Securing a 30,000 Square-Foot Religious Facility’s Most Vulnerable Areas

The Church at Martinsburg, a religious organization in Berkeley County, West Virginia, worked with Surveillance Secure to secure their 30,000-square-foot building.

With lots of hallways, corners, and nooks, especially in the Children’s Ministry space, the church wanted to secure all its spaces with proper surveillance. One of their highest priorities was providing a safe place for children in the Children’s Ministry space so that the church didn’t have to worry about people or children going where they couldn’t be seen.

In addition, the church also wanted to utilize its entire space outside of Sunday mornings while ensuring the property and guests were safe when staff members were not present. Since the church couldn’t require staff to work every evening and on weekends when there were events, surveillance would allow them to utilize the space without sacrificing the safety and security of its facility and guests.

Camera, Access Control, and Video Intercom Installation

The Church at Martinsburg turned to Surveillance Secure because they had known Chief Operating Officer Will Biggerman for many years. Will had assisted the church with various security projects in the past, and the trust and rapport the church had with Will made Surveillance Secure the best choice for this project.

Surveillance Secure installed 13 cameras and access control systems on three private doors to the administrative offices. They also installed a video intercom and access control system at the front door for the church’s administrative assistant, as well as the technology needed to monitor the system remotely.

The cameras allowed the church staff to see just about every inch of the facility, not just in the Children’s Ministry space. As a result, the church can now see anyone walking through the space and what they do. The access control system has also improved security for the administrative offices and staff. Now, they can restrict inside access and access to specific areas to individuals or groups the church chooses. This is especially helpful when unexpected visitors come to the facility during the week.

Surveillance Secure worked closely with the church, listening to their concerns and developing a scalable plan that allows them to add additional equipment to expand the system as needed.

Remote Monitoring for Enhanced Safety and Peace of Mind

For The Church at Martinsburg, one of the best parts of the system is the ability to monitor all their cameras from anywhere at any time. They don’t need to be in a specific room or even on-site to keep an eye on things.

Their staff can watch the activity in the Children’s Ministry while not physically standing in the space. The receptionist can know who is at the door or who might be wandering around the facility from the safety of her office. The facility manager can ensure participants lock the doors after using them for a meeting. And if the security alarm goes off at night, the pastor can see if someone has actually breached an exterior door to verify a threat.

Having this security and peace of mind has been a huge relief for the church. “I am thankful to have worked with everyone from Surveillance Secure,” said the client. “They were very professional, competent, and responsive. We will continue to use them for all our needs and recommend them to other businesses as well.”