New Ohio Courthouse To Use Integrated IP Video/Access Control System

Vicon Industries Inc., a designer and producer of integrated IP video surveillance and access control systems, and SimplexGrinnell, a provider of fire and life-safety systems, have begun installation of a comprehensive, IP-based security system for the new Franklin County Courthouse, currently under construction in Columbus, Ohio.

Scheduled to open in early 2011, this innovative structure will be the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) courthouse in the state of Ohio and the only county courthouse in the U.S. expected to receive gold-level certification.

The building’s glass façade, one of the key components of its energy-efficient design, creates challenging indoor lighting conditions that require the use of over 70 wide-dynamic-range cameras.

The cameras used, impact-resistant Vicon Roughneck V910D-WDR-IP5 domes, are designed to accommodate viewing of areas with extreme lighting contrasts, such as backlit people and objects located within the courthouse’s sun-drenched corridors with reflective marble floors.

In total, the courthouse makes use of over 170 Vicon IP cameras, all of which are viewed, controlled and recorded by an NVR-based ViconNet video management system. Recorded video is securely stored within a RAID-5 level device. The ViconNet system is fully integrated with a building-wide Software House C-CURE 9000 access control system and WonderWare detention software for use within the building’s holding cell areas.

The security system is monitored from two control centers within the new courthouse, one monitoring general building security and the other exclusively monitoring the detention area and holding cells.

A parallel set of control centers exists in the old courthouse building and the county jail. All four control centers make use of ViconNet Virtual Matrix Controllers that allow for viewing and control of up to 32 video streams simultaneously, displayed across multiple monitors. The integration with C-CURE 9000 and WonderWare software automatically links ViconNet video to corresponding access control or detention-related events, facilitating the immediate viewing of events as they occur and providing for easy future call-up.

Installation of the entire security system is being provided by the Columbus office of SimplexGrinnell, working in coordination with Franklin County Public Facilities Management. SimplexGrinnell is an authorized dealer of Vicon security solutions.


 

Featured

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • 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

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • 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.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”