Until now tracking the location of security staff in shopping centres has been done manually. But at Meadowhall in Sheffield all that has changed. The centre has become the first in Europe to roll out a pioneering personnel tracking system, which works by integrating a GPS tracking device and a digital two way radio into one product.

The system records the location of staff allowing management to see the exact location of personnel at all times and to contact them instantly via push-to-talk or SMS text messaging, improving both response times and safety levels.

Meadowhall shopping centre has recently bought 152 of the Motorola DP3600 models – supplied by DCRS – for its security, technical and cleaning personnel as well as management. Meadowhall previously had an analogue two-way radio system which had several coverage black spots over its 1.5m sq ft of floorspace, making communication difficult at times.

Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, says: “Things are moving from analogue to digital systems and a few years ago we started thinking about migrating the system across. We spent 12 months developing the bespoke solution with DCRS and it went live
in June.”

As DCRS account manager Dan Faulkner, explains: “The system improves the efficiency and running of the centre. It works on several levels – ensuring staff are where they should be, improving security, as well as the cleaning and maintenance and it also demonstrates the level of performance achieved by staff.”

Throughout the site 168 discreet wireless beacons have been installed and every time a radio passes a beacon, it sends a signal to the control room. The radio’s location is mapped on a plasma screen and tracking information is recorded and stored for full traceability. The beacons do not use mains electricity and are easily maintained using three-year-life batteries instead.

The system allows individual and group calls between multiple users and has an all call option to override communications in the event of an emergency. Another function shows which radios are on-line and those that can be enabled or disabled remotely.

Pearce says: “There’s an awful lot of safety systems surrounding it. There’s an open talk button which is effectively an open mic so in a potentially fractious situation, staff don’t have to hold the radio up to their mouths.

“It also supports lone workers – if someone falls over and the radio becomes horizontal for some time it will automatically send out an alarm call so there’s some great features built in and it’s responsive to customer needs.”

The tracking solution operates in analogue and digital so the shopping centre’s 280 retailers could still contact the control room via the old Centrelink analogue radio system, before it was fully upgraded to the digital platform.

DCRS director Steve Luscombe, explains: “The structure was put in Meadowhall out of hours to minimise disruption and the radio devices were handed over ready to use so there was a smooth transition from the old system.”

The system can also help with insurance claim mitigation. As Faulkner explains: “If someone slips over we can show diligence by proving that there was a cleaner at the scene shortly before the incident.”

He adds: “For retailers it can justify the service charge. If they are worried that their shop isn’t being monitored, the system can provide hard evidence – it can show that their fire corridor has been checked or that there has been a patrol past their shop every 10 minutes for the past four months. It gives them peace of mind.”

Another advantage is that staff don’t need any additional technology such as swipe cards or a key fob to prove they were in a certain area at a certain time, allowing them to concentrate on the job in hand.

Darren Pearce describes the system as “innovative and effective” and suspects the system will be deployed across the whole industry in the future.

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