Avigilon high-definition surveillance monitors depot activity for Lincolnshire County Council

Lincolnshire County Council can remotely monitor activity at its eight depots to safeguard its £12 million investment in equipment and supplies

The Avigilon high-definition surveillance solution at Lincolnshire County Council is managed using the Avigilon Control Centre network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. Lincolnshire County Council has installed an Avigilon HD 2 MP camera at each depot to monitor all activity. At the manned depots, another Avigilon HD camera was installed in the reception area and is monitored by the depot manager. The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system is monitored during off hours in the “Out of Hours” office located in the City Hall, while highway maintenance personnel monitor the system from their own workstations during regular office hours. Lincolnshire County Council stores 28 days of continuous surveillance video on Avigilon Network Video Recorders (NVR) located at each depot.

Avigilon HD surveillance solution

Lincolnshire County Council can remotely monitor activity at its eight depots to safeguard its £12 million investment in equipment and supplies. The Council can also ensure that employees follow proper procedures for loading salt onto trucks to effectively meet road safety and weight restriction requirements. The Council was also able to integrate the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system into its existing access control system to remotely grant or deny entrance for added security. Used primarily as an investigative tool, the Council relies on recorded video to solve issues after-the-fact and can quickly and easily pull up images from the past 28 days to properly resolve an incident.

• Increased asset protection
• Improved operational efficiencies
• Faster investigation times

Boosting security and curbing vandalism

As the fourth largest county in England, located 160 miles north east of London, Lincolnshire is primarily an agricultural area spread over 595,700 hectares. Working in partnership with central government to support its 670,000 citizens, the Lincolnshire County Council delivers a wide range of services to the community, from education to social services to highway planning and maintenance. To promote road safety, Lincolnshire County Council maintains the highways within its region through an effective regime of inspections, surveys, and assessments. Key to its task, the Council’s Department of Highway Maintenance relies on 43 vehicles and 35,000 tonnes of salt each year to keep the roads safe in winter conditions. To protect its investment in road maintenance equipment, the Council has installed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance solution at its eight storage depots to boost onsite security and ensure that employees are following mandated safety protocols while on the job.

Securing valuable road safety equipment

To keep citizens moving across its 5,500 miles of highway in freezing conditions, Lincolnshire County Council monitors the weather around-the-clock from October to May, dispatching trucks to salt the roadways when necessary. The Council stores its equipment and salt supplies, valued at close to £12 million, in eight depots spread across the county. “Our depots are somewhat isolated and half of them are unmanned, leaving them exposed to theft and vandalism,” explained Graham Dewsbury, senior technician at Lincolnshire Country Council. “To better protect the Council’s investment in highway equipment and supplies, we needed a more effective and reliable way to remotely monitor activity at these sites at any time of the day or night.”

Cost-effective surveillance solution

Looking to deploy only the highest quality surveillance system available, Lincolnshire County Council turned to Global Vision (CCTV) Ltd., a local provider of surveillance system design, installation, and service, who recommended the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system.

As a public institution limited by budgetary constraints, Lincolnshire County Council had to present a strong business case to justify the purchase of a new surveillance system, which had to address security and operational issues as well as be cost-effective. “We looked at several factors before choosing a surveillance solution including performance, storage, service, maintenance, and cost,” said Dewsbury. “After reviewing solutions from several vendors, it was clear that Avigilon offered us the best value for the money.”

Monitoring Depot Activity

The highway maintenance team manages the Avigilon high-definition surveillance solution using the Avigilon Control Centre network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. The Department has strategically installed an Avigilon HD 2 MP camera at each depot to monitor all activity. Monitored by the depot manager, another Avigilon HD 2 MP camera was installed in the reception area of each manned depot. The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system is monitored during off hours in the “Highways Out of Hours Emergency” office located in the City Hall, while highway maintenance personnel monitor the system from their workstations during regular office hours. Lincolnshire County Council stores 28 days of continuous surveillance video on an Avigilon Network Video Recorder (NVR.)

Access Control Integration

Because half of the County’s depots are unmanned, it was important that the Council choose a surveillance solution that could easily integrate with their existing access control system to facilitate access and provide an added layer of security. “Because we have electric gates at several of our depots, employees and contractors must request access when they arrive,” explained Dewsbury. “By integrating the access control system with the Avigilon Control Centre software, we can see the gates from the monitors in our office and grant or deny entrance accordingly.”

Enhanced and high quality surveillance

Impressed with the advanced management features of the Avigilon Control Centre software, Dewsbury and his team were up and running on the system in no time. “With the help of Global Vision CCTV, we quickly learned the system and all its capabilities,” commented Dewsbury, who also said that he has been able to expedite investigations for quicker resolution and greater success. Used primarily as an investigative tool, the Council relies on recorded video to solve issues after-the-fact, so storage capacity was also a key requirement. “We can pull up images from the past 28 days instantaneously and review the footage quickly to get to the bottom of an issue.” Another key selling feature was Avigilon’s ability to capture clear images at night. “We selected the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system, in part, for its superior image clarity both day and night.”

Public and road safety

The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system plays a key role in helping to secure the Council’s investment in equipment and salt supplies, but it also plays an equally important part in ensuring that employees are following proper procedures when loading and unloading salt onto their trucks. “When our drivers load salt onto a truck, they must be able to cover the load tightly with a sheet to make sure that no salt blows into the path of other vehicles, which is a serious road safety issue,” noted Dewsbury. “We also have to obey country-wide weight restrictions. We know that if the load is covered tightly by a sheet, we have met the national requirements for truck weight.” With the Avigilon system monitoring all activity, the Council can confirm if safety protocols are being followed.

Great hassle-free service

“With service being a key requirement from the outset, we knew that we wanted a surveillance solution that would be well supported,” concluded Dewsbury. Weighing performance, cost, and service agreements, Dewsbury is confident he made the right choice by partnering with Avigilon. “Installation was straightforward, ongoing maintenance is simple, and the system’s cost/performance ratio is excellent. I am very pleased to have deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system.”