This process should be repeated for each tour on the client’s list.  Care should be taken in the labeling and handling of the data points to avoid confusion about which data point is to be mounted in which location.

This is particularly true if some data points are to belong to more that one tour.  With the WinArgus software, it is necessary in this case to actually read such data points each time they are programmed into a subsequent tour.  With the TopGuard Patrol software, once the data points are read and downloaded into the “pool,” it is not necessary to read them again in order to assign them to multiple tours; they can just be selected from the pool and assigned to as many tours as desired.

Ideally, the guard tour system is set up prior to installing the checkpoints at their eventual physical location.  It is easier to read the data points altogether in one place and download them than it is to physically walk the tour, recording each data point an its location, and trying not to get them confused.

The incident strips/tags and officer identification data points are basically programmed into the software the same way.  The ProxiPen incident books all contain the same set of 12 RFID tags, thus it is only necessary to program them into the software once.  The same is true for the Escorte incident books, except that books are available with additional sets of 20 incident strips (21-40, 41-60, etc.).

Installing the Checkpoints

The data points that have been programmed as checkpoints on a tour should, insofar as possible, be mounted in locations that are out of the weather and direct sunlight; this will prolong their useful life.  This being said, the data points are readable even when wet, frosty, covered with dirt, grease or grime or having been painted over. They should also be mounted where they are least visible but still readily accessible to the officer; this will prevent damage and vandalism to the data points.  Fore example, data points can be mounted on a doorjamb – preferably on the hinged side – where they are not visible until the door is opened.

The data points should not be mounted where an electromagnetic field may be present, such as on a motor, transformer or fluorescent light fixture.  The magnetic field will not damage the data point, but attempting to read the data point may result in garbled data and a corrupted download file.