The bank is a major global financial services provider with an extensive international presence in Europe, the US, Africa and Asia. With headquarters in London, the bank operates in more than 50 countries worldwide, employing over 150,000 people. It invests, protects, lends and moves money for over 42 million customers and clients worldwide.

The bank’s Security Division is responsible for controlling real-time events and maintaining operational continuity at the bank's headquarters, a 37-floor building. The bank's command-and-control center was equipped with a range of safety and security systems that was neither unified nor controlled by a single platform, leading to inefficient decision-making processes. Security personnel, for example, could not easily receive an updated situational picture when a fire alarm was activated. The bank, therefore, required a tool enabling the control of real-time routine operations and emergency events.

Rontal implemented two SimGuard 4000 systems enabling the bank to manage real-time operations and future emergency planning.

The first system is an off-line consulting and training solution that enables safety managers to pre-plan emergency procedures and re-allocate on-site sensors most effectively. The second system is an operational, real-time decision support tool that is located in the control room, and manages all safety and security systems.

“SimGuard's main advantages for us are the speed with which I can react to situations, its ease of use when an incident occurs, and its ability to help us train both officers running the system in the control room and other personnel," says Joe Purser, the bank’s Security Manager. “We experience quite a number of fire alarms in our building, both false and real. SimGuard helps us plot the fire's exact location, and provides us with a clear overview of how to evacuate the floor, including which stairways need to be used and which are likely to be blocked. We can actually see what's happening, and then deal with it as it happens.”

• Real-time running of relevant procedures during an incident
• Rapid response to emergency situations
• Real-time situational awareness picture of entire facility
• Real-time decision support tool based on advanced simulations
• Unique personnel training tool
• Building emergency plan assistance