Decommissioned in San Diego, California, the USS Midway served from 1945 until 1992, as the longest-serving American aircraft carrier of the 20th century. The historic naval ship museum opened to the public for tours on June 10th, 2004, and receives 1,000,000 visitors annually. The USS Midway’s mission is to preserve, inspire, educate, and entertain visitors as well as serve as America’s living symbol of freedom.
Video surveillance system
Throughout USS Midway’s 47 years of service, the aircraft carrier played key roles in the Cold War, served with the Atlantic Fleet, was combat deployed in Vietnam as well as the Arabian Gulf for Desert Storm, and many other operations throughout the world. The aircraft carrier is home to flight simulators, a gift shop, café and a theatre, measures 1,001 feet long, and contains 18 decks.
The large number of tourists, volunteers, and museum staff occupying the facility, along with the many events held on-board on any given day, make safety and surveillance a top concern for the museum’s Board of Directors.
Earlier this year, Director of Safety and Security, Bill McClurg, with the full support of the CEO and the museum’s board, led a team of USS Midway department directors including information technology, finance, and operations, and launched a project designed to update and improve the museum’s existing video surveillance system.
The process culminated in the selection of VIVOTEK’s valued partner, Layer3 Security Services, a systems integration company headquartered in San Diego that serves companies, government agencies and institutions throughout Southern California.
Network cameras
The new video surveillance system features dozens of VIVOTEK network cameras including fixed domes, box cameras, and Pan Tilt Zoom models. “There were many reasons for selecting VIVOTEK for this demanding application,” said Dario Santana, President of Layer3 Security Services. “These include the breadth of VIVOTEK’s product line, the high degree of integration with ExacqVision’s VMS platform, and the products’ superior price and performance. In the end, it only made sense to select VIVOTEK for the USS Midway upgrade,” concluded Dario.
In the end, it only made sense to select VIVOTEK for the USS Midway upgrade"
VIVOTEK’s FD8365HV and FD8338-HV fixed dome network cameras were also positioned in areas in need of surveillance. Both camera models are able to withstand inclement weather and the IP66 and IK10-rated housing protects the unit against acts of vandalism, making these units a great selection for installation aboard the aircraft carrier.
A variety of camera models were chosen to monitor specific areas of the museum and surrounding areas. VIVOTEK’s FD8373-EHV fixed dome network cameras were installed throughout the premises due to the 3-megapixel wide dynamic range CMOS sensor’s excellent ability to adjust to challenging lighting conditions. The WDR Pro feature allows the camera to capture both the dark and bright areas of an image and combine the differences to generate a highly realistic representation of the original scene.
Zooming capabilities
Working closely with Layer3, Bill McClurg also chose SD8364E, speed dome network cameras for the zoom capabilities in parking lot as well as ship deck monitoring and IP8155HP, box network cameras. VIVOTEK’s SD8364E 1080p full HD resolution speed dome delivers superb image quality with its 30x optical zoom lens, perfect for monitoring wide open spaces.
SD8364E’s IP67 and NEMA 4X-rated housing protects against rain, dust, and corrosion as well as operates under extreme weather conditions making it suitable for San Diego’s climate. The IP8155HP professional box network camera offers 1.3-megapixel resolution and WDR Pro II providing extreme visibility in high contrast environments.
“Layer3 Security Services and VIVOTEK far exceeded our expectations with the installation of our new upgraded surveillance system. Layer3’s ability to translate our needs into a workable design and their recommendation of VIVOTEK’s superior yet efficient product line led to a successful deployment. Effective video surveillance on a museum, whose mission is to be, ‘America’s Living Symbol of Freedom,’ is an essential element in preserving it for generations to come,” said Bill McClurg, Safety Director.
