California University Installs Pelco Thermal Imaging Cameras

Schneider Electric recently announced the successful installation of its Pelco by Schneider Electric Sarix TI thermal imaging camera systems at California State University, Fresno’s Bulldog Stadium. Once reserved only for specialized military applications at a premium price, Schneider Electric is now making thermal imaging affordable and available to any business or infrastructure. The installation at Bulldog Stadium is expected to show immediate return on investment by eliminating the need for routine area checks, which saves on the cost of personnel, as well as vehicle fuel, maintenance and nighttime lighting.

Following successful installation of a new artificial playing field in the 41,031-seat football stadium, the Fresno State security team wanted to upgrade its video security system to ensure proper protection of this significant investment. The university selected the Sarix TI Series to provide high-contrast images in any lighting condition with on-board analytics to detect any person or vehicle coming onto the new turf, allowing its security staff to monitor the field remotely and immediately respond to any unauthorized intruders.

“We needed cameras that would allow us to see in extreme low light conditions, and we chose Sarix TI based on our trusted relationship with Pelco,” said David Huerta, Fresno State chief of police. “The more we can enhance what we can see, the less time officers have to spend going to the site to check the premises. We have already interrupted crimes by using Pelco cameras, but this time the goal was to not only protect our students, employees and campus, but also to add greater return on investment, which we have accomplished by eliminating nighttime lights at the stadium and reducing routine area checks.”

“Sarix TI’s digital processing capability allows security professionals to maximize their camera investment, while maintaining a quality image and the around-the-clock, no-light imaging capability of thermal,” said Dave Stanfield, senior product marketing manager, Schneider Electric. “Sarix TI was the right fit for Bulldog Stadium as it will not only help the security staff to make informed decisions quickly by discovering potential safety threats, but it will also give them an immediate return on investment, an important factor at a time when many institutions in the California state university system are facing budget cuts.”

The Sarix TI Series is available in fixed or pan/tilt cameras with IP or analog capability, and comes in three different models: 240x184 (low-resolution camera), 384x288 (mid-resolution camera) and 640x480 (high-resolution camera). The high-resolution model will be available later in 2012.

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