to complete, and most ofanything you recover can be chewed upby legal costs.

Most jurisdictions in Australia have aSmall Claims Court orTribunal – oftenattached to the magistrates court – inwhich you can make claims.While it’scheaper to lodge in such forums, theiractions are not usually enforceable.Local and magistrates courts will provideenforceable judgements, but their rulings

aren’t automatically enforced.You willneed to request action from the sheriff’soffice, which can run into difficultiestrying to identify seizable assets.Theupshot is that unless the debt that you’repursing is large and you also know thatthe company in question has the abilityto pay, legal action may be more troublethan it’s worth. In all cases, the bestthing to do is consult a lawyer.

One advantage of legal proceedingsis that their initiation can often bringabout mediation and negotiation. If youdon’t get the debt back, remember thatdepending on your tax situation you canusually ‘write it off’.

Changing timesThe situation in Australia is thatpayments are taking longer and longer. Inpart, this is a product of the GFC, whencashflows were tight. Now however, withthe economy in recovery, somebusinesses are likely to use these lax

payment terms as a tool for building theirown cash reserves – meaning that weshould be more stringent and aggressivein pursing debts.

As the economy picks up, our naturalinclination is also to take on as much newbusiness as we can find. But it’s importantnot to do this at the expense of proper

debt management and carefulconsideration of each customer.Remember that you might have a greatand profitable business with greatproducts and still be undone by unpaiddebts or by customers going under.


NNEEWW MMEEMMBBEERR BBEENNEEFFIITT

*Colin Porter is the founder and Managing Director of CreditorWatch, a registry where businesses share information about baddebtors to make better credit decisions.CreditorWatch is a new ASIAL member benefit - for more information contact Chris Tredwell: [email protected]

DEALING WITHBAD DEBTORS• Perform credit checks on new

customers.• Get customers to complete

credit application forms.• Have processes for actively

chasing debts and sending outreminders.

• Specify consequences formissed payments. Reportdefaults to registries likeCreditorWatch.

• Outsource to a debt collector ifyou can’t chase yourself.

• Take legal action only if you’relikely to succeed.


HHOOTT PPRROODDUUCCTTSS

iCare Personal Trackern Grade One Monitoring > 1300 723 185n Email > [email protected] Web > www.grade1.com.au

simPRO eFormsn simPro > 1300 139 467n Email > [email protected] Web > www.simpro.com.au

Paper forms capture all the information you need on the job, but they’re not wellsuited for the field and can be easily lost or damaged.They require manual handlingand processing that can waste valuable time better spent getting the job done.

simPRO eForms digitises your forms workflow, ending your dependency onpaper forms. Field employees use a tablet to complete and submit PDF forms to theeForms Portal, where they can be viewed, downloaded, or automatically actioned.• Send forms back to the office instantly• Attach photos• Updates forms for all users at once• Integrate with simPRO Enterprise and other software packages• Employ paperless technology

Find out how eForms can simplify your workflow at www.simpro.com.au

HCA new concept in security technologyn Harcor Security Seals & Bags > + 61 2 9454 4200n Email > [email protected] Web > www.harcor.com.au


Harcor Covert Authentication (HCA) is a new concept in security technology,utilised for brand protection.

The technology is applied to security seals. HCA is integrated into thermalstamping foil and can be applied via conventional means.

Covert Authentication Examples:Audible Infra Red Reader - The reader will beep when the HCA Foil is

detected.IR Laser Pen – HCA Foil products is detected by Infrared (IR) Laser in a

range of 940 – 980nm (invisible to the human eyes), HCA Foil will convert IRlight to visible light.

Contact Harcor for a confidential discussion on how this and otherauthentication technologies could be deployed to protect your business.

Grade One Monitoring has launched the iCare Personal Tracker.Our Grade A1 monitoring centre now offers the peace of mind of a

trackable hand held device utilising the Telstra Next G network.The iCare unit offers a rapid and accurate GPS positioning, 2 way on

board communication as well as a geo-fencing solution.iCare monitoring has many benefits including the ideal solution for

OH&S/WHS legislation, a safety device for loved ones, immediatenotification in the case of a medical emergency as well as GPS trackingfor dementia patients.

Phone us on 1300 723 185 to discover the full range of features andbenefits that the iCare Personal Tracker has to offer for your staff andclients as part of an overall security solution.

NEW!



Maximum Camera Value: All-new Sarix IL10Series Box Cameras and Micro Domesn Pelco Australia > +61 2 9125 9310n Email > [email protected] Web > www.pelco.com/sarix

Schneider Electric Expands Investment inIP Video with Major Additions to Pelco Linen Pelco Australia > +61 2 9125 9310n Email > [email protected] Web > www.pelco.com/sarix

Schneider Electric announced a major expansion and commitment toits Pelco IP Video Surveillance product line by announcing the plannedrollout of more than 50 new IP cameras in 2013, including the new SarixIL10 Series mini box and micro dome cameras. Schneider Electriccontinues to make major investments in IP video, expanding its R&Deffort, product line and industry-leading education and training programsto meet the needs of partners and customers.

The company has achieved several major milestones in its continuingevolution as an IP market leader, including the expansion of its FortCollins, Colo. Facility.

DTU3G/IPn SCSI > 1300 555 570n Email > [email protected] Web > www.securitycommunications.com

SCSI’s DTU3G/IP wireless alarm communicator is Australian made anddesigned. Dual-SIM technology provides 6 secure paths using TelstraNextG, Optus 3G, Telstra GPRS, Optus GPRS, Ethernet & PSTN. Withthousands already sold and installed, the DTU3G/IP has been releasedto the Australian Security Industry with outstanding success. Thecombination of multiple, proven communication paths ending the days ofnuisance “poll fails” and unwarranted guard attendances.

The DTU3G/IP connects to the DirectWireless Network, Australia’sonly dedicated and private alarm transmission network.

To find out more about the DTU3G/IP, contact SCSI on 1300 555 570.

The all-new Sarix™ Value Range of mini box and micro dome cameras arehigh-definition, cost-effective IP network cameras perfect for most any indoorfixed video security application.These cameras produce high-quality, color HDvideo, and the integrated pre-focused fixed focal length lens makes sharpscene alignment and installation quick and easy.

Convenient network connectivity, PoE models, and a simple Web userinterface, make for easy plug-and-play finalisation of settings and positioningadjustment. And by delivering industry-leading Sarix image quality, backed bythe Pelco™ by Schneider Electric™ satisfaction guarantee, the IL10 series arethe value-driven cameras that you can choose with confidence.

NEW!

NEW!


NEW!



Effective SecurityFrom the name you trustn Jim’s Security > 131 546n Web > www.jimssecurity.com.au

INTREPID™ Sensors Now Even Smarter!n Perimeter Systems Australia Pty Ltd > +61 2 9150 0651n Email > [email protected] Web > www.perimetersystems.com.au

In protecting a facility’s perimeter, two distinct challenges arise. Selecting theappropriate sensor to address site requirements, and finding cost-effective, compatiblesolutions when site characteristics or security level dictate layered protection.

Combining 40 years of perimeterdetection experience with the latest in integratedsystems engineering, Southwest Microwave addresses these challenges with itsnew-generation INTREPID™ Intelligent Sensors. Deploy any combination of fence,buried and digital microwave solutions on a single network platform to protect eachportion of your perimeter with the optimal sensor for that location. For unparalleledconfiguration and operating convenience, INTREPID™ employs a commoncommunications protocol, universal set-up software, scalable system controllers anda broad input voltage range - eliminating the high cost and complication traditionallyassociated with integrating multiple sensor technologies.

simPRO Field Mobilityn simPro > 1300 139 467n Email > [email protected] Web > www.simpro.com.au


Your time is money and your hours are billable. Cut your travel and admintime down by at least 20% per day per person with simPRO Field Mobility.

Our range of simPRO Field Mobility options let you and your staff stayconnected and keep your entire system up-to-date with real-timeoverview of the labour, material and equipment costs incurred, the marginyou have applied and the invoiced amount.

Our SmartPhone version is optimised for phone sized devices such asAndroid, Windows Mobile, iPhone and devices such as the Datalogic Elf.

Get out and about with simPRO Field Mobility and simplify yourbusiness processes so you can spend more time making money, notchasing it.

Why invest in a Franchise with Jim's Group? The Jim's Group havebeen leading the way in Franchising in Australia for over 30 years.

With just over 3500 Franchisees and Franchisors across some 34Divisions , the Jim's Group is one of the most recognised brands in thecountry. 94% of adult Australians recognise the brand and with over500,000 new inbound inquiries to the Customer Service Centre per year,the advantages of having your own business operating with thisTrademark are enormous.

From advertising and marketing, to purchasing products andservices, you will be taking advantage of the strength of a provenNational brand utilising proven systems to manage your own business

Call 131 546 Today or check us out at www.jimssecurity.com.auNEW!

NEW!


Who’s monitoringyour alarm?

For the past 20 years, ASIAL has operated a well-respectedsystem of inspections that check compliance with AustralianStandard 2201.2:2004 (Intruder Alarm Systems - Monitoring

Centres). The scheme provides customers with the reassurancethat the standards applied at a monitoring centre are

independently audited on a regular basis.



AASSIIAALL NNEEWW MMEEMMBBEERRSS

The ASIAL member recognitionprogram acknowledges longstandingassociation members. Recognitioncategories include Platinum (25years+), Gold (16-24 years), Silver (11-15 years) and Bronze (6-10 years).

438 members are now enrolled onthe recognition program. If you areeligible and have not already signedup to the program (there is not costto sign up), you find out more

information by visitingwww.asial.com.au/Memberecognitio

nprogram or you can email

[email protected]

The following organisations haveattained recognition levels:Silver (11-15 years membership)

Crackweld Pty Ltd

I Security & Technology Pty Ltd

MK Systems Pty Ltd

Bronze (6-10 years membership)

Corporate Locksmiths Pty Ltd

Deanmac Emergency Services Pty Ltd

HTP Security Pty Ltd

Infront Static Services Trust

Pacific Strategies & Assessments Pty Ltd

Radio Data Communication Pty Ltd

SCI-Blue Services Pty Ltd

Southern NSW Investigations & Southern

NSW Security

RECENT ASIAL MEMBER RECOGNITION -PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

WELCOMETO OURNEW MEMBERSASIAL is pleased to welcome the following new members whohave joined the Association over the past few months.

MEMBERSADCCTV Electronics Pty Ltd

Aussie Surveillance

Bestway Electronics Pty Ltd

Boss Electrical & Mechanical Pty Ltd

Bring Enterprises Pty Ltd

Coastal Sound and Vision Pty Ltd

Devtel Communications And Property

DML Services Group Pty Ltd

Eureka Security Pty Ltd

Firearms Advanced Shooting

Techniques

Forge Group Asset Management Pty Ltd

Hyperion Security Pty Ltd

Individual Protection Group Pty Ltd

Innov8tive Systems Pty Ltd

Kevlar Security Solutions Pty Ltd

Lentek Pty Ltd

Montal Security Corporation Pty Ltd

MPS Global Security Group Pty Ltd

PON Project Services Pty Ltd

Prosec Management Group and iDetect

Protectcorp Security Pty Ltd

Prox Access Pty Ltd

Quest Security Pty Ltd

Red Flag Systems

Security 1 Manpower Pty Ltd

Serenity Security Systems

Shredlock Australia Pty Ltd

Silk's Security

SIN SEC Australia Pty Ltd

Skytech CCTV

Secure Security International Pty Ltd

Superior Services Group Pty Ltd

SydneyTraining Academy Pty Ltd

System Technology Services

Track Security Pty Ltd

Zone Patrol Pty Ltd


security insider august/september 2013

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