Environmentally caused variation in exterior intrusion detection

Environmentally-dependent detection capability is an inescapable aspect of the overall reliability of exterior intrusion detection systems (IDSs). For this reason, security managers need to be aware of the specific site conditions that affect their IDSs. Proximity-to-alarm monitoring provides a direct indication of the interaction between an IDS and its operating environment. In addition to temporal variability in site conditions, there is spatial variability when differences in factors such as exposure to solar radiation, topography, wind funneling, ground cover, etc., cause location-dependent differences in near-surface conditions in response to the same weather. An understanding of the complexity of the environment in which IDSs operate and of the IDSs' responses to changes in their environment will greatly assist security personnel in determining the reliability of their exterior IDSs.