CAST Perimeter® Intrusion Solution: Use FlashGlare® to Disrupt the Intruder’s Vision

When we think about glare and security, a lot of times we think about the glare that street and other lights can cause to your security system, affecting not only the intruder, but your security cameras and personnel as well. But did you know that there is a glare that can disable an intruder’s eyes without interfering with visual performance or visibility to your security system or on-site guards? 

Enter: CAST Perimeter® Lighting FlashGlare®

When your property is protected by CAST Lighting with the FlashGlare® feature, a typical security scenario would go something like this: Perimeter lights are kept off at night. As an intruder approaches the fence, a dry contact closure signal is sent from your cameras or other perimeter detection equipment to the lighting system or lighting zone, and CAST Lighting FlashGlare® is initiated using a repeating cycle of lights turning on and off every 10 seconds for roughly one to two minutes, basically confusing the chemicals of the intruder’s eyes, and the effect is to temporarily blind their eyes.

Sounds great, right? But how, exactly, does this process help protect your perimeter? Let’s dive into the science behind FlashGlare® and break down the benefits of adding it to your perimeter protection system.

1. It creates a strategic "glare zone" to blind intruders. As we mentioned, while a lot of security lighting can cause a glare that can blind not only intruders but security cameras and security personnel as well, the technology behind FlashGlare® is designed to only affect those who have illegally approached your perimeter. Here’s how it works: 

  •  Disability glare causes the light-sensitive rods and cones of the eye to become temporarily overloaded, which renders an individual’s eyes to be momentarily blinded and susceptible to attack. 
  • The resetting of the human eye—adaptation to darkness and light—can take anywhere from 15 to 120 seconds depending on the severity. Ideally, this type of glare should be eliminated or significantly reduced. 
  • Here’s where our FlashGlare® technology comes in. As we mentioned above, FlashGlare® causes repeating 10-second cycles of lights for 1-2 minutes, but there’s more. These cycles cause the intruder to see stars and splotches, which creates a high level of discomfort. And after 4-10  repeating  “on and off” light cycles, the intruder will be so disoriented that their main focus is retreating to safety (outside your perimeter) to get their eyesight back. Their stomach might become “queasy,” and their knees might become weak as the sensation of losing their eyesight is not a feeling they are used to. Their brain will shift from an intruder to a primal mode of “How do I get my eyesight back?”

No “regular” perimeter lighting can do that! (Have questions about lights vs cameras for perimeter safety? Check out this blog).

2. It gives you time to call the authorities (if needed). Once FlashGlare® is activated and that intruder is experiencing the adverse effects of FlashGlare® we talked about in #1, it will take their eyes 5-8 minutes to stop seeing those stars and splotches and another 10-15 minutes after they leave for their eyesight to return to some semblance of normal where they can actually see again. This gives you plenty of time to call the authorities if that’s the route you need to take, increasing the probability of catching that intruder red-handed—or starry-eyed, in this case.

3. It’s more powerful than traditional pole lighting. Traditional pole lighting wasn’t designed to aid perimeter security lighting camera systems and/or onsite security personnel. It was designed for roads, parking lots, and other applications. It was meant to offer light, which is often too bright and uneven (creating shadows and blind spots). But the glare from too much light can not only blind security personnel and cameras, but it can also cause surrounding unlit areas to become even darker. With the focused repeating 10-second light cycles offered by FlashGlare® fence-mounted lighting, the limitations of traditional pole lighting are a thing of the past.

Learn more about the disadvantages of traditional pole lighting here

4. It can save you money. Not only can FlashGlare® keep your valuable assets safe by thwarting would-be intruders and thieves (click here to learn more about the cost of a break-in), but since CAST utilizes LED lighting, you’ll also save money over the cost to install high power traditional pole lighting and also benefit from the energy cost associated to power the low voltage lights vs. high voltage on a month-to-month and year-to-year basis. (Learn more about the value of LED lighting here). Plus, with FlashGlare®, onsite security guards become more of a luxury instead of a necessity, saving thousands of dollars year after year.

5. It’s easier to install and maintain than traditional pole lighting. Traditional pole-mounted lighting can be a beast to install on your property since it requires electrical permits, large concrete footings, construction cranes, bucket trucks, trenching, and high voltage power, not to mention the cost of labor for installation AND yearly maintenance costs. Since FlashGlare® is an easy-to-install fence-mounted system, you will only need one person with a stepladder and a pickup truck to install the system and make any needed repairs and maintenance over the years.

6. Pole lighting makes it easy for an intruder to hide their face. Since traditional pole lighting is typically mounted anywhere from 18-30 feet high, the light shines downward and basically lights the top of the intruder’s head and the top of their shoes. Intruders like to wear baseball caps, and this creates a shadow on their faces so the cameras can’t see them. With the CAST lighting solution, the lights are typically mounted on an 8’ high fence, so the light is 10’ high and projects light BOTH downward and outward. This type of directional light will light up the intruder from head to foot, so the baseball cap does not hide their face, and the cameras love this to capture what they look like.

7. It can detect when someone is approaching and chase them away. The most important factor of using FlashGlare® with your perimeter equipment, when you combine the CAST Lighting with your existing perimeter equipment, is that when it detects someone approaching (cameras, analytics, motion detection, radar, perimeter intrusion, etc.), the FlashGlare® chases them away. It is the only combined solution in the industry that can both detect when someone is approaching AND chase them away without human intervention. Isn’t that the real solution you are looking for?

Think FlashGlare® might be the perfect fit for your perimeter security system? Fill out our Contact Form, and we’ll help you get your perimeter FlashGlare®-protected ASAP!