The Last Word

Revving Up Security

AFTER bursting onto the scene seven years ago, business has been constantly revving up for the motorcycle-making Orange County Choppers.

The group, featured on the Discovery Channel show American Choppers, showcases the metalworking ability of Paul Teutul Sr., his two sons Paulie Jr. and Mikey and a group of highly-skilled craftspeople as they construct a number unique, one-of-a-kind motorcycles.

Established in 1999, Orange County Choppers grew from motorcycle-builder and rider Tetul Sr.'s 30-year-old Orange County Ironworks steel fabrication enterprise. The group shot to stardom on the custom-bike arena at the Daytona Biketoberfest with True Blue, designed in the basement of Teutul Sr.'s home.

Since then, the team has continued rising to stardom, producing as many as 150 rideable, but very exclusive bikes per year. Prices start at $39,000 and can run as high as $45,000 for a nicely-outfitted rig.

Some of the more famous bikes include the Fire Bike commemorating the New York City Fire Department's sacrifices on Sept. 11, 2001, the Jet Bike built to honor U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and the Spider Bike purchased by musician Wyclef Jean. Orange County Chopper bikes have also been purchased by other celebrities like Jay Leno.

The Orange County Chopper's popularity has caused more than celebrities to take notice of the group's talents. The Air Force commissioned the group to create the $150,000 Raptor Bike, modeled after an F-22 Raptor. The 10-foot long bike, complete with rear-view mirrors in the shape of jets, is used by Air Force recruiters as a public outreach tool.

Protecting Assets
And with all of the expensive and unique equipment located at the group's home base in Montgomery, N.Y., 80 miles north of New York City, security has always been a high priority.

The group previously had security equipment monitoring the garages and workshops, but they wanted something more comprehensive.

The Choppers turned to Anthony McGregor, from Washingtonville, N.Y.-based AJM Security & Home Automation for a solution.

McGregor installed a Bosch Divar DVR, a 17-inch, flatscreen, color monitor, an IntuiKey keyboard, two AutoDomeTM cameras for indoor use and an EnviroDomeTM camera for outside the workshop.

"It's really a great system," McGregor said. "For what's its being used for, they are able to see the whole parking with just one camera. To see what's going on in the shop, all they have to do is take a look with one, PTZ camera and they can take a look at anything they want to see. It's really easy to use and the system gets the job done for them."

McGregor said the chance to work with the group is always an interesting experience.

"It's always an interesting experience working with the guys," McGregor said. "I've worked with them for the last two years installing all their security and audio/video equipment, and it's really been great to get to know them. They're a great group of guys. What's funny is that what most people don't realize is that what you see on TV is really who the guys are in life. There's no script, that's really them."

And the group has been happy with the Divar system that McGregor installed.

"We all think the Divar system is great," said Joe Puliafico, Orange County Chopper's director of retail operations. "Junior loves it, especially the clarity of the image when you zoom in really close."

The AutoDome cameras are installed in the main fabrication and machine shop where the majority of the creative metal working takes place. The cameras can be controlled manually or be set to perform a pre-programmed routine tour of the area and automatically track motion, initiating an alarm if necessary.

"Paul senior loves to control the camera manually to zoom or focus whenever necessary," Puliafico said.

The EnviroDome camera is installed outside of the shop between the entry door and the employee parking lot.

"We depend on this camera as telephone operators are leaving the office at night," Puliafico said. "That way, we know the ladies are getting to their cars safely."

Looking Inside and Out
Both cameras use day/night function to switch from color to black-and-white when light decreases while the EnviroDome is able to withstand temperatures up to -40 degrees Celsius -- easily better than the harshest winter temperatures in the Catskill region.

The system is anchored by the Divar DVR system. Since the DVR is not a PC, it cannot be attacked by computer viruses or worms and doesn't need service pack upgrades.

The DVR is also fully-networkable and can be accessed by any PC with an Internet connection, allowing Teutul Sr. to check in on operations and watch live or archived video recorded from the cameras.

And with more pressing issues than to learn a complicated security system, installation and training was simple with the equipment.

"We're pretty self-sufficient with it," Puliafico said of the system. "We had about a five-minute overview for training, and otherwise we have all been working with it. We like the way it works and what it does for us."

While the security equipment keeps employees and property safe, the Orange County Choppers continue to hone their craft, manufacturing their signature bikes.

This article originally appeared in the November 2006 issue of Security Products, pg. 104.

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