Nav Menu

The must have security for farms and rural properties

October 27, 2020
The must have security for farms and rural properties

Security products applied in a farm or rural property setting need to withstand the harsh Australian conditions. They should help protect your assets and provide security to your entire property. Secure Your World has six top priorities that you should look at in your security plan.

Key management

Key management for a farm is more than having a secure place to lock away your keys. It needs to be accessible and remain out of sight. It also needs to withstand the harsh and at times dusty conditions of the Australian outback, becoming both a security solution and a risk management device during natural disasters. One method of keeping these keys together is to have them on a keyring and in your pocket. But what if these keys need to be shared amongst workers depending on their activity? The ABUS key garage is the perfect one for this, particularly if you plan on only keeping up to 5 keys. This ABUS key garage, (pictured below), has been able to withstand the Australian bushfire.

abus-key-garage-burnt

However, for those wanting to store a larger quantity of keys, the Kidde Key Cabinets are great. Installation for most key garages and key cabinets are quick. Simply mount it to the wall with the supplied screws and create your own PIN.

Security cameras for the farm

Your security plan should contain a number of security cameras, depending on the size of your farm or rural property. There are a lot of factors to consider before purchasing a camera kit for your farm. To begin with, what problem are you trying to solve? Is it to catch trespassers? Is it to watch your livestock? Figure out what the main purpose of the camera will be. This will determine if you should opt for a hardwired package or for a wireless camera.

In short, hardwired cameras are the go-to choice to record 24/7 of your property. The footage is then saved onto an NVR monitoring system for days, weeks or months. There’s no need to worry about wifi reception as this is all done via PoE. However, given the work required to mount the camera and cable, you need to think about what spot is best. Otherwise removing them can be a difficult task.

On the other hand, wireless cameras are great to capture activity via PIR or motion detection. The footage saves to a memory card or through a cloud service. Or if you want the flexibility to move them around according to what areas of the farm are being used the most. Before opting for a wireless camera, you need to ensure that you either have a strong wifi signal. If not, the next option is to go for a camera with 4G connectivity. This option requires charging the battery either via solar panel or connected to a power outlet via USB.

Keep those documents and valuables safe

Fire seasons are a way of life for those living on rural properties and farms. As such, it is important to consider what you want to protect from these events. It can be documents, precious memories or jewellery. To protect these valuable items you’ll need a safe with a high fire-resistance rating. But remember they are not completely fireproof. These types of safes can withstand a certain level of heat and for a certain period of time. Find out what this is before purchasing one.

Secure your stock, tools and equipment

If you use padlocks to chain up or lock away stock, tools and equipment, it is worth investing in ones that are weatherproof. So skip the cheap ones found at the discount stores. They need to have a chunky and solid shackle, whilst at the same time ensuring they are fit for their purpose. You’ll also need to consider how you want to access those padlocks. The options for accessing being with a key, by combination or smart (Bluetooth). ABUS is a well known and trusted brand if you are wanting to opt for traditional access.

ABUS grade their padlocks rated from 1 to 6. This is to ensure you get the right level of protection you need for your assets. There's a smart option if you are after some extra features. Keeping a digital log of who is accessing your tools and equipment. Or perhaps there’s a need to change the PIN on a regular basis. The Igloohome padlock is the one you need. It doesn’t use wifi, simply Bluetooth connectivity to your Igloohome app.

Keep an inventory of your equipment and stock

This is of utmost importance for your insurance as well as simply knowing what you have at your disposal. As it will make the insurance claims process far less stressful. Keeping a register of what you have doesn’t need to be fancy. Use an excel spreadsheet or download any of the inventory apps available for iOS or Android. What you need to make sure of is to account for every piece of equipment and tool that is of value. Record serial numbers, make and model.

Put up signs

If you want to let people know where your property starts and ends, put up signs. Place them at various intervals along your boundary. It can be as simple as ‘Private property: No trespassing’ or ‘Private property: trespassers prohibited’. Invest in some well-made metal signs, as these will certainly last the test of time.

Farms and rural properties are often seen as easy targets, simply because of their location. Thieves often think that certain areas of farms are not watched or have a lack of security. Before you start kitting out your farm with the latest in security, consider what problems you are trying to solve and how these will help maintain your farm’s security. Remember this is only a shortlist of what you should look at when reviewing your farm security.

tractor-on-field-at-a-distance