The system provides the ability to see and hear what is happening and respond to it in the most effective manner. It also enables Sunoco to protect our facilities and neighboring communities. Whether it’s a fire, gas spill or leak, electrical outage, flood or other emergency situation, the Intervention Specialist can electronically intervene within minutes.

To ensure that the intervention specialist is fully prepared to handle any situation, they receive extensive training in a number of areas including crisis management, customer service, situation analysis, and alarm technology. These specialists resolve most alarms without incident and without dispatching law enforcement. The training enables the Intervention Specialists to solve challenging situations by visually identifying behavior and quickly determining the appropriate response action. After surveying the situation,  they can either ‘voice in’ and let would-be perpetrators know they are being monitored and recorded, thus preventing criminal activities and disturbances before they occur, or they can immediately contact local law enforcement, if a situation is already in progress.

Since its inception in 1992, IRIS has employed three separate technologies, each more fine-tuned than the previous. What began as black and white VCR tapes that had to be shut down every 24 hours or recycled is now the latest in digital communications technology. The integrated alarm, audio and video information is relayed by phone lines to the CMF.  The database can manage the volume quickly and easily.

Over the years, the CMF staff has built strong partnerships with the local law enforcement. The police in turn appreciate the value IRIS offers because it reduces the number of false alarms they receive. The police only are notified when the situation calls for it.

The interactive security system provides a two-way communication between the Intervention Specialist and the police, so the police are prepared once they arrive at the scene. In some cases a perpetrator may have left the area before police arrive. In this case, police can still get the information they need quickly. An incident video can be burned onto a CD and mailed to police, or video clips can be produced and mailed electronically. Getting critical information to local law enforcement can be accomplished within minutes.

During a recent robbery, a suspect with a handgun ordered the store clerk to open the cash register; the clerk obliged. During the robbery, a signal was sent to the CMF, which contacted the local police and relayed pertinent information to the police regarding the money taken. The entire robbery incident had been recorded on the store's videotape system (IRIS). After reviewing the videotape, the police were able to identify a suspect. When the police went to the suspect’s home to question him, they found the evidence in his possession. The store clerk positively identified the suspect, and with this identification and the evidence, the suspect was arrested.