On the Case

Swing gates for Alexandra

Impressive Automatics of Belfast has installed three FAAC automated swing gate systems for builder Heritage Developments at one of its most prestigious sites – Alexandra Gates, a new development of eight homes.

Impressive chose FAAC 770 electro mechanical operators for the three entrances to the development. Access is controlled via BT Affiliated intercoms, complete with integral numeric keypads. Driveway lighting has also been integrated into the system, switching on and off via a time clock and a photo-synthetic cell.

Graham Chambers, director of Impressive Automatics Services, said: “Our whole philosophy is to supply excellence in everything we do, from start to finish. Each and every job is approached as if it’s our own property, so we ensure we find the very best access solution with the minimum of stress and unnecessary expense to our clients.”

Securing tower blocks

Baydale Control Systems has been awarded a £500,000 contract by Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to upgrade the communication systems at Stockport Brinnington housing development.

Baydale, based in Newton Aycliffe, will provide the council and residents with a state-of-the-art system to improve 24-hour security and safety. The contract also includes installation of a fully integrated concierge, door entry, alarm management, and CCTV system.

Stockport Brinnington has seven high-rise blocks containing 476 flats, each of which will be equipped with two-way communications to the concierge operator at the purpose-built control room at Brinnington.

The CCTV system, with over 50 cameras, will provide operators with visual information on the security of the seven tower blocks, together with surveillance of the surrounding areas and car parks.

Baydale Control Systems managing director Neil Pentland said: “With more local councils placing safety as a high priority on their agendas, we are seeing an increase in the need for quality, up-to-date security systems. Stockport Brinnington is just one of the contracts we currently have to replace outdated security systems.”

Orchestrating CCTV

Universal Security Systems has designed and installed the CCTV systems for the London Symphony Orchestra’s St Luke’s, its UBS and LSO Music Education Centre in London.

Universal decided to use Pelco Spectra III SE dome cameras in its system for the 18th century, Grade 1 listed church building. Three cameras cover both internal and external surveillance, and are linked to a hard disc recorder within the administration offices at St Luke’s.

Chris Arnott, Centre Technician at LSO St Luke’s, said he was very pleased with the system and the quality of the images. “The cameras provide us with clear and accurate visual on-screen images to monitor activity in the building during busy times, as well as during out of hours periods.

“Subject to planning permission, we are now looking to expand the external surveillance again, using Pelco CCTV cameras,” he said.

Universal’s director James Crouch said: “When the London Symphony Orchestra required CCTV at their premises they were clear in requesting the best equipment available. With this in mind, Universal Security Systems had no hesitation in specifying the Pelco Spectra Dome for its uncompromising quality.”

Fox in park and cemetery

Thrapston-based Fox Electronic Surveillance has installed a CCTV system being run by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

The system is being used to monitor the borough’s Kirby Road Park, and adjacent Barwell cemetery. The park and surrounds have received a £53,000 grant which has resulted in a new maze, community garden and meeting areas.

Fox was confronted with 17-inch walls when installing cables, and concealed the wiring using custom-coloured conduits. The company said the logistical challenges of digging a one-metre trench through the cemetery to the camera tower were considerable.

A chapel ambulatory houses a video transmission system by Eneo, which communicates with Hinckley police station’s control room via a modem and BT line. Rainbow 5-50mm varifocal auto-iris lenses were used as part of the system.

Bluewater thinking

Sabre UK maintains the CCTV systems at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, and has been involved in a 12-month evaluation programme covering all current makes of DVR.

At the end of the evaluation period, Sabre and Lendlease, managers of the Bluewater site, decided to specify the Pelco DX9200 DVR to handle the images from the 384 CCTV cameras around the shopping centre.

There is an additional remote viewing station, located in the on-site police facility adjacent to the shopping centre. At the time of installation, Bluewater was the biggest DX9200 installation anywhere in the world.

Andy Hardwick, business systems manager at Bluewater, said: “The Pelco DX9200 is fast and flexible, allowing us to interrogate data almost instantaneously. The results from the Pelco system are superb, certainly impressing the on-site police, whilst Bluewater management is benefiting from increased security levels at the shopping centre.”

Upgrade from Hills

Hills Electrical and Mechanical plc has completed an M&E contract worth over £1 million at Lynfield Mount, a purpose-built mental health and learning disabilities services unit in Bradford.

The two-storey building consists of two wings, one with 18 beds, and the other with 36 beds, on either side of a central reception area. Working to their own specification on the design and build project, Hills installed a security system, accessories, and fittings to create a safe environment for staff, service users and the community.

The project includes a CCTV system, Cat 5e structured cabling system for telephony and computer communications, underfloor heating system, ventilation and ductwork.

Reflex for NHS

Safety, security and asset protection specialist Reflex has completed an integrated technologies installation for a new million pound NHS primary care centre in North Manchester.

Due to the network demands and integration issues, the customer specified the need for a single source supply. Reflex says it was selected because of its proven experience in delivering systems of this type for the NHS and other public sector organisations.

Projects director Steve Ward said: “The new modern-build facility needs to make the most of its IT infrastructure in handling its security and health and safety management provision. We were able to work closely with IT in planning, installing and integrating the video-based technologies onto the existing network. This provided the client with maximum flexibility and ease of access to the latest high resolution digital images.

“The result was a fully integrated, state-of-the-art security and surveillance system, running over existing data networks. This not only saved the client a considerable amount of money, it also offered maximum protection, improved health and safety provision, and ensured best value.”

Locker room at Darlington

Security specialists George Michie has secured Darlington Football Club’s £20 million new stadium.

The stadium’s designer George Reynolds looked to the firm to fit the venue’s thousands of ABUS locks.

George Michie owner Danny Gill said: “I’ve been a Darlington supporter all my life, and it was a fantastic opportunity to ensure that the new stadium is 100% secure. I’ve used ABUS locks as the perfect choice for this job, as they offer top quality security at a really competitive price.”

Graham Godfrey of Carl Kammerling International, which sells CK tools and ABUS brands, said: “We’re very proud to have our locks included in this prestigious new stadium.”

Croke Park safety

Gaelic Athletic Association fans attending games in Croke Park in Dublin are now protected by an advanced security system worth almost 1 million euros, thanks to the design and installation by Omada Fire & Security Group, based in nearby Killester.

The system features over 100 Pelco Esprit and Spectra dome cameras, located right around the stadium, providing surveillance of all access/egress points, with the ability to zoom in to monitor every seat inside the ground. They also monitor all approach routes within half a mile of the stadium. The cameras are linked to a Pelco matrix controller.

The security system has been designed to help Croke Park officials and Gardai to marshal crowds in the vicinity of the ground and to deal quickly and effectively with any disturbance or mishap that might arise.

Tim Cummins, CEO of Omada, said: “There are four main elements to the design and installation of the Croke Park system – access control, CCTV, intruder alarms and digital recording. All elements of the security system can be controlled and monitored from a single computer. Any security breaches can be highlighted immediately and acted upon by security personnel and the Gardai, and the system also provides digital TV recordings of everything that is being monitored.”

Students secured

A1Seecure has provided locks to Greenwich University’s two-year old Cutty Sark hall of residence.

The company installed 300 Medeco Biaxial cylinders on a master key system, as the previous cylinder system had proved unable to withstand the pressures of high traffic use due to the number of students frequently entering and exiting the buildings, and the keys often snapped.

Hyde Housing Association, which owns, manages and leases the buildings to Greenwich University in London, took the decision to replace the entire system with one that was more robust and secure.

Hyde’s Richard Austen said: “Since the installation of the new locks, we have had far fewer problems with broken keys, which has saved us both time and money. The residents and their parents are also much happier with the new security in place.”

A safer estate

Baydale Control Systems has been awarded a £290,000 contract by Blackpool Borough Council to supply a ‘state-of-the-art’ concierge door entry system at Queens Park Estate in Blackpool.

The system puts the council in complete control of 500 homes, which includes five tower blocks and 12 maisonettes, from a specially designed monitoring room. Operators at the monitoring room will have the ability to manually override the locks in the event of a fire. The system will also have a ‘failsafe’ facility to enable the doors to be locked should an unlikely system failure occur.

Each of the tower blocks will be fitted with a dedicated concierge door entry panel, incorporating a dedicated token access reader. The reader will only allow those people with the right tokens access to their particular building.

Neil Pentland, managing director of Baydale, said: “We are confident that our security systems will stand the test of time. The system being installed at Queens Park Estate uses the very latest technology and the highest quality parts available.”

Dreams of IP

Network specialist Absolute Networks has installed a WAN to connect the 100-plus stores of bed retailer Dreams plc.

Dreams was keen to implement solutions such as IP telephony and IP surveillance, so Absolute Networks worked with Gardiner Security to improve security, monitor foot-fall, and control store data, using recorded footage to back this up. The system also enables remote training for staff and is flexible enough to grow in line with the group’s plans for 200 stores.

The system used the Pixord range of IP cameras along with PC workstations and specially licensed Milestone XProtect Enterprise software, using a Category 5 structured cabling infrastructure.

Dreams’ major project manager, Claire Harrison, said: “Our regional sales managers can now analyse customer foot-fall for each of their stores, then compare it to sales for any day or week to assess the conversion ratio of our sales staff, thus allowing the management team to identify areas where business development is required and to improve service levels.”

Upgrade for Law Society

Security controls to protect staff and visitors to the Law Society’s headquarters in Chancery Lane, London, have been improved with the installation of a new access control system by Surrey-based specialists B&P Security Services Ltd.

The main element of the project comprised the adoption of a new access control system that uses two different technologies to distinguish between the badges issued to visitors and those worn by staff. Access control is integrated into the building’s security computer network.

Other parts of the work included fitting additional CCTV cameras and upgrading security video recording to a digital system.

B&P managing director Keith Buist said: “This has given the Law Society a much higher degree of control over movement within its offices. It also simplifies monitoring as the system can be networked anywhere the client wishes across their internal local area and wide area network.”

Smart solution

The Waterford Institute of Technology in Ireland has secured its new students’ residence, Manor Village, with its own multi-card application access system and Abloy Security solenoid locks.

It is the first students’ residence in Ireland to rely solely on a card-controlled access system. The system was developed at WIT by its campus company OneCard Solutions. It works in conjunction with Abloy 8140 high security electric locks, which feature an anti-friction bolt and deadlocking, with the ability to connect to any access system.

WIT Auxiliary Services general manager Eugene McKenna said the locks and the WITcard system delivered an “ideal blend” of security and convenience.

“The locks are very reliable, and by linking them to our smartchip card system, we have a very convenient method of accessing rooms and monitoring the duties of the lock,” he said. The online system enables the residence’s staff to monitor door usage from a PC. “It gives us full management over security. At a touch of a button we can determine the status of any door.”

Transport protection

Wendover, Buckinghamshire-based software development house AccessIT Systems has completed a major integrated security system for the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), an internationally recognised centre of excellence providing world-class research, advice and solutions for all issues relating to transport, including road, rail and air.

TRL moved into its new building Crowthorne, Berkshire, in May 2004, and AccessIT was called in to ensure the final system was fully integrated to meet with TRL’s requirements.

The system consists of more than 80 proximity card readers linked to AccessIT’s own visitor management software, providing access control for staff and visitors to a range of doors, cantilever gates, road barriers and pedestrian speed stiles.

An intruder alarm system protects the entire complex, together with a fully functional digital CCTV system, which was installed and networked around the site and its perimeter, together with more than a kilometre of perimeter fencing and 300m of high security fencing to the rear of the building.

Level crossing CCTV

Kent & Sussex Security has installed a CCTV camera at Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway’s Burmarsh level crossing.

There had previously been serious incidents in which motorists failed to obey the road traffic signals at the crossing, which is both a serious offence and dangerous to rail and road users. Sadly, in one such incident in August 2003, one of the railway’s drivers was killed.

KSS installed a purpose-made CCTV column at the side of the road, on which was mounted a pair of cameras and an infrared lamp. One of the cameras features Automatic Number Plate Recognition, while the other is a high quality colour camera.

Information captured is stored on a digital recorder in the base of the cabinet, triggered by the traffic light system, which ensures recordings are only made when the lights are red.

Danny Martin, general manager of Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, said: “We are extremely pleased with the manner in which Kent & Sussex Security went about helping us reduce the problem of motorists who are too impatient to wait for the trains to cross. With the use of CCTV cameras there can be no argument as to events, since the recordings are clear and accurate.”

Security is a Certainty

Certainty Security Services has designed, supplied and installed the comprehensive range of security systems at the International Centre for Business Improvement (ICBI), which is part of the Boxwood Group, and is based in Leeds.

Situated on a relatively new business park, the ICBI is in an open and exposed position with a lengthy history of vandalism and opportunist break-ins, some with violence. Assisted by Norbain, Certainty recommended a combination of CCTV and PIRs to provide perimeter security, Vehicle Number Plate Recognition for vehicular access control, and a Cotag solution to manage access into and within the building itself.

Perimeter security consists of a combination of 12 Vista vandal resistant domes (VVRD4V8C-LP), PowerDomes (VPD-2WP-P-C) and Vista static cameras (VPCMX-LV and VVRCCM) around the exterior of the building and the car park, at the barrier intercom and in reception.

Alarm activated PIR detectors cover all four lines of sight around the building itself, with the domes pre-set to switch position whenever the PIR beam is broken. Images from all the site’s cameras are fed to a Vista Triplex Columbus DVR in the centre’s IT hub.

ICBI facilities manager Sarah Philips said: “This is one of the most important systems within the building. It was installed well, on schedule, and everything was working correctly before we moved in. Certainty provided ideal training, too.”

Waterway goes digital

Canada’s Welland Canal, which forms part of the St Lawrence Seaway (dubbed ‘Highway H20’) and connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, has had a major CCTV upgrade, using IndigoVision’s VideoBridge IP technology.

The company said that when additional remote surveillance at Bridge No 11 on the canal was required, a new approach was needed, as the analogue fibre network used for the existing video had no spare capacity. IndigoVision distributors Northern Video Systems supplied 16 VB80000 MPEG-4 video transceivers to the project.

The installation was carried out by the St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation’s own specialist team.

Andrew Nolan, electrical engineer at the St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, said: “Any new system had to be transparent to the traffic control centre users – they should not be able to distinguish between the quality of existing analogue video and the new digital feeds. The initial phase of the project has been so successful that it is our long-term goal to move all of the CCTV and security systems across to the IP network.”