The one million plus visitors to the four day Tall Ships Festival which took place at Dublin Docks in August 2012 were kept safe with the help of a crowd control video surveillance system designed and installed by electronic security specialist installers, Wired-Up Security Solutions.
45 tall ships took part in the festival which was estimated to have generated over 30 million Euros for the local community. In addition to getting a close look at the ships, visitors were also able to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment including films, concerts and water sports.
“With so many people attending the festival, our clients, Dublin Council, wanted to ensure that they were aware at all times where the largest number of people might be, and with the help of the Garda (Irish police) and stewards, they could react to any potential crowd safety problems,” said Cormac Hopkins, Managing Director of Wired-Up Security Solutions.
Wired-Up Security Solutions partnered with Samsung to install 14 SNP-3750 pan, tilt and zoom cameras, each of which has a 37 x optical zoom feature that allowed operators to monitor in close detail any potential problem areas. The SNP-3750s, which were installed on temporary pole structures, utilise Digital Image Stabilisation (DIS) technology to negate the effects of camera shake which may be caused by wind.
The cameras were linked over a five mile radius of Dublin Docks, with the images from all of the cameras transmitted to a control room via an Evidence Master Wireless transmission system. Operators supplied by Wired Up Security Solutions were able to monitor the live images, or retrieve recorded video with the help of a Samsung network video recorder which utilises H.264 compression to minimise bandwidth transmission requirements whilst maintaining high image quality.
Wired-Up Security Solutions partnered |
“Officers from the Garda were present in the control at all times during the festival and they were able at anytime to direct our operators to move the cameras to areas of the docks which needed to be closely monitored,” said Cormac Hopkins. “In addition to crowd control, the Garda were also of course keen to look out for pick pocketing and other criminal activity.”
The Evidence Master Wireless transmission system can transmit high resolution images from cameras, such as the Samsung SNP-3750 up to 6.25 miles. It is designed to save the time and costs normally incurred with connecting cameras using optical fibre and allows cameras to be installed quickly with little or no civil works involved. It operates on a number of licence free bands and is securely encrypted.
“Following a tender process we were delighted to be selected to provide the video surveillance solution for this prestigious event,” said Cormac Hopkins. “The festival was by all accounts a great success and it is equally good news that everyone who attended or took part was able to do so in a secure and safe environment with the help of a combined Samsung camera and Evidence Master Wireless transmission solution.”
