Integrated, IP-Based Surveillance System Protects Dallas Church

  • Feb 23, 2010

Honeywell has completed installation of an integrated, IP-based system that centralizes and streamlines security operations for the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) campus in Dallas.

Installed by Honeywell-certified integrator Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Inc., the scalable system covers multiple facilities located on the campus, including the worship center that seats 3,400 for services every Sunday.

Founded in 1976 by Senior Pastor Dr. Tony Evans, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship also includes eight buildings that accommodate a technology institute, family life center, gymnasium, credit union, and more.

The education building houses Fellowship Christian Academy, which provides college preparatory education to 900 pre-school, elementary and middle school students. The hybrid security system adopted by OCBF uses 30 Honeywell analog cameras and 26 new IP-based cameras to cover the worship center and education building, as well as the fellowship, outreach, and family care/pregnancy centers.

The new HD4DIP IP cameras use built-in Power over Ethernet, which supplies power via an IT network, to further reduce installation costs. The cameras are tied together with existing surveillance equipment and integrated into two of Honeywell’s powerful Enterprise NVR digital recording systems, which enables church security officers to view and manage video footage easily.

“The equipment we had was seriously underutilized,” said Rolla Goodyear, associate pastor of administration at OCBF, “but we had an investment in it, so we really wanted to use it without having to throw everything out and start from square one. Honeywell helped us modernize our system and bring the functionality up to date, and they worked with us to add IP-based equipment to build a hybrid system with a centralized command and control center that would let us be more efficient in using the equipment we had in place.”

In addition to providing church security personnel with tools to be more effective in keeping an eye on the buildings and protecting the numerous people who use the facilities every day, the IP installation was part of a complete security overhaul for the OCBF property. Honeywell’s Pro-Watch security management system and VISTA-128 burglary panels afford integrated access control and intrusion across the campus to better manage the site’s total security infrastructure. All the systems report back to the central command and control center, providing complete coverage for all buildings on campus.

“When we looked at the equipment they had in place, we decided that an IP-based system would be a perfect fit for several reasons,” said Ron Dublas, national accounts manager for Honeywell. “IP added some functionality they were missing with analog, and the hybrid solution ensures their system is easily expandable for the future. It gave them faster and easier access to the footage captured by the system and made their security staff more efficient. And it provided significant cost savings because it let them keep the analog cameras they were already using.”

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