Critical infrastructure & Utilities sites provide our society with the means to sustain day-to-day, and thrive economically. When these locations are trespassed, tampered with, damaged, and fall victim to theft – the cost can be tremendous…
What threats are Critical Infrastructure compounds facing?
As the prices of copper rises, the threat of theft at Critical Infrastructure & Utility compounds is rapidly increasing across the country, with criminals emboldened by the reward of selling this metal to recycling facilities and scrap metal dealers. However, these precious metal thefts come at an astronomical cost, beyond the replacement of stolen wiring, and repair of damaged equipment – as they present a high risk to all those involved; the safety of the thieves, workers, and the public as a whole can be compromised as a result of these nefarious actions.
In the midst of the summer, Burlington Hydro fell victim to such theft, when more than 20 meters of copper grounding wire was cut & removed from their substation on Plains Road West (1). In relation to this incident in July 2022, Paul Heeg, the Vice President of Engineering Services & Network Operations of Burlington Hydro, stated, “The substation grounding system is an essential part of the overall electrical system. These thieves compromised this by putting themselves, Burlington Hydro workers and the public at risk…“Grounding is an essential means for dissipating electrical current into the earth and provides a safe environment to protect workers and others in the vicinity of the station from the dangers of serious electrical shock.” (2)
These Hydro Substation thefts have been occurring all across the country, with a high concentration occurring in the Maritimes as of late.
In early Spring, Nova Scotia Power was forced into an emergency power outage, resulting in the loss of power to over 500 customers – both residential & commercial. (3) “Copper wire was stolen from our Victoria Junction substation in Sydney. We believe it may have happened over the weekend or late last week”, Jacqueline Foster, Communications Advisor at Nova Scotia Power had mentioned. “We want people to be aware of the dangers associated with the theft of copper wire. It can cause serious injury to those involved, as well as increased risk to public safety…It could also generate an unstable electrical supply for nearby customers and create dangerous working conditions for our crews.” (4)
In Springfield, PEI, the RCMP have requested assistance from the public for information, or witnesses to suspicious activity after reporting a large quantity of copper grounding wire had gone missing – believed to have been stolen during the evening or overnight hours of August 21st, 2022. During this theft, a power transformer within the Maritime Electric substation sustained extensive damage requiring costly repairs. (5)
The monetary cost of these thefts can range drastically, based on the material construction and usage of the wiring within the substation.
For instance, a major theft occurred in the past that cost upwards of $2.8 million in damage to repair and replace, when specialty submarine cable was removed from a Vancouver substation. Luckily, an observant Skytrain Transit employee had witnessed the crime-in-progress while working on the adjacent train tracks, (6) and by calling the local Police to alert them, the theft was thwarted… but not before an extensive amount of damage occurred, unfortunately.
In these instances of theft, the exact timeline of events was unknown, or the criminals were discovered in the act – by coincidence…
To protect these critical infrastructure sites, what measures can be taken to prevent these crimes from occurring, or to ‘catch them in the act’ resulting in apprehension & arrest?
In order to provide effective security for these locations, several challenges must be addressed. The remote areas these sites are often located in present major obstacles to overcome. A lack of supplementary infrastructure (such as Ethernet internet access) proves traditional security measures to be inefficient from a cost & time perspective… and extended Police response times (due to the remote nature of the site) deem a reactionary approach ineffective.
What do we recommend for effective and cost-efficient protection?
1. A well defined Security plan developed for each location
Our Security Professionals work alongside your team to identify areas of importance, high-value assets & their placement or storage locations, access points, the threats & vulnerabilities of the compound, logistical challenges to overcome, alongside many other critical details necessary to develop a strategic plan for complete protection.
2. Utilize Security that can protect remote areas - quickly & efficiently
Many remote compounds do not have immediate access to wired internet, and providing this service is both costly & time consuming. We recommend deploying our industry leading live video monitoring devices. Utilizing patented Cellular LTE & video compression technology, our system allows for high-resolution video streaming & live monitoring at a cost that is comparative to traditional security monitoring services in the market.
3. Deploy a system that can provide reliable service in high-voltage environments
Our unique systems have been engineered to ensure that security is not minimized by the interference noise associated with high-voltage equipment. Each unit has undergone rigorous testing to confirm its efficacy in these environments, as well as being inspected by CSA for compliance to SPE-1000 Field Evaluation for Electrical Equipment standards.
4. Measures to prevent trespassing, crime, & other unwanted activity
Deploying high-visibility ‘No Trespassing’ & ‘Video Surveillance Warning’ signage helps prevent crime at these remote locations. Alerting would-be criminals that their actions are being monitored, and that trespassers will be prosecuted is an effective means to reduce unwanted behaviour.
5. Proactive means of deterring & stopping crime
Our live remote video monitoring service is a proactive approach to security; actively monitoring the perimeter of the site for unwanted activity, and proactively preventing crime before it occurs. As these remote sites are not likely to be stumbled upon, an individuals behaviour is closely monitored live from our UL Certified Video Monitoring Facility, to determine intent & intervene when necessary. Voice commands are used to inform the individual that their actions are being recorded, and that Police have been dispatched to the scene. As our team is monitoring live events, Police response times are faster, and the rate of apprehension & arrest is exponentially higher than other means of security.
6. Thorough reporting, security metrics for business intelligence, & evidence
Thorough incident & activity reporting provides proof of the efficacy of the security service, and key security metrics provides insight & the opportunity for making informed business decisions. Utilizing our proprietary reporting dashboard, syncroReports, our team is able to actively inform and communicate the events that have transpired on site, and instantly provide court quality evidence for civil restitution cases – in the event that theft or damage cannot be prevented at a compound.
Lost revenues, material replacement, repair labour, & the major safety risk to all those involved are only some of the issues that Critical Infrastructure & Utilities compounds face when crime occurs. Protect your compound, the assets within it, the revenue generated from it, and your workforce with a proactive security solution designed to minimize loss & safety risk.
Resources:
- “Police investigate ‘potentially dangerous’ copper wire theft from Burlington Hydro substation”, Don Mitchell, Global News, July 14, 2022
- “Police investigate ‘potentially dangerous’ copper wire theft from Burlington Hydro substation”, Don Mitchell, Global News, July 14, 2022
- “Copper wire theft cause of emergency power outage in Sydney”, Nicole Sullivan, Saltwire, April 13, 2022
- “Copper wire theft cause of emergency power outage in Sydney”, Nicole Sullivan, Saltwire, April 13, 2022
- “RCMP seeking public’s help following theft from substation”, East Prince RCMP, August 26, 2022
- “Almost $3 million in damages in copper theft”, CTV News, April 14, 2010