Use this checklist to prepare a focused review of camera coverage, recordings and response responsibilities with an authorized property representative. It is designed for Michigan property managers, nonprofit teams and faith communities. Review activities and any detailed testing are agreed before the visit.
Start with the questions each view should answer
List entrances, gates, parking, receiving areas and equipment or materials storage that matter to the property’s agreed objectives. For every proposed view, write the operational question it should help answer: for example, whether an authorized entrance is open or whether a delivery area is in use. Keep the purpose specific and avoid collecting views simply because they are possible.
Review the real scene and recording process
With an authorized person, inspect day and night sightlines, lighting, glare, seasonal changes, and obstructions such as foliage, signs, vehicles or renovation work. Note limitations and priorities; no review can promise that every blind spot will be eliminated. Avoid sharing actual footage or sensitive floor plans publicly. Provide protected material only through an agreed, appropriate process.
Confirm that an authorized user can retrieve a known routine recording. Check whether timestamps are correct, how retention is set, and who has permission to export or share recordings. Record the review date and the result without attaching sensitive footage to an open planning document.
Confirm people, alerts and resilience
Review authorized viewers and remove or update access after staff or vendor changes. Name who owns permissions and how access changes are approved. Separate recording, customer remote viewing, automated alerts and live monitoring: they are different functions. Document who receives alerts, who is responsible for a first response, who is the backup, and what escalation steps are agreed. Do not assume an alert itself dispatches help.
Ask what happens during power or connectivity interruptions and document known outages. Confirm which backup provisions are actually included in the system and written scope rather than assuming uninterrupted operation.
Revisit after changes
Review the system after renovations, tenant or staff changes, new storage arrangements, altered entrances, changed parking flows or event schedules. A placement and permissions plan that once fit may need to be reassessed as the property changes.
For churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, balance operational needs with a welcoming environment. Agree camera boundaries, areas that should remain private, and visit timing with appropriate community representatives before any on-site review.
Keep a simple action log
Use a controlled internal record and assign follow-up instead of writing down unverified incident conclusions. A useful blank format is:
- Location: ____________________
- Observation: ____________________
- Priority: ____________________
- Owner: ____________________
- Review date: ____________________
An on-site physical security review is distinct from SENTINEL public-source intelligence, which analyzes publicly available information for agreed property or event questions.
See our Michigan on-site physical security assessment, faith-community assessment information, and SENTINEL public-source and event analysis. As optional independent planning material, CISA provides a paper-based houses of worship security self-assessment and user guide; Breakthrough Digital Services is not affiliated with or endorsed by CISA.