In late 2001, the United States Congress passed the Airport Security Federalization Act, which sought to greatly improve security measures taken at America’s airports. From creating the Federal Transportation Security Administration to requiring additional security screening personnel operating under the auspices of the federal government, these and other measures are in place to protect the millions of passengers who take to the skies each and every year.

And as new procedures have been implemented to ensure passenger safety, so too has the use of video security.  A variety of Pelco systems have been specified in airports throughout the world to improve airport security as well as to increase operational efficiencies, enhance perimeter protection, more readily allocate resources and respond to any number of situations that may arise.

MCCARRAN HITS JACKPOT

Airline reservations and flight information systems.  Air traffic control.  Baggage handling and access control.  When you think about it, an airport is really a giant data center with planes.  Lots of data, lots of applications, lots of users -- all spread out over a large area.  It’s the perfect setting for a distributed, network-based video security system.  And at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the Endura system is meeting security needs with flying colors.

McCarran has long been on the cutting-edge of airport technology.  For more than five years, the airport has employed an all-digital video system.  With an older system that no longer met its needs, the airport sought a new solution -- one that could evolve to accommodate future growth.

The video security system includes cameras in seven different buildings.  Supporting this very large installation are 14 Endura “A Blocks” -- full racks each with a workstation, SEB5100 storage expansion boxes, and multiple decoders -- housed in a dozen network closets around the airport.

One of the network closets that hold two Endura A Blocks also serves as a build-out room, lab, and demo facility.  “We test all new equipment here,” explains Chad Norton, system technician, “and we use this room to configure new components and devices before we deploy them in the network.  This is where we teach new users how to operate the system.”

That list of users and user groups is long and growing: airport security; Transportation Security Agency personnel, parking attendants, baggage handling, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, ramp control operators, and more.

For security and safety reasons, it’s important that these users see only the cameras they’re supposed to see, and nothing else.  The Endura System Manager takes care of this, assigning permissions on a user lever.

The energy in McCarran’s central control station is palpable as a variety of security and other personnel keep their eyes on dozens of monitors and displays, accessing transportation information systems, getting the latest weather and traffic reports, and of course, viewing all cameras installed throughout the airport.

But because Endura is distributed, these users don’t all have to cram into the control center.  They can monitor their specific areas of responsibility anywhere there’s a network connection.  The Transportation Security Agency at McCarran takes advantage of this flexibility.  They have two mobile carts, each outfitted with an Endura WS5050 Workstation and monitor, allowing them to set up a command post anywhere they like along the network.  Las Vegas Metropolitan Police also rely on the system.  With Endura they can monitor operations both from a small command post at the airport’s video control center as well as from a command station located at the police substation at McCarran.  Metro officer Wayne Brown has been at the airport for a couple of years now.  “The system is excellent,” Brown shares.  “We can zoom in instantly to see the situation clearly and relay information to officers on foot.”  

McCarran security operators aren’t only interested in what’s going on at their own airport.  McCarran is one of six airports comprising the Clark County Airport System, owned by Clark County, Nevada, the United States.  The County Department of Aviation manages operations at all of these airports, including nearby Henderson Executive Airport and North Las Vegas Airport, which is the 39th busiest airport in the United States -- busy enough that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now requires stricter video surveillance.  In the very near future, video security at these two airports will also be integrated into the McCarran Endura System.

Along with all the other benefits -- reliability, scalability, and flexibility -- it’s important not to overlook another feature: ease of use.  “Then we first bring new users into our demo room to show them how to operate the Endura system,” explains Norton, “We don’t start by telling them what to do.  We usually just set them loose on a keyboard and let them explore.  Without exception, they all say the same thing:  ‘tt’t so easy to use!’t Of course, we always follow up with thorough training, but that first experience has proven to be an important part of them adopting the system, and everyone takes to it immediately.’t Although selecting a complex video security solution can sometimes seem like a gamble, given all the benefits that McCarran is enjoying, it’t clear that Endura is an investment that will pay off for years to come.

CALGARY’t STAMPEDE

When a distinctive cloud band arches across the sky, residents of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, know that the Chinook winds are approaching.  Though the winds may surprise some of the nine million domestic, transborder and international passengers that travel through CIA, they’te a familiar sight to Jim Edward, the Airport’t Manager of Security.

‘tou can see the winds as they come in over the mountains,’tEdward said.  Then with a laugh he added, ‘tou quickly learn to dress in layers here.’t

That willingness to be prepared for anything could summarize Edward’t job description.  For the past 18 years, he has been responsible for protecting both people and property at the airport.  During that time, passenger loads have tripled and freight traffic has also grown as CIA is the sole Canadian airport shipping all cargo on scheduled flights to both Europe and Asia.  More than 300 aircraft use the airport’t runways each day.

In 2004, Edward found himself increasingly frustrated with the customer support provided by the airport’t existing video security equipment manufacturer, which he felt dropped significantly once that system had been installed.  His subsequent experience with Pelco, however, has more than satisfied his expectations.

‘tith Pelco,’the said, ‘tou can talk to a real, live person 24 hours a day.  If you’te got a problem, you pick up the phone and they work with you right then.’t

Pelco Aces Crash Test 

Along with Dale Sorensen, the Airport’t Project Manager, Edward tapped the expertise of consultant, Ross & Barruzini and system integrator, the Diebold Company of Canada Limited.  Side-by-side test comparisons of five recording systems were then conducted to determine the best solution for this important installation.  ‘telco was the only one that didn’t crash,’tEdward said, adding that the resolution of the viewed image was equal to or better than the competition in all cases.

Work on the upgrade began in earnest in August 2004 and was completed in two months.

The installation includes 400 Pelco cameras that capture images at indoor and outdoor locations over one square mile.  This area includes the airfield taxiways, runways and apron, as well as the airport operations and terminal buildings.  Images feed to six Pelco DX9000 Series digital video recorders for viewing on eight DX9200 View Stations.  Live and recorded video can be viewed simultaneously, and the video security system is integrated with a card access system for alarm monitoring of airport premises. 

The new Pelco mass storage units provide level 5 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology so Edward has full back-up redundancy.  While initial project specifications called for seven days of images captured at 30 frames per second, Edward reports that they are currently exceeding 30 days of storage.  ‘the retention capability is just amazing,’the said.

System Speed Delivers Cost Savings

Pelco’t fixed and positioning cameras are installed at all of CIA’t preboard screening points, including x-ray, walk-thru and the explosive trace detection unit.  Should a prohibited or restricted item posing a threat to civil aviation intentionally or inadvertently pass through the screening point, screening operations immediately cease, arriving aircraft are held at the gate, and the boarding process for all aircraft is halted.  Unless the item is recovered quickly, the entire concourse must be cleared and all passengers re-screened, a time-consuming and costly undertaking.

In each and every case, Edward has been able to pull up historical video from Pelco’t DVR.  The ability to quickly provide the images to police and security personnel has facilitated the quick resolution of such events and thus minimized the operational and financial impact upon CIA’t air carrier operators.

‘taving this video immediately available has saved our air carriers hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars,’tEdward said.

Pelco Rep’s Team Approach       

The long hours and attention to detail exhibited during the installation are fully appreciated by Edward.  ‘tiebold did an outstanding job,’the said.  Edward also appreciates the smooth working relationship between Pelco Representative, Paolo Polano of Access Direct Sales, Inc., Diebold’t Jeff Mayer, Project Manager and himself.

‘taolo has done an outstanding job of keeping me informed at all times.  He’t very good about dropping in and just seeing how things are going,’tEdward said.  ‘tecause he lets people know he’t coming and works with the integrator, everything is very above board.  The team approach really works.’t