Melbourne, Australia Expands Video System With Wireless Mesh Network

  • Aug 10, 2010

When the Melbourne City Council realized that there was no cabling infrastructure to support the expansion of its complex network of security video cameras in downtown Melbourne, they asked their security system integrator, SNP Security, to come up with a solution.

After investigating several wireless vendors, SNP selected Firetide Inc., conducted a three month trial of their wireless infrastructure mesh network to demonstrate the reliability of the wireless solution to MCC and just recently completed the $2 million deployment. Anixter Australia acted as the project supplier.

“We had previously trialed other wireless products, but were not happy with the results,” said Stuart Pitcher, Victoria state manager, SNP Security. “Firetide provided us with the most reliable and high-performance solution along with an outstanding service and support organization. The roll out was fast and easy.”

Prior to the wireless phase of the project, the MCC has funded and operated the Melbourne “Safe City Program” using a wired surveillance system for several years, to provide a safer environment and to deter criminal activity in downtown Melbourne. However, when it came time to expand the system, the infrastructure required to roll out such a complex video security network was not available.

“Wireless was the best solution,” Pitcher said.

“In the past, Melbourne could only have cameras in the limited areas where cabled infrastructure was available. Firetide allowed MCC to cover more areas and to provide an increased level of security that would not have been otherwise possible,” said Bo Larsson, chief executive officer of Firetide. “This demonstrates once again the flexibility and reliability of our wireless infrastructure mesh technology, whether deployed for video surveillance or any other mission-critical application.”

The MCC council has their own control room staffed by a private security company whose personnel operates and monitors the cameras 24/7 under strict guidelines and procedures. Firetide mesh nodes are connected to Pelco Spectra camera domes controlled with DVTel video management software. Incidents captured on camera can to be used in court or in investigations. Over a thousand incidents have been captured over the life of the system. In several criminal cases, the video footage has played a pivotal role in providing valuable evidence.

 

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