Commercial intrusion detection
Layered door, glass-break, motion, panic, and perimeter detection designed around limited-access rooms, cash handling, loading, and after-hours risk.
Cannabis facility security · California
Cannabis security systems built for compliance and response
Fireside Security designs, installs, and monitors commercial alarms and professional video systems for California dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution facilities—combining continuous recording, intrusion protection, UL-listed alarm monitoring, and remote video verification under one accountable contractor.
California licensed
UL-listed monitoring
Statewide field service
Free quote · Same-day response
Request a quote
Tell us about the site — a specialist replies with pricing and a permit path within one business day.
Free quote · Same-day response
Request a quote
Tell us about the site — a specialist replies with pricing and a permit path within one business day.
See the protection layers
From signal to informed action
The strongest cannabis security program does more than record an incident. Detection identifies the event, video helps verify what is happening, and a documented response plan tells operators who to contact and when to dispatch.
- 01Detect activity at critical zones
- 02Verify the event with live video
- 03Respond using approved site instructions
Security services
One partner for alarms, cameras, monitoring, and verification
Commercial-grade IP video
Coverage plans, camera placement, PoE cabling, recording infrastructure, health supervision, and secure evidence access for regulated cannabis premises.
24/7 UL-listed alarm monitoring
Intrusion and critical-system signals are received by a UL-listed central station with documented call lists and dispatch instructions for each facility.
Remote video monitoring
Event-driven virtual guard verification helps trained operators assess activity, use audio deterrence when configured, and escalate verified incidents.
California DCC planning
Build the recording system around the licensed premises
Cannabis security is a documented operating requirement, not a generic camera package. We translate the premises diagram, license type, workflow, and local conditions into a view-by-view design and retention calculation.
Requirements can change and local jurisdictions may add conditions. Final compliance remains subject to current DCC rules, the approved premises, and applicable local requirements.
01
Continuous recording
California cannabis premises generally require continuous recording, 24 hours per day, at no less than 15 frames per second. The statewide rule sets a 1280 × 720 minimum resolution, with a stated exception for cultivation-only premises and cultivation areas of microbusinesses.
02
Minimum retention
Recorded surveillance footage must generally be retained for at least 90 calendar days. Storage is sized against camera count, resolution, frame rate, and the required retention window.
03
Required coverage
Designs account for activity within 20 feet of entrances and exits, indoor and outdoor views of those openings, limited-access and security rooms, recording-equipment access points, cannabis handling and storage areas, and retail point-of-sale and display areas where applicable.
04
Secure storage and backup options
DCC rules require the storage device to be secured against tampering and theft, and footage must be available for inspection or copying on request. Off-site or cloud backup can add resilience, but it is not stated as a statewide DCC requirement.
05
Failure notification
The video system must notify the licensee of an interruption or failure affecting the surveillance system or storage device. We configure health alerts so responsible staff can respond before evidence coverage is compromised.
Built around the operation
Security for every cannabis license type
Dispensaries
Point-of-sale, customer flow, entrances, cash rooms, inventory, delivery handoff, panic alarms, and after-hours verification.
Cultivation
Perimeter, gates, grow rooms, restricted corridors, utility spaces, environmental equipment, and long interior travel paths.
Manufacturing
Production rooms, limited-access storage, loading, employee entries, process areas, and controlled material movement.
Distribution
Vehicle gates, receiving and shipping, staging, vaults, driver handoff, dock activity, and high-value chain-of-custody events.
Site security assessment
Know the gaps before they become an incident
A Fireside assessment maps the premises, operating hours, cash and product movement, camera views, retention, alarm zones, response contacts, and remote monitoring opportunities. You receive a defined scope—not a box count.
- Coverage and blind-spot review
- 90-day storage calculation
- Network and PoE assessment
- Failure-alert workflow
- Alarm response plan
- Phased upgrade options
Cannabis security FAQ
Direct answers for California operators
- What security systems does a California cannabis business need?
- The exact design depends on the license type, premises diagram, local rules, insurer, and operating model. A typical project combines continuously recording IP video, intrusion detection, access control at limited-access areas, alarm monitoring, and documented failure notifications. Fireside surveys the site and builds the security scope around the current California DCC requirements and local conditions.
- How long must cannabis surveillance video be retained in California?
- California cannabis regulations generally require surveillance recordings to be retained for at least 90 calendar days. Fireside calculates storage using the final camera count, resolution, frame rate, codec, activity, and redundancy design rather than relying on a generic recorder estimate.
- Can Fireside monitor alarms and cameras after hours?
- Yes. Fireside provides 24/7 UL-listed central station alarm monitoring and can design remote video monitoring workflows for event verification, audio intervention where appropriate, and escalation according to an approved response plan.
- Where should cameras be installed in a dispensary?
- A compliant coverage plan commonly includes entrances and exits, the public sales floor, point-of-sale activity, limited-access areas, inventory and cash handling, delivery transfer points, and exterior approaches. Final placement must match the licensed premises and current state and local rules.
- Can you upgrade an existing cannabis camera system?
- Yes. We test existing cameras, cable, PoE switches, recorders, storage, remote access, and coverage. The proposal identifies what can stay, what creates a compliance or reliability gap, and how to phase the upgrade without unnecessarily replacing usable infrastructure.
- Do remote video operators replace onsite security guards?
- Not in every environment. Remote video monitoring can reduce unattended periods and improve event verification, but staffing decisions depend on the facility risk, local rules, insurance, and operating procedures. We scope virtual guard monitoring as one layer in a complete security plan.
Protect the facility. Prove the response.
Request a cannabis security consultation for a dispensary, cultivation, manufacturing, or distribution facility anywhere in California.