Physical security - Case studies

The Everett Public School district is located in Everett, Washington, the largest city in Snohomish County. The school System includes 27 schools spanning 39 square miles, with a Student population of almost 20,000. With so many campuses to monitor and protect, it was clear that the older surveillance system, a mix of off-brand analogue products accumulated over three decades located at each site, was no longer adequate. Thanks in part to a state-wide grant, in 2014, Everett Public Schools upgr...

As Philadelphia beat New England at U.S. Bank Stadium, fans were able to enjoy the spectacle safely, in part thanks to Lenel. As the host of major national and international events, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota counts on Lenel to provide advanced security systems that help protect fans attending some of the world’s leading sporting events and concerts. Lenel is part of UTC Climate Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. Working in such a high-profile ve...

Government regulations continue to step up security demands at federal agencies, requiring identity cards to support multiple identity assurance factors and be validated at entries into a building or location. Because of the cost and infrastructure that goes along with many security upgrades, federal agencies must wait months or, in many cases, years to implement changes. The Federal Aviation Administration—an operating mode of the U.S. Department of Transportation—is no different....

To improve safety and instil a tranquil environment for citizens of Lagos de Carrasco (Carrasco Lakes), this residential community in Uruguay invested in a new monitoring system based on video management software from Milestone Systems. Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS), is helping the lakeside community of Carrasco Lakes in Uruguay to benefit from better security control. Previous multiple standalone systems were not efficient enough. The new networked solution...

Keeping the food supply safe was not an issue for Furman Foods back in 1921, when John W. Furman canned 360 glass jars of tomatoes with his wife, Emma, and their six children. Just as food processing practices have evolved over time, so too has the nation’s approach to securing food processing facilities. Today, Furman Foods uses ID cards as the first step of a greater plan to enhance its plant security. Furman Foods is a family-owned business. By 1969, the company had sold a million case...

Lock and key security has come a long way since Ancient Egypt. Over the centuries, Romans, the lever tumbler and Linus Yale’s pin tumbler all took the technology forward. Each was a significant milestone. But in truth, your average pharaoh would still recognise his clever gadget. The latest advances in key-based electronic access control, on the other hand, would send Rameses into a tailspin. A mechatronic locking system like CLIQ combines high-end mechanical and electronic protection. A...

A rapidly-deployable temporary fence line has helped a construction giant deliver a key installation for National Grid to help meet London’s increasing energy needs. A new 400kV Gas Insulated Switchgear electricity substation has been constructed as part of the EAN Framework and connected to a £1bn 32km electricity superhighway deep below the capital. Perimeter security mesh manufacturer Zaun Ltd provided 155 metres of high-security Rapid Deployable System (RDS) fencing for temporar...

HID Global’s pivCLASS Registration Engine provides the VA Financial Services Center with a single, PIV-compliant access control credential. The Financial Services Center in Austin, Texas is an organization of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that offers a range of financial and accounting products and services to both the VA and other government agencies. When the Financial Services Center and its 300 employees moved into a brand new facility it needed to implement an access contro...

In January 2018, the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio and the City’s Security Infrastructure Working Group announced plans to bring permanent perimeter barriers, or bollards, to high-profile sites and to create a process to streamline their design and construction. With funds exceeding $14 million for permanent bollards in Times Square and more than $50 million to commence the broader rollout of new protective measures in phases. Mayor de Blasio said, “In 2017, New Yorkers witnesse...

Prison drone pioneers introduce Government to perimeter savings. The integrated security team behind a British prison’s pioneering war against drones is to share its innovative and cost-saving approach with the UK Government. Les Nicolles Prison on Guernsey became the first in the world to use a new system designed to stop drones smuggling drugs, weapons and other contraband over perimeter walls. A group of four collaborating British companies styling itself as The Perimeter Security Cent...

A security system provided by Hikvision USA Inc., the North American provider of innovative, award-winning video surveillance products and solutions, was installed by Denver-based A-1 Security Systems to meet all requirements set forth by Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) and to ensure comprehensive security at the newly retrofitted building for 14er Gardens in Boulder, Colorado. In 2017, Evan Anderson, owner of medical marijuana company 14er Gardens, sought out the security...

With 4 million square feet of space, the Megabangna Shopping Centre is the first shopping centre of its kind in Thailand. Implementing a comprehensive security system was an important part of ensuring the safety and security of customers, and the Centre’s loss prevention strategy. By addressing gaps in coverage throughout the shopping centre, the security team knew that they could more easily track down lost items for distressed visitors, monitor suspicious activity, and in turn prove or...

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum was founded in 1972 and is the largest in Canada to house priceless and restored World War I and II warplanes, including bomber planes used by the Canadian military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The non-profit organisation is mandated to acquire, document, preserve and maintain a complete collection of aircrafts that were flown by Canadians and the Canadian military from the beginning of World War II to the present. Their role is to preserve the artifacts, books...

The duty of care that education officials have, in providing a safe environment for everyone on their premises, is arguably more challenging in today’s world than it has ever been in the past. One area that should be identified for regular review is emergency lockdown. Andrew Shaw, architectural consultant for Allegion UK, calls for more schools to consider a number of security solutions to further improve their lockdown protocols. “Everyone involved in the running of schools has a...

The Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team is a registered charity, made up of more than 40 volunteers, including doctors, paramedics and people from all walks of life who have specialist rescue skills. An integral part of the UK’s national search and rescue service, the organisation covers 350 square miles across East Lancashire, Pendle, Rossendale Valley and parts of Greater Manchester. It’s an area that includes rugged mountains, remote moorland and exposed terrain. Through l...

Vicente López, one of the 135 districts that make up the Buenos Aires province, started a project at the end of 2011 to modernise and expand the city’s video surveillance system. In addition to capturing criminal activity, the project’s main goal has always been to reduce crime through preventive measures. Stretching over 33 square kilometres, Vicente López is home to about 300,000 people. In recent years, the flow of population that moves through the district has rise...

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office has evolved its approach to protecting information by verifying the identities of everyone who accesses the network or the Agency’s computers. To boost its cyber security, the Sheriff’s Office partnered with a provider best known for physical access credentials, but now with a comprehensive digital identity portfolio: HID Global, a provider of trusted identity solutions. The result will prevent the theft and fraudulent use of Agency personne...

Checkpoint pioneered RF technology’s use in the retail industry and is now ushering in a new era through the introduction of a brand new electronics platform that is resetting the boundaries of what is achievable, both in terms of antenna design and functionality. Simon Edgar, Senior Director EAS Systems & Software at Checkpoint Systems, gives some information about the thought process behind the new NEO system. 1. Checkpoint is noted as inventing the first Radio Frequency-based Elec...

HID Global, a provider of trusted identity solutions, has announced that the government of Tanzania has selected HID as its prime supplier for an end-to-end solution for issuing electronic passports as part of Tanzania’s transformative e-Immigration programme.  The new ePassport was unveiled publicly as part of the inauguration of the end-to-end solution provided by HID Global. The solution incorporates advanced physical and electronic security features, automated passport verificati...

Swiss Re, a global reinsurer, will equip 48 of its buildings with the latest version of AEOS, Nedap’s physical access control system. Through a state-of-the-art badge system, using Mifare Desfire card technology, employees with specific safety and security clearance will be able to access dedicated Swiss Re buildings. The implementation of AEOS is part of the Global PACS project to replace ageing access control systems in Swiss Re buildings around the world. The AEOS system is designed to...

Milestone Systems’ open platform IP video management software (VMS) is the technology helping to give peace of mind to residents and visitors of Las Ramblas in Cayala City, Guatemala. Milestone Systems’ XProtect expert software, an open platform technology, was chosen for managing IP-networked video and maintaining continual surveillance over the city’s projects. Network video cameras from Axis Communications are also used, some with crossline detection video analytics. EMC Isi...