Milestone Systems' Wireless Video Network Supports Policing and Public Safety in Columbia Borough
The Pennsylvania community uses Milestone software to manage about 83 camera feeds to support dispatchers, patrol officers and event monitoring, and plans to expand video analytics.
- By Chelsey Arries
- Sep 23, 2026
A wireless video security network built on Milestone Systems’ XProtect® VMS in Columbia Borough, Pennsylvania, provides dispatchers and police officers with access to about 83 camera feeds across downtown, public buildings, parks and other municipal facilities, according to the company.
App-Techs, a security integrator in the Lancaster area, has helped the borough build and expand its video network for more than 16 years using Milestone's software.
Dispatchers are the system’s primary daily users, monitoring footage and assisting officers in the field. Officers can view live feeds from laptops in patrol vehicles, while mobile access allows personnel to monitor video during community events.
Columbia Borough Police Chief Jack Brommer said a dispatcher saw someone breaking into a vending machine outside a laundromat and sent officers to the scene. Officers apprehended the person, whom Brommer linked to vending machine thefts across three counties.
The network also covers police station holding cells and interview rooms, where cameras are integrated with microphones. Emergency management personnel used the system to monitor the borough’s annual Thunder on the River antique car show.
The borough’s terrain made wired connections impractical, prompting App-Techs to use wireless links, Milestone said. The network relies on dedicated servers housed at two sites: the municipal building and a remote park office.
According to Milestone Systems, Columbia is considering gunshot detection technology and plans to add video analytics capabilities that would let investigators narrow footage searches using details such as a vehicle’s type or color.
About the Author
Chelsey Arries is assistant editor of Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.