Having thermal security cameras in Broward County is a great idea. But most businesses or even residential homes don’t think to have one in Southern Florida. Why? Because most people don’t understand how they work or what their benefits are. Thermal security cameras can provide a multitude of benefits and conveniences.
And with a county that unfortunately has a lot of crime, particularly with break-ins, having a quality security camera is imperative. Let’s break down what a thermal security camera is and how it can be of most use to you and your business!
What are thermal security cameras?
Thermal security cameras are a type of security camera that provides surveillance on a particular area. The way that it works is that it uses heat imaging that produces a picture based on the temperature of a living object or even an animate object. Because of this, it can be really easy to distinguish humans from animals and the rest of the area.
Thermal security can help your business or residential property in a variety of situations like fires, break-ins, or other dangerous situations. Let’s explore this in more depth.
Why is it important to have a thermal security camera in Miami?
Thermal cameras can pick up radiation in situations where they normally wouldn’t be able to see because of obstruction. In Miami, it gets incredibly hot and the risk of fires is certainly a factor. With thermal security cameras, they can not only detect a fire much easier but can also see through the fog and smoke to help people.
Thermal security cameras also can pick up through camouflage with break-ins. When a thief or burglar breaks in wearing all back or camouflage it is to deliberately blend in with the cameras which makes it difficult to see what’s going on in the video. A thermal security camera completely gets rid of this problem because it is based on body heat radiation.
How do Thermal Security Cameras work?
Thermal cameras do not work off light which is the first thing that one should know when considering working with thermal security cameras. It processes the image differently than a normal camera and even the eye. It uses infrared signals and heat radiation to produce a picture that is visible to the human eye.
The image is going to produce different colors with red being the hottest temperature where you will likely see a fire. Orange and moving down to yellow may be able to make out the image of a human. Then inanimate objects are going to be cooler colors because they aren’t radiating heat.
Benefits of having thermal security cameras in Miami
Having this high-tech kind of security camera has so many different benefits. All of them revolve around safety from protecting yourself and your guests to aiding the authorities. Let’s talk about these benefits so you can understand what to reap.
Less False Alarms
Regular cameras can easily be tripped for the alarm going off when an animal comes into view rather than a human. When you are working with radiation and thermal heat it’s easy to distinguish between animals and humans because their body temperatures will be different. The image is also a lot different and clearly outlined.
Aid Authorities
Typically, thermal security cameras work well in environments where maybe there is more of a threat and more security is needed. When you work with thermal cameras different authorities can benefit from this. Firefighters can figure out where fires are being detected through the cameras a lot faster as well as find anyone on the property that may need rescuing.
SWAT or police can use it to see criminals much more easily as it beats out camouflage. It’s also useful in fog situations where there may be obstruction of the video image.
Beat Camouflage
As we mentioned there is no obstruction to the image because it works off the radiating heat. That means you can easily see suspects regardless of whether they are wearing all black or a patterned outfit to blend in.
Improve Reaction and Safety
Having thermal security systems improve the reaction of the people who work for the business or are inside the home. It also helps protect guests or even neighbors. When you have a security system in place criminals are much less likely to try and approach the home because the possibility of getting caught is much higher. Even just a sign or a visible camera outdoor can raise the safety level by 300%.
How far can thermal cameras see?
Understanding how far you can see with a thermal camera is important. The main goal of the camera is to typically see up close but that doesn’t mean that you can’t see anything. How far you can see depends on what type of camera you have. There are a few different options.
- Lower-resolution entry-level cameras focus on directly what’s in front of the camera. The farther the object gets the harder it will be to read. Consider this to be minimal distance.
- For longer-range cameras, you will need at least 3 x 3 pixels to see smaller objects more clearly.
Understanding the distance to size ratio is the most important thing when trying to figure out what you need to see as far as you want. Seeing far may be the one limiting factor of thermal image security cameras.
What is the difference between a thermal camera and an infrared camera?
Understanding the difference between thermal cameras and infrared cameras is important. There are a few things that make thermal a little bit more reliable than infrared cameras. This is why.
- Thermal images rely on natural radiation and heat from the body. Because of this, there is no obstruction of views and it does not rely on any pictures to process an image.
- Infrared cameras still need some light to process a picture and infrared light so that they can detect the objects. This is still a reliable choice but slightly less than a thermal image. The image can be obstructed but will function great still during the night.
- When comparing things like the ranges in which the camera can see, heat detection, and other benefits and differences the differences between infrared and thermal are clear.
The cameras function completely differently though both are great quality options. THermal can be a slightly better tech option.
Thermal security cameras FAQs
Thermal security cameras are a very technical subject. Even businesses can feel slightly confused about the aspects concerning these cameras and wonder if they need them. There are many common questions surrounding thermal security cameras which is why this is a section dedicated to the most frequently asked questions.
How many security cameras does a business need to protect the property?
This question will of course depend on the type of business you have. If you a running a jewelry store with high-end products and the property has just one exit and entrance you likely won’t need too many cameras. However, a bigger business that requires security tech and has a bigger base will need a lot more.
On average businesses report needing 16 to 64 cameras to properly protect their business. Not all of these have to be thermal but if you do have most of them benign thermal you protect the property.
Do these systems run on electricity or are they wireless?
Thermal cameras can run either wired or wireless. Most of the time customers need to understand the pros and cons that come with both. When you wired system you are going to have a reliable connection nearly at all times. The problem becomes when the power goes out so does the camera. Likely at this point, it needs to run on a backup battery until the power were to return.
Wireless solves the issue for companies who don’t have a wired option in the area where they need the camera. It makes more sense and runs on a cellular network or data. The issue is that you can have lagged camera feeds if the connection is not as strong.
Are thermal security cameras the best option for my business?
Thermal security cameras certainly will provide the most benefits in terms of safety but no they are not the only option. When working with a security provider you can talk about the idea of using a plan that is going to specifically help your business. This generally means pairing up thermal security cameras with other options
When this is done with a security professional you can count on having the thermal cameras in the right spot and the long-range cameras like bullet cameras in places where you need them putting the ultimate security system together.
When talking about working with a preferred security specialist to get the right security plan in place we can’t think of a better option than working with us here at Helios Security. Having a company you can trust to come up with the best plan for your budget is cruel and with our Helios product showcase, we have some of the top products that won’t break the bank. Don’t wait to start talking about your plan today! Call us now!
Heating Up
Thermal security cameras are the top of the line when it comes to providing the best security surveillance on the market. It eliminates many of the errors that can happen when working with a regular camera. Having said that having any security is always better than no security but thermal keeps businesses safe from all types of dangerous situations including break-out fires.
Not only do you reap the benefits but you also play a hand in aiding the authorities like firefighters and police that don’t have to worry about camouflage blending in or the obstruction of the video. This is because the cameras work through body heat radiation and don’t rely on light to produce the image.
Understanding the quality you need for the distance range can be discussed with a specialist because there can be a range of quality options from entry to pro. To understand this get on the phone with Helios today!
