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| Community centre receives a new state-of-the-art video surveillance system |
St. Stephens is a 90-year old community centre that houses a childcare facility, 25-exam room medical facility, gymnasium, and activity space for many service projects performed for the community. The centre is located in Linden, a neighbourhood burdened by a high crime rate and previously it did not have a security system beyond lock and key and common sense. Things began to look up for St. Stephens earlier this year when a representative from Anixter toured the facility and happened to discuss security issues at the centre with President and CEO, Michelle Mills.
The Anixter staff member, Chad Biniasz, had a relationship with integrator Charles Wilde and together the two men decided that St. Stephens needed and deserved some help. At Anixter, Biniasz's colleague, Heather Miller, got busy and put out a call to numerous security providers. IQinVision and Milestone were quick to respond with offers of IQeye HD Megapixel cameras and a Milestone open video management software system. Wilde's company, EPS, organised technology specifications and oversaw system design and installation.
"We were experiencing a problem with damage and vandalism at the centre," said St. Stephens' President and CEO, Michelle Mills. "We house a childcare facility and we have materials for all our service projects as well as a number of agency vans. In addition, our hours of operation vary each day and we have a huge parking lot-we needed to provide a better sense of security for those we serve and to protect our assets."
IQinVision and Milestone were quick to respond with offers of IQeye HD Megapixel cameras and a Milestone open video management software system |
Being a non-profit organisation at a time when all non-profits are struggling, St. Stephens had little money to spare on a "luxury" like a high technology video surveillance system. "This was an amazing gift," said Mills, "the value is immeasurable." "Even in these difficult times, when businesses are scaling back, it is such a blessing these companies found a way to give of their time and materials."
The Milestone system manages video input from 13 IQeye HD Megapixel cameras monitoring strategic areas throughout the 70,000 square foot centre, the playgrounds, and parking lots. The system is designed for staff to do live monitoring by a staff member located at the centre's front entrance desk. Mills and her staff quickly recognised the system will provide an excellent resource for investigating any incidents, and it will also serve as a strong deterrent to any future crime.
"We say we're a safe haven," remarked Mills, "and now we're even more so."
