CCTV Control Room
Operator selection - A best practice guide
By Arindam Bhadra
A
doctor; a teacher; an environmentalist. There is one common motivation why you
would choose one of these careers: to help people. But there’s one more career
that sits in the background and doesn’t get as much limelight as it probably
deserves.
BS EN 50132-7: 2012 and BS EN
62676-4 clause 12.1 state: “If the CCTV (closed circuit television) system has
a requirement for live viewing, camera control, system management, or any other
human intensive tasks, a control room should be specified to house these
functions. The ‘control room’ could be a single workstation, or a large
operations centre.” The effectiveness of Video surveillance / CCTV control
rooms is influenced by a variety of factors. CCTV operators are usually
technology buffs who love the technological side of Video surveillance systems.
CCTV operators at CCTV Control Room face several issues ranging from poor
attention span, video blindness, fatigue, boredom, lack of situational
awareness, bias and false alerts. There is, however, another side to the CCTV
Video surveillance sector that the world desperately needs. Keeping people safe
from harm and maintaining order in our society has become a lot easier as CCTV
technology advances. However, the ‘human factor’ within the CCTV system is
equally as important in achieving the objectives of the CCTV function. The capacity
of the person selected in any job will determine the success of that person in
the position, no matter what kind of environment it is. I’ve heard it mentioned
that CCTV is as simple as watching TV, including by a senior police officer in
the India who should have known better. Similarly, the placement of contract
guards into CCTV positions when they have received no training and don’t know
what to look for is also common. Where detection is critical will know that the
operator is the most essential part in CCTV service delivery. "Cameras
never lie". but, how will you know? ‘see’ what the cameras ‘saw'. Do audit
your CCTV–why suffer? The CCTV Control room should be set up, or redesigned,
according to a CCTV operational requirements plan and the CCTV room staff, as
end-users, should participate in this process. BS EN ISO 11064-1 says Ergonomic
design of control centers Principles for the design of control centers.
A CCTV video footage auditor can
be defined as one who audits, reviews, examines closely, CCTV footage daily, at
periodical intervals, with an intent to discover the ‘unknown’. Using all the
tools available at her/his disposal, she/he ‘looks out’ for exceptions, process
violations, abnormalities, performance lapses, behavioral patterns, potential
threats, risks and so on. She/he de-bugs bytes of visual information
multi-tasks by comparing past cases. ‘Auditing’ means 'seeing' what the cameras
'saw'. CCTV video footage should be audited daily; several times a day if need
be. Depending on the requirements, auditing of CCTV footage of critical cameras
on a daily basis must become an SOP.
“The capacity of the person
selected in any job will determine the success of that person.” Says Mr.
Shankar Mallik, Director - Uma Enterprise. Leading System integrator Security
Automation field.
Selection of CCTV operators
The selection of CCTV operators should follow a formal
process and be based on a sound analysis of the job tasks. It is acknowledged
that in some cases CCTV operators are selected and employed by third party
contractors. Nevertheless, there may still be opportunities for CCTV managers
to influence the appointment and training of these individuals.
Selecting the right people for the CCTV operator role will
help to maximize the motivation and job performance of the operator team.
Within larger organizations the recruitment and selection of personnel is often
the responsibility of the human resources function. However, depending on the
context, managers may exert a degree of influence on the selection process for
CCTV room staff. CCTV roles will differ across sites, and the actual job
requirements should flow from the organisation’s goals and the operational
requirements of the CCTV room. In line with this, the selection process should
begin with a suitable examination of what the role entails via an analysis of
the job.
Job Profile could be:
- ·
Sitting in front of a bank of up to 15 screens, constantly
monitoring the live pictures that come in from the surveillance cameras
- ·
Operating the position of the cameras, for example if a cash
machine is about to be emptied, you would focus the camera on the security
guard
- ·
Monitoring anyone acting suspiciously, and alerting security
staff or police if you see an act of theft, vandalism or any other crime
- ·
Monitoring cleaning staff working in large empty buildings
for their safety
- ·
Notifying the police of any anti-social behaviour
- ·
Keeping a log of all incidents to pass onto police
- ·
Called to give evidence in court as a witness.
Job analysis:
Job analysis is designed to produce systematic and reliable
information about a particular role. It provides the basis for writing an
accurate job description, will assist in developing a structured interview and
serve as a basis for any selection tests which might be used. The aim of the
job analysis is to derive a comprehensive list of job tasks, how they are
carried out and the worker characteristics – aptitudes, skills and experience –
which are necessary to perform them. As well as covering the current role it is
a good idea to consider how the job may change in the foreseeable future. The
organisation’s human resources department may have a preferred method for
carrying out job analyses. For the CCTV operator role (compared to say, a
senior management role) the job analysis may not need to be very complex. Since
any amount of footage from any given day could be required at any given time,
properly storing footage is one of the most important roles of a CCTV Operator.
Storage policy can vary slightly from company to company, but in general CCTV
Operators will need to correctly catalog all footage so that it can be easily
recalled at a later time.
Selection process
Once the job has been adequately defined, selection of
candidates can begin. The interview is still by far the most widely used method
of selection; however evidence suggests that the traditional ‘unstructured’
interview is not a particularly good predictor of job performance. Structured
interviews have been found to be twice as valid (i.e. predictive of future job
performance) than unstructured interviews.
Tests
Tests fall broadly into two categories. The first category
includes tests of cognitive ability such as aptitude tests and tests of general
mental ability (for example numerical reasoning, verbal and non-verbal
reasoning, visualspatial abilities). The second consists of personality tests
that aim to measure personal traits and preferences; for example a person who
measures high on the trait of ‘conscientiousness’ is likely to demonstrate a
reasonable level of persistence when performing a variety of tasks.
Operator Skills
Successful CCTV Operators are mindful, alert and scrupulous
individuals who are highly dedicating to protecting others. In addition to
having a talent for all things technical, they also have the ability to quickly
identify patterns and abnormalities. In addition to these general personality
traits and abilities, employers are looking for CCTV Operators with the
following skills:
- ·
Surveillance System Knowledge:
Because extensive knowledge of video surveillance systems is to crucial to the
job of a CCTV Operator, many employers required CCTV Operators to have video
surveillance certification of some kind.
- ·
Attention to Detail: CCTV Operators must be able to
identify small, seemingly insignificant details that most people would
overlook. This ability allows them to keep the area as safe as possible.
- ·
Ability to Multitask: Even when a CCTV Operator
receives a phone call or has to speak to a colleague, they must always be
keeping an eye on the monitors.
- ·
Ability to Work Independently: For
the most part, CCTV Operators will not be required to interact with very many
people. Because of this, it is important that they’re able to work and stay
alert without constant supervision.
- ·
Communication Skills: Since CCTV Operators will
occasionally have to give statements to police officers, communicate with
emergency services or even appear in court, they need to have strong written
and verbal communication skills.
Training
Training is important for motivation and performance and
should be designed to meet operational needs. Where CCTV operators are employed
directly by the organization /site at which they work, there will be greater
scope for influencing training in comparison to where the operator/guard force
function is sub-contracted to an external organization. However, contracted
operators should have received at least basic training in CCTV.
Methods for carrying out the training needs analysis include
interviews, observations, focus group discussions and questionnaires with job
incumbents and other stakeholders. Existing job analyses/person analyses may
not be up to date so it could be worth taking a current view of the job role.
Since the exact role of a CCTV operator will differ from
organisation to organisation, detailed training needs will necessarily differ.
However, as a minimum, it is recommended that training should cover the areas
in the following list.
- ·
Induction into the CCTV role, CCTV team and the wider
organization Operation of all CCTV room equipment Team building with the
immediate team.
- ·
Detailed knowledge of camera positions and of the site(s) to
be monitored – in practice this means getting out and ‘walking the plot’
wherever possible – including visits to remotely monitored sites.
- ·
Detailed knowledge of camera positions and of the site(s) to
be monitored – in practice this means getting out and ‘walking the plot’
wherever possible – including visits to remotely monitored sites.
- ·
Knowledge of the current nature and level of security threat
to the site(s) – Local police authority, Intelligence Bureau can provide advice on this.
- ·
Knowledge of the nature of unwanted or suspicious behaviors/incidents
as they relate to the site.
- ·
Knowledge of the current nature and level of security threat
to the site(s) – Local police authority, Intelligence Bureau can provide advice on this. Knowledge of the nature of
unwanted or suspicious behaviors/incidents as they relate to the site.
- ·
Understanding of the role of relevant external teams,
agencies and/or networks. It can be beneficial to operate a policy requiring
operators to regularly visit members of the team who are based ‘on the ground’
in the site being monitored, or even those in related agencies or
organizations.
- ·
Preparation for emergencies. Such training is often achieved
using incident simulations / scenarios that attempt to model the conditions of
a real emergency.
Spatial awareness
We find that often the 80/20 rule applies in surveillance,
with about 80% of the incidents being detected by 20% of personnel. I can often
see the motivation differences within the training environment as well where
people committed to detection have a different philosophy. So one of the first
criteria I would want in any operator who would work for me would be to be able
to demonstrate a history of detection. Not ‘we detected’ which often covers up
a lack of individual involvement, but ‘I detected’. By keeping an eye on them,
criminals can be stopped the moment they want to perform a crime. The increased
attention may even stop them in their tracks. A CCTV operator who is motivated
by his or her moral values finds excessive joy in using expert skills to protect
people and their possessions in public venues. Good quality cameras and
monitors, along with effective placement, will allow operators to observe the
environment well and support their ability to understand the location and
likely direction of targets during a dynamic incident – i.e. maintain ‘spatial
awareness’. Spatial awareness is an understanding of our location in space and
the organisation of objects around us. What operators need to see in the
environment will depend on their tasks, which should link to the operational
requirements of the control room. Ideal specification and positioning of
cameras is dependent on operational requirements but also on what an operator
needs to complete a task successfully.
Leadership and management
Research indicates that highly motivated employees perform
better and show more commitment to the organisation than unmotivated employees.
The way that people are managed and led can significantly affect their
perceptions about their job, and in turn their job motivation. Motivation can
be a personal trait (i.e. be part of someone’s personality) but it is strongly
influenced by elements of the job itself. It is also associated with the
rewards a person receives from doing the job. Rewards include the personal
satisfaction from a job well-done, as well as recognition from the
organisation’s customers, team members and managers.
The minimum recommendation here is that first line
supervisors and/or managers should receive formal leadership training which is
aimed at achieving effective team and individual performance and which is
appropriate for the context in which they work.
Appraisal
Regular appraisals help encourage employee motivation and
maintain commitment. At minimum:
· Appraisers should receive appropriate training for conducting company appraisals.
· Appraisals should identify mutually acceptable performance and development goals. These individual goals are often linked to the goals of the team, department and/or organization
· Appraisals may or may not be linked with rewards (including pay); however where they are linked with rewards care should be taken to ensure that the process of reward distribution is systematic and fair, and also perceived as such by all team members
· Appraisers should receive appropriate training for conducting company appraisals.
· Appraisals should identify mutually acceptable performance and development goals. These individual goals are often linked to the goals of the team, department and/or organization
· Appraisals may or may not be linked with rewards (including pay); however where they are linked with rewards care should be taken to ensure that the process of reward distribution is systematic and fair, and also perceived as such by all team members
Pay
The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may
vary, depending on:
·
where you work.
·
the size of the company or organization you work for.
·
the demand for the job.
CCTV operators can earn from around ₹ 14,500 to ₹ 15,800 per
month. With experience, this could raise to ₹ 17,000 per month basis. You may
get a shift allowance.
Ref:
BS EN ISO 11064 books.
BS EN 50132-7 Books.
BS EN 62676-4 Books.
This artical published on safe secure magazine Volume 10-issue 1- January 2019 issue.
