Eyes Wide Open

New technology enables better school security

  • By Andrea Iniguez
  • Nov 01, 2008

ADT’s National Back to School Security Survey, a sampling of nearly 2,000 parents, indicates nearly 50 percent of parents are concerned their child could be targeted by a sexual predator at school; close to 40 percent are concerned about potential abduction from school; and more than a third fear a violent episode at school. With those statistics, it is not surprising that many parents say they would support spending more money on security measures for their school.

Despite the limited budgets of state and local governments, communities are finding ways to upgrade their security systems and use the latest technology to support their security plans. Upgrading to security systems using megapixel IP cameras with ultra-wide angle lenses can be cost effective by reducing the number of cameras and eliminating cabling and DVRs without sacrificing video surveillance area.

Simple and Stable
One example is the Murrieta Valley, Calif., Unified School District. At one of the district’s high schools, a security system upgrade would remove all 170 existing analog cameras and replace them with 43 megapixel cameras with ultra-wide-angle lenses from Theia Technologies. One of the main concerns in ensuring the safety of students and staff is the system’s reliability.

“The analog system was always breaking down, and there were too many cameras to manage,” said Bill Olien, assistant superintendent of the Murrieta school district. “The new system will be much simpler and less costly to maintain and monitor.”

In the fall of 2007, the district hired Johnson Consulting Engineers, located in Poway, Calif., to survey and assess the district’s needs. The engineering firm specializes in the design of electrical and technology systems for schools and has designed systems for more than 1,000 schools in California and Arizona. After assessment of the installed system, the firm was retained to design a new video security system.

The school district funded a districtwide video security system upgrade through a local bond. Implementation of the project, worth more than $1 million, began in September and will be completed in March 2009.

Improved Coverage
The district’s first priority was safety. In terms of system goals, that meant designing a system that would provide greater coverage with improved image clarity over the current analog system. A typical analog camera and lens has a narrow coverage area, or if it does cover a wider area, the resolution is so poor that the image would not be able to provide a legally acceptable description of people should the need arise.

A major factor in the design was ensuring adequate camera coverage for all areas without inundating the system with too many cameras.

John Frisbie, JCE vice president, said they designed the system around IQinVision’s megapixel cameras and Theia Technologies’ ultra-wide-angle lens. Before specifying this combination, they tested the lens-camera combination and compared it directly against a typical analog pairing.

“What’s remarkable about the system we’ve designed is that with Theia’s wideangle high-resolution lens, we can cover the same area more cost effectively,” Frisbie said. The lens, which provides a 135-degree horizontal field of view, uses a patented linear optical technology to optically correct the barrel (fish eye) distortion found in other wide-angle lenses, without any software.

“Theia’s lens allows you to consistently cover a very large area and digitally zoom in 60 to 70 feet to get an image that allows a legal description,” Frisbie said. “No other lens can do this.”

The combination of high-megapixel resolution, up to 5 megapixels with the wide-angle lens, provides more pixels per degree of image, allowing an end user to zoom in without pixelation. PTZ cameras used in other systems allow the user to zoom but fail to capture a large area continuously. Post-event zooming is not possible. PTZ cameras miss areas of coverage while panning, while a wide-angle fixed view captures the entire area.

IP-based video systems are more effective than analog systems because of ease of use. With analog technology, systems have more pieces of equipment and are more complicated. Besides long lengths of cabling, low-resolution video monitors, and many cameras and lenses, they require DVRs to record images from each camera. School district staff would have to log onto each DVR locally, then access a specific camera to monitor activity. With digital IP video systems, separate DVRs are not required.

A Workable Solution
Authorized school staff can use any district computer that is programmed with system software to easily view and manage any camera on the system. This improves system uptime and access, enabling greater security for students and staff in both prevention and incident response situations. Datatel Wiring Products will provide equipment installation, training and ongoing technical support for three years. Datatel, of Riverside, Calif., is a certified installer that was awarded the contract following a competitive bid in July.

One thing to keep in mind is that “high megapixel resolution cameras used in IP systems require servers capable of handling multiple terabytes of data,” said E.B. DelaCobas of Datatel.

The system will use a total of 19 servers, with two having up to 6 TB of data storage capacity each, while the rest will have 2 TB each with additional backup storage of up to 10 TB.

In the long run, the robust and capable system specified will allow the Murrieta district to achieve their system performance goals, ensuring greater security and cost effectiveness.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.