Orlando Police Use Real-Time Surveillance Solution To Protect Auto Race

  • Apr 22, 2008

To secure the “12 Hours of Sebring Auto Race”, the Orlando, Fla. Police Department turned to a rapidly deployable, real-time video surveillance solution.

Attracting more than 170,000 attendees, the auto race is considered one of the premier endurance races in the United States and is famous for its “once around the clock” action, starting during the day and finishing at night.

The race is an equally challenging event for the event organizers. Extra security is needed days in advance as international race teams (and the world's fastest sports cars) begin to gather for practice and qualification races.

The Orlando Police Department was tasked with securing the grand stand area and the competitor paddock -- an area where highly prized racing cars are parked and prepared for the race. Despite the heavily saturated RF (radio frequency) environment due to wireless communications within the race area, a system from Firetide and Avrio Group delivered eight days of broadcast-quality video. To minimize interference, the system operated at 4.9 GHz U.S. public safety licensed band.

“The Orlando Police Department was able to deploy the system at the Sebring race in under a day, and the solution provided uninterrupted surveillance throughout the event,” said Mark Jules, president, business development and strategic planning for Avrio Group. “Wireless connectivity enabled by Firetide was extremely robust, highly secure and could be scaled easily and efficiently.”

In addition to providing wireless connectivity, Avrio’s Rapid Deployment Surveillance Solution (RDSS) incorporates wired and wireless cameras into a single system, and is capable of pushing video anywhere on the network and in real time to laptops in police cars. The solution also allows for integration with other security systems such as access control, gunshot detection and video intelligence.

The foundation of RDSS is the rapid-deployment Avrio Polecam -- a portable unit housed in a weatherized enclosure that contains a high-end camera, a Firetide HotPort wireless mesh node and all components required for deployment in various locations as surveillance needs dictate.

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