On the Case

OCS in the picture

OCS Resolution Security is providing round-the-clock security, including CCTV, for one of Britain's most prestigious art galleries, the Tate Liverpool.

The contract for the gallery – the most visited outside London – was awarded to OCS after they demonstrated professionalism, staff motivation and training as well as a a long track record for blue chip clients across the UK.

The company recognised the importance of Liverpool's role as European Capital of Culture in 2008 and the impact and issues which would result from the increase in the number of visitors to the gallery.

The contract includes the provision of foot patrols, front-of-house presence, CCTV surveillance and door supervision for the many special events held throughout the year.

MD, Richard Fenton-Jones said: "This is an extremely important contract which gives us the opportunity to deliver 24/7 security for an institution with a worldwide reputation for showing the finest examples of modern art from the Tate collection spanning five hundred years."

Tate Liverpool, at Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock, is housed in a Grade One listed warehouse originally constructed in 1848 when the city lay at the heart of international shipping and global trade routes. After falling into disrepair with the decline of the docks in the 1960's, the building was selected as a home for 'Tate in the North' from a number of cities under consideration. Work began on converting the building in 1985 and the new gallery opened 1988.

Slimline console

Control room specialist Winsted has installed a custom-design console for a security and surveillance demonstration suite at the HQ of JVC Professional Europe, north London.

Winsted's console is based on its modular and ergonomic Slimline Prestige range, designed to accommodate flat-screen monitors in command/control-related applications. The unit has been built to showcase the JVC's top-of-the-range CCTV equipment, accessories and IP networking products. To provide an extra level of interest for JVC's customers and visitors, live CCTV images from the business park are displayed in real-time on a range of JVC LCD and CRT monitors fitted within the console.

Yash Patel, Executive Director, CCTV Europe at JVC Professional Europe says: "From the initial build right through to final install, the service we received from Winsted was exceptional."

WOT a system

WOT Security installed networked security when Discovery Networks Europe, a division of Discovery Communications Inc media company, moved into its new European headquarters in West London.

The 100,000 square-foot centre includes one of Europe's most extensive media transmission centres and needed a security system that was simple to manage and be upgradable.

The system would also need to provide for the building's unusual entrance which featured three bi-directional speed gates and one sliding entrance gate.

WOT Security recommended Honeywell WINPAK from Honeywell Security, a networked security solution that would enable users to monitor events and alarms from central or remote locations. The software also lets administrators automate functions, such as creating customised alarm reports, and photo ID badging.

Paul Morris, WOT's MD, said: "Rather than adopt a 'one size fits all' approach we like to take the time to understand our clients' needs and recommend the solution that best meets those needs. In this case we recommended Honeywell WIN-PAK as we knew it would meet and exceed the current and the future needs".

WOT Security installed Honeywell PW5000 controllers, card readers at all 37 doors and the administration of employee and visitor badges. They installed motor-less read and retain readers on the speed gates which resolved the issue of the loss of visitor access cards where visitors failed to return them on completion of their visit. On entry into the building visitors are issued with a card which allows restricted access around the building however, exit is only possible via the speed gates where the readers are able to distinguish between an employee or a visitor access card and automatically retain the latter.

Frontline at school

Frontline Security Solutions has designed and installed a CCTV system for Sunbury Manor School, Sunbury on Thames.

Frontline carried out a full site survey and conducted a product evaluation session for the school which included demonstrations of a large range of CCTV products.

The final solution was an upgrade from the much smaller analogue system that was already in place at the site and sees the integration of a number of existing cameras with the new technology.

Two Bewator Eventsys Pro 32 channel DVRs, each providing 1Tb storage, have been installed, one in each block of the school. Local cameras are cabled back to each recorder and from there are connected to the school's network.

"By networking the cameras in this way we have made it possible for teaching and support staff to monitor the images from a number of key points," says Andy Stokes of Frontline Security Systems. "We have loaded remote viewing software onto five networked PCs, allowing authorised staff to access the system very easily."

Five Bewator Solaris external dome cameras have been fitted to the corners of buildings. Another ten cameras – Pelco colour/mono ImagePack external models – provide views around the perimeter, focusing on entrances and through routes. A further 29 Vista vandal resistant internal domes have been installed to cover other areas.

First choice

First Security's Specialist Services Division has completed the installation of a sophisticated CCTV surveillance and IP monitoring system at a new office development near Canon Street and Monument, London.

In addition to the manned security provided by First Security at 12 Arthur Street, the Specialist Services business designed and installed a solution comprising 16 cameras – a mixture of static and ptz – including a number with day/night capability, ensuring that all angles of the building are covered at all times.

The CCTV is run over IP, transmitting video to the main reception, where it is monitored by the duty officers.

Images also go to the office of the Building Manager, Dave Fanshawe who said: "First Security has always supplied manned guarding for the building and I have always been pleased with the service received. Given that the building is state-of-the-art, with high profile tenants, it was decided that the site needed a more comprehensive electronic security solution.

The new building spans 11 floors with a total area of 100,000 sq ft. The offices are multi-tenanted, and are home to various insurance, financial and legal firms.

Flaming challenge at sea

Extreme environment CCTV specialist, Synectics Industrial Systems, has been awarded a large-scale contract by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering to supply their specialist Coex Ex and Marine CCTV systems to five 210,000 CBM LNG carriers. The ships, which will be operated by the Japanese J5 consortium, will carry liquid natural gas from oil fields in Qatar to berths at South Hook and the Isle of Grain in the UK.

Specifically developed to operate in this type of marine environment, the installation will include Synectics Industrial Systems' industry standard Coex Flame-Proof Environment Camera Housings to monitor the deck areas of each ship. The cameras are designed to operate in conditions standard CCTV cameras cannot. Coex Fech thermal cameras will be used to locate personnel or intruders on the ship's deck. The cameras will also be used as a ship navigational aid, allowing personnel on the bridge to view other vessels and even icebergs through thick smoke and fog, day or night.

"Dual mode" technology combines thermal imaging for night, or adverse conditions usage, with high-performance CCD camera imaging for ultra-clear surveillance during the day.

Tiger burning bright

Infra-Red illuminators from Derwent were used to help capture night-time footage of endangered tigers in one of the world's most remote habitats.

The Sundarban Forest in Bangladesh is home to an estimated 400 tigers and the project attempted to understand how the tigers manage to survive among the thick vegetation, large tidal fluctuations and maze of waterways.To obtain broadcast-quality footage in low light and total darkness, a BBC film crew used Derwent's SuperLED, which delivers long range IR illumination.

"Tigers are mostly nocturnal so having the ability to film at night with the help of Infra-Red equipment is essential," said Dan Rees, part of the team making a series about the Ganges.

The filming project will also help local conservationists understand more about the tigers' night-time activities. "This should help to formulate an action plan for conserving this critically endangered species," added Rees.

During the filming the crew hung the lamps from trees, bamboo towers and specially constructed filming platforms. SuperLED 's robust design and construction makes it suitable for use in the harshest environmental conditions. "Interestingly it's possible that tigers can see the higher frequency covert lighting that is totally invisible to humans," said Derwent MD, Stephen Bell.

Facing up to technology

A European bank wanted a secure access control system installed that operates without ID cards, keys or PIN technology.

This was to enable secure access for 1,500 employees but eliminate the risk of tokens and keys being lost, stolen or misused.

Speed being an important factor, especially in the morning rush, 80 3D facial recognition systems from A4Vision were selected for entrances combined with speed gates.

The 80 biometric 3D face recognition readers have been applied to physical access and time and attendance recording. The system directs structured, invisible light onto a subject's face to create a facial grid of 40,000 measurable data points.

The system performs multiple facial scans and comparisons against a database of stored images and corresponding data, performing accurate identification at sub-second speeds.

A4Vision's 3D facial readers secure entrance areas of the bank in combination with other security components of the installation.

A4Vision's facial recognition, available from Premier Electronics Ltd, works within an existing access control infrastructure minimising costs associated with adding technology. The company has developed applications and custom interfaces with leading access control systems for a streamlined approach.

Zooming in on suspects

Cleveland Police have been able to add a crucial rapid deployment surveillance tool to their armoury, thanks to the development of a 12~660mm motorised zoom lens by Pentax.

The Cleveland Force is responsible for the policing of the four districts of Hartlepool, Lanbaurgh, Middlesborough and Stockton – an area covering some 230 square miles.

The policing strategy could be significantly hampered without the mobile surveillance kit that has been specially developed by David Horn Communications of Luton – a company specialising in work for government organisations.

According to Geoff David Horn Communications, there was no comparable lens to the Pentax monster zoom, and the challenge lay in selecting the other kit components to allow Cleveland Police to deploy a surveillance system in under 20 minutes, capable of seeing pin-sharp images up to 3½ kilometres distant.

With a motorised 2x teleconverter as part of the lens package, it effectively becomes a 1300mm lens.

"On a JVC TK-1460 lo-light camera it can observe activity half a mile away in astounding quality," said Geoff Bwye of David Horn Communications.

The kit broadly comprises a housing, PT unit, battery pack, camera/lens combination and tripod. It delivers images of the kind of quality that admissible as evidence and can be blown up to poster size for display.

Pentax 12~660mm lenses have an integral 2x extender that gives them a focal length of 24~1320mm. The additional optical element sits astride the optical axis, giving a "much more accurate image than one would ordinarily get from a digital zoom facility", says Pentax.

Quick to fight crime

JVC network dome cameras are being integrated into deployable camera systems that use 3G mobile phone technology and are currently being used by local authorities, police, developers and housing associations.

The camera systems, designed by ClearView Communications, are being used for a variety of applications including vandalism, fraud, theft, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

The ability to rapidly deploy discrete video surveillance and recording equipment into known trouble spots is increasingly being seen as a cost-effective way of countering crime.

Paul Main, joint MD at Clearview, said: "We chose the slim JVC VN-C625U camera for our deployable camera system mainly due to its size ensuring that is inconspicuous".

Day/night operation with on/off IR filter capabilities and Super-LoLux sensitivity ensured that it could be used in low light levels, especially during winter time.

When the camera's in-built alarms are triggered, the system records and transmits pictures. Images from the cameras are accessed using the mobile phone 3G network at 64kbps and can be viewed using a standard Internet browser.

Oldest university protected

Intelligent video from ioimage is being used for protection at the oldest university in Israel, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

The security perimeter passes through areas of rocky steep terrain, foliage and wooded areas that make it difficult to access, monitor, and patrol. The campus of 85 buildings is encircled by fencing and adjoined by residential dwellings, roads, driveways and parking lots. Security personnel at gates check baggage.

In the first phase, 25 cameras were added but the university realised it needed a better solution than just human observation. Intelligent video was installed to automatically watch and detect threats, helping eliminate sizable staffing needs for arrays of video banks. The university chose ioimage technology over other systems because was simple and combined small, reliable, units rather than PCs. It was also rated better for its consistent detection capabilities.