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| Alvarion provides the city of Hickory with a cost-effective video surveillance solution to improve public safety |
In the 1850s, under a huge Hickory Tree, a man by the name of Henry Robinson built a tavern of logs. The city of "Hickory Tavern" was established in 1863 and the name was eventually changed to "Hickory" in 1873. Today, Hickory North Carolina is a three-time All-America City on the Catawba River, just an hour south of the entrance of the Blue Ridge Parkway. More than 40,000 residents call Hickory their home and Hickory is the hub of a 350,000 metropolitan area.
About our partner Carolina Video Security, Inc (CVSI)
CVSI is a North Carolina-based provider of advanced security, surveillance, intrusion and access control solutions. The company solves challenging design, environmental and networking requirements, and employs the most advanced, proven and reliable technologies to help protect employees, facilities and operations.
The challenge
The City of Hickory sought to improve public safety by increasing the local police force effectiveness in key public areas. In addition, Hickory wanted to deploy ancillary services including public Wi-Fi and remote access for Hickory Police Department (HPD). It was apparent that existing infrastructure did not service key video surveillance areas of the city and existing channel infrastructure in certain areas would not support the necessary communications cabling for cameras.
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| The wireless network camera solution chosen is anchored by Alvarion's BreezeACCESS VL infrastructure |
The Municipal Video Surveillance System (MVSS) project required complete coverage of a concentrated downtown area that encompasses Union Square public park which is surrounded by merchants and restaurants, the weekly Farmer's Market - also a popular location for fairs and festivals - Trade Alley and City Hall Parking. SALT Block, a city and educational facility and Ridgeview Public Library also required full video surveillance coverage although they fall outside the concentrated downtown area. The network can currently support a 5 mile radius with the potential to cover up to 50 square miles.
The solution
After issuing a public tender, Hickory multi-organization Security Camera Committee selected a solution designed by CVSI who chose a wireless network camera solution anchored by Alvarion's BreezeACCESS VL infrastructure. The network is comprised of 4 base stations and 19 Subscriber Units (SU's) that support a mix of 30 all-outdoor, SONY network cameras.
The cameras transmit footage wirelessly to the city's existing communications antenna, which then sends the footage to a video server in City Hall. The footage would then be viewed on the Internet by authorised users or in the HPD communications centre on two Dell 42-inch monitors. An OnSSI NetDVMS multi-site, multi-server enterprise-scale network video recorder and camera management software platform is used to manage the entire system.
Two of the Alvarion BreezeACCESS Wi2 Wi-Fi access points were deployed in Union Square to provide a public Wi-Fi service, offering additional connectivity to enable the HPD to remotely access the video system. A BreezeACCESS Wi2 controller with mobility was deployed for centralised network management and control.
As a result of careful monitoring of strategic locations, the security and safety of Hickory residents has noticeably improved |
Alvarion provided a highly flexible and cost effective point-to-multipoint solution that was highly suitable for this type of deployment. Multiple SUs allowed CVSI to place just the right amount of radio, capacity and cost for each camera location. Alvarion's products also support the deployment of multiple cameras that can be optimally situated in strategic positions without network connectivity concerns. Additional benefits including multiple operating bands and multiple security/encryption layers have assured Hickory PD with improved video surveillance infrastructure.
The result
Hickory City has implemented a robust and highly reliable video system that enables the Police Department to secure key public areas 24/7. The network allows for high quality, real time monitoring and control of strategic locations, allowing for accelerated response time and the allocation of suitable resources in case of an emergency. As a result of careful monitoring of strategic locations, the security and safety of Hickory residents has noticeably improved. HPD is considering the future expansion of their video surveillance solution including additional SUs for the command and control of vehicles used for special events and emergencies.
