Hemel Hempstead July 2007 - Sophisticated digital video surveillance technology and long-range passive infrared detectors from ADPRO selected by A1Omada are at the heart of a major security and health & safety installation for the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). They have been installed to protect people and equipment at the IAA's Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCC) in Shannon and six remote locations housing essential radar and communications infrastructure across the region.
The IAA is a commercial State sponsored organisation responsible for the provision of air navigation services in Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of the Irish civil aviation industry.
To give some idea of its size and importance, the ATCC at Shannon controls some 380,000 over-flights per year and can handle up to 85% of traffic between North America and Europe. Along with the Control Centre, four long-range radar sites and two air traffic radio communications sites (spread across Clare, Cork Mayo and Donegal) were also included in the project.
The IAA wanted a system to protect staff, visitors and essential assets from a security angle, but also one that could be used to fulfil a health & safety need. "The very nature of our business makes it imperative to deliver a consistently high level of service," says Gerry Guihen, Property and Security Manager for the IAA. "To do this, our security system must be able to ensure that all our assets are protected and secure at all times. We must look at new ways of managing the increased threat (since 9/11) and ensuring that people and assets are protected."
Mr Guihan also identified the role a surveillance system could play in enhancing health & safety. To this end, should an incident or accident occur, the cameras and recording technologies can be used to review the footage and determine what happened. "This way, we can put measures in place to prevent such an event happening again," he adds.
As its preferred transmission and video management technology, the systems integrator A1Omada chose ADPRO. ADPRO PRO detectors are also being used. If an intruder is detected, an alarm is activated that triggers the ADPRO FastTrace system which in turn immediately sends live pictures back to an ADPRO Video Central Gold management system in the control room in Shannon. Although the system records all activity 24/7, the recording rate is increased when alarm activity is triggered, thus maximising digital recording.
"We chose FastTrace because it combines video alarm verification, remote site monitoring and control, and long duration evidential quality recording," explains Hugh Smeallie of A1Omada. "The system makes it quick and simple to manage sites over a large distance, something that is essential in this application. It is also robust in design which was another important factor to consider where reliability and performance are key."
ADPRO FastTrace is a Multi-Site Video Security System for evidential quality recording that delivers rapid remote access of live events and instant retrieval of stored images. With intelligent, interactive management software and advanced compression algorithm capability, ADPRO FastTrace provides 120 days storage of archived video at 1ips on 10 cameras without compromising image quality.
The result is a secure, cost-effective and reliable remote off-site video transmission and verification system. Long-term recording of evidential quality images can either be continuous or programmed to activate on movement or transaction and the system's capability of simultaneous viewing, recording and playback can accommodate up to four users (local or remote) at one time.
The ADPRO FastTrace is specifically designed for a diverse range of high security, multiple site industries that require centralised security and surveillance management. Used in conjunction with Video Central Gold, it offers one of the most powerful and dynamic video management solutions for single and multi-users supporting multiple operators, communication devices and PCs.
A1Omada is also using ADPRO's PRO series of long-range detectors: "The PRO Series are easy to install and adjust, and provide superior performance with the minimum false alarms – something that is very important when securing remote locations," Mr Smeallie says.
The ADPRO PRO Series are highly sensitive, standalone passive infra-red detectors designed for outdoor perimeter protection that will detect human targets up to a distance of 150 metres (492 feet) away (depending on the model) by sensing temperature differences between them and the background. Due to the passive operation of the unit, the area being protected cannot be identified by the intruder, and the detectors are reliable in difficult conditions including low visibility, snow or fog.
Common to all models is the ability to adjust sensitivity to suit conditions, and adaptive threshold circuitry that reduces the number of false (or nuisance) alarms caused by moving vegetation, small animals and sudden environmental changes. All detectors are contained within a weather-proof housing and sealed against dust and moisture to ensure reliable operation even in the harshest conditions.
Particularly important is the new Tamper Protection feature across the range such that if the detector is moved from its installed position, it will generate an alarm that can be detected by the ADPRO FastTrace and FastTx products in accordance with BS8418.
Mr Guihen is very pleased with the results of the technology so far: there have been no incidents since the equipment has been installed. "The system has been installed to protect," he says. "This is its primary function and we're very pleased with the results to date."
Mr Smeallie adds: "The size of the project, the large distances covered and the vagaries of the Irish weather have all made this a challenging project, but the results speak for themselves."
