Assessing the human vigilance capacity of control room operators

There are many criteria that influence CCTV operator effectiveness and these need to be addressed comprehensively as part of managing the control room and the selection and placement process. Assessing a candidate's suitability for the position would include a review of qualifications, training, and experience. However, the central core of competencies for a control room operator revolves around the concept of human vigilance. Our research shows that the core vigilance competencies discussed and measured by a Surveillance and Monitoring Assessment Exercise (SAMAE) are important to operator performance. It also indicates that selection of appropriate personnel can play a major contribution in achieving the desired outputs from a control room based CCTV system. Further, to produce a comparable level of increase in system performance by investing in additional technology is likely to be prohibitively expensive and unrealistic. Given the capital outlays of modern control centres and the potential cost of failure for the safety and welfare of people, the role and capacity of operators need to be recognised as critical in the delivery of a control room technology solution.