Lehigh County Security Project Planning Checklist

Lehigh County Security Project Planning Checklist

Use this educational checklist to prepare a project brief before comparing commercial security proposals. It helps a property manager, facilities team or business owner record the operating needs, existing equipment and unanswered questions that a site assessment should address.

An Allentown office and an Upper Macungie warehouse may need different coverage, entry procedures and work schedules. Describe the actual property rather than starting with a standard equipment package. This planning resource is supported by Northeast Remote Surveillance and Alarm, LLC.

1. Describe the property and the problem

Prepare a simple floor plan or site sketch showing entrances, reception, loading areas, parking, restricted rooms and detached structures. Mark the places where an incident must be detected or documented. Explain the outcome you need: identifying an arrival, reviewing a delivery dispute, controlling an employee entrance or learning about a fault before the next shift.

• Record normal operating hours, shift changes and after-hours activity.
• Separate employee, visitor, contractor and delivery routes.
• Identify landlord and tenant responsibilities at shared properties.
• List known incidents, blind spots and unreliable equipment.
• Identify planned renovations, additional buildings or changes in occupancy.

2. Gather existing-system information

List cameras, recorders, readers, controllers, alarm panels and intercoms already installed. Include model information, approximate age, support contacts and available drawings. Record whether the organization controls its administrator accounts, subscriptions and configuration records. Share sensitive account details only through an agreed secure process.

Do not assume that every device must be replaced or that every existing device can be reused. Ask the assessment to distinguish equipment that can remain, equipment needing repair and equipment whose compatibility or support status requires further investigation.

3. Define the daily workflows

Write down who approves access, changes schedules, receives a visitor call and removes former users. For video, identify who needs live viewing, who may review recordings and who may export an incident. For alarms, document the people responsible for receiving notifications and maintaining the contact list.

Describe exceptions as well as normal activity: a late delivery, a lost credential, an unattended reception desk or a failed connection. The proposal should explain how the selected equipment supports these procedures and which functions depend on power, local networks or outside services.

4. Record infrastructure and work constraints

Identify available cable routes, network closets, power sources and the IT contact. Note remote gates, exterior poles, separate buildings and areas with difficult access. Photographs and existing drawings can help reveal questions, but final cable paths and installation conditions need verification.

Record occupied hours, receiving schedules, ceiling access, lift restrictions and the changes that would interrupt operations. Work affecting controlled doors or life-safety interfaces needs coordination with the responsible project professionals. A general checklist does not establish a compliant design or replace required review.

5. Compare proposals on the same basis

Give each provider the same brief and ask for clear assumptions and exclusions. Separate installation costs from ongoing licenses, connectivity, monitoring and support. Confirm what is included in testing, staff training, documentation and follow-up service.

• Which areas, entrances and operating tasks are included?
• What existing equipment is retained, and what must be verified first?
• Who supplies power, network connections and supporting work?
• Which recurring costs and renewal terms apply?
• Who owns administrator accounts, drawings and configuration records?
• How will the team demonstrate that the agreed tasks work?

6. Define acceptance and handover

Choose representative tasks to demonstrate before completion. Examples include reviewing a recorded arrival, exporting an event, applying an access schedule and removing a temporary credential. Test relevant lighting conditions and the agreed response to equipment or communication faults.

Request an equipment inventory, labeled locations, agreed settings, test records, staff instructions and service contacts. Assign someone within the organization to maintain user permissions and records after handover. For several properties, record shared standards while preserving each site’s operating differences.

Take the next step with a property-specific assessment

Bring the completed brief, available drawings and unresolved questions to a qualified provider. For regional service information and commercial or industrial project assistance, visit NERSA’s Lehigh Valley commercial security page.