Short answer: January is a good time to review business security because staff changes from the holidays and year-end are fresh, budgets for the year are still open, and the long nights make lighting and camera gaps easy to see. An afternoon spent on access lists, alarm codes, camera playback, the call list and your contract dates catches most problems before they cost you.
Why the start of the year works
Seasonal workers leave after the holidays. Year-end is when many people change jobs. Budgets get set in January, so if something needs replacing, it can go in this year's plan instead of waiting twelve months. And in Middle Tennessee and around Chattanooga it is dark by late afternoon, which is exactly when you can see whether your parking lot cameras show anything useful.
None of that makes January magic. If your fiscal year starts in July, do this in July. The point is to pick a time each year and actually do it.
The one-afternoon review
1. Access list
Pull every active badge, fob and phone credential from your access control system. Go down the list. Anyone who left, changed roles or was a seasonal hire gets updated or removed. If you still use keys, list who has them and what they open. If that list is hard to make, that tells you something.
2. Alarm codes
Get the list of alarm user codes. Delete codes for people who are gone, and delete any shared or installer default code. Every person who arms or disarms should have their own.
3. Camera playback, not live view
For every camera, pull up recorded video from at least a week ago. Live view looking fine does not mean the recorder is saving anything. Check the night footage too. Can you see a face at the door? A plate at the gate?
4. Walk the property after dark
Walk the lot, the back of the building and the fence line after sunset. Note dark corners, burned-out lights and places a person could stand where no camera sees them.
5. Alarm call list
Read it out loud with your manager. Wrong numbers and people who left are common, and they matter at 3 a.m.
6. Fire alarm inspection date
Find the date of your last fire alarm inspection and make sure the next one is on the calendar.
7. Contract and renewal dates
Find your security and monitoring agreements. Write down the renewal date and the notice period. Missing that window is how businesses end up in another multi-year term without meaning to.
What to do with what you find
- Quick fixes like old codes and stale access you can usually handle yourself or with one call to your provider.
- Broken equipment such as a dead camera or a door that will not latch needs a service call. Submit a service request and we can often schedule it the same day.
- Bigger gaps such as no coverage on a new lot, a building still on keys, or after-hours theft that keeps happening belong in this year's budget. A walkthrough gets you a written proposal you can plan around.
How Turner Security fits in
If you are a Turner customer, call our help desk for help pulling your access and alarm code lists. The help desk resolves the majority of issues remotely before a technician needs to come out. If you are not a customer and your review turns up a provider that is slow to respond, look at what switching security providers involves. In many cases we can take over and service the equipment you already have, and we do not require long-term contracts.
Mistakes to avoid
- Checking live view and assuming the recorder is fine.
- Reviewing door access but forgetting alarm codes, which are a separate system.
- Finding problems and not putting them on anyone's calendar.
- Letting a contract auto-renew because nobody knew the date.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a yearly security review take?
For a single location, most owners or office managers can get through this list in an afternoon, plus a short walk after dark.
Should we have a security company do the review?
You can do most of it yourself. A provider is useful for pulling system reports, checking recorder health and recommending fixes for coverage gaps.
What if we find a lot of problems?
Fix the access and code issues first, since they cost nothing. Then prioritize equipment by what it protects.
Start the year with a working system
See our overview of commercial security systems if your review points to bigger changes.
To request a quote, call our Smyrna office at (615) 223-9600 for Nashville and Middle Tennessee, or our Chattanooga office at (423) 344-3787. If your review turned up a dead camera or a stale code list, mention it when you call so we start there.
