By R.Bruce Wright, CPCU
Recent reports from the field, as well as claims activity monitoring, confirm that with the rising price of copper the thefts of copper wire and materials have been trending upward over the past year or so. Incidents have included thefts from yards and warehouses, and even more problematically from substations.
Thefts from yards and warehouses can be addressed through the use of traditional prevention and deterrence techniques that we are all familiar with. These start with the basics:
- Ensure that yards are fenced and secured, gates are not only equipped with locks, but the locks are actually engaged, preferably through automatic systems.
- Control access to warehouses by keeping all entrances secured for employee use only and devise systems to always make sure that access is limited to authorized users at all times, including of course at night.
- Provide perimeter alarms, gate alarms, interior motion detectors, local sirens, automatic dialers and monitor them.
- Use video surveillance cameras monitored by dispatchers or at least recorded.
Most utilities are diligent in doing many or all of these things, limiting the opportunity for theft from their warehouses and yards. But thefts from substations are more problematic. A recent survey reports that 7 out of 8 responding utilities reported at least one unauthorized intrusion into a substation within a 12 month period, with many reporting even more incidents. Of these intrusions, nearly 1 in 3 resulted in a theft, typically of copper wire or copper materials.
An effective response to these threats requires a multi-level effort that includes deterrence measures, detection and evaluation techniques, and a response plan. Such an approach may require an upfront investment, but the savings can be significant.
- Threat deterrence at substations includes the obvious physical deterrents like fencing, hardened vehicle gates, secure locking systems or “smart locks.” Security fencing is a vital layer to your substation security program. In some instances you may wish to consider using higher than normal fences, double fencing, concrete footings around the base of the fences, or even solid walls on some or all sides. Your substations should already have locks, but there are higher tech alternatives now available, such as "remote open" locks that require activation across the internet in order to open and non-reproducible keys with locks manufactured such that the locks better resist traditional cracking techniques. Smart locks and access cards can communicate instantly with your computer systems providing details on who has had access to your substations and for how long. Using these system you can customize access settings, by user or by location.
- Substation threat detection and evaluation goes beyond simple perimeter control efforts. Motion detection, sound detection, live video surveillance and similar techniques are all available now to detect and assess threats to your substations. Widespread access to wireless communication networks and private fiber optics has made these approaches more economical than ever before. Live video surveillance coupled with onsite theft deterrents like sirens and strobe lights that can be remotely activated are in use at several of our systems. These systems can be activated by motion detectors that provide a live feed to the monitor, who then can evaluate what is seen for an appropriate response, which reduces or even eliminates false alarms which are the major complaint about automatic systems.
- The third element of the program is a well developed response plan in the event that an intrusion occurs. It should cover issues such as who determines the nature of the response, when to involve the law enforcement, what to do to get a substation back online in the event of a catastrophic intrusion, and the list goes on as far as your imagination can carry it.
Finally, attention to a few related elements should support these efforts. You should have security signage with warnings, in multiple languages where appropriate, to convey your commitment to security, including the presence of surveillance cameras. You should never use your substations to stage or store non-critical materials. Storage of materials can create an even greater lure for thieves and incite intrusions that otherwise would not happen. When possible camouflage your storage of critical replacement parts. You should have a program of regular substation visits that include a security review. A checklist ought to prompt the inspector to check security lights, check for undergrowth that could provide cover, and compare any electronic records and work order records of visits to the substation.
Enhancing your security efforts in these ways will work to minimize expenses due to thefts and theft related damage. And don’t forget, work to convince your state government to require scrap metal dealers to keep positive IDs to track people who sell supposed “scrap copper” to them, since only the elimination of the market will finally stop these thefts!
The purpose of this article is to share ideas, management concepts, and information which may be of interest to rural electric utilities companies. The ideas and concepts contained in these articles come from various sources and authors and are, therefore, individual opinions and/or conclusions, and should be viewed by the reader as such. Any information provided by the editors and companies responsible for these articles is believed to be accurate at the time of publication. The editors, contributors, and companies who collaborate to produce these articles assume no liability or other responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the results (or lack of results) which may be experienced by the readers in applying or using any ideas or opinions contained in the article.