Hospital gets better security operation
by Bob Rodgers
At New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, UK, the use of an existing computer network combined with the latest technology was key to producing a flexible and effective hospital security system at an acceptable price.
The 834-bed hospital has a number of specific requirements. Staff need to be able to track individuals along corridors and across the public areas throughout their large site, which includes 20 different departments as well as car parks vulnerable to petty crime. Besides a central control desk for monitoring and managing the whole system, seven areas require their own local recording and monitoring facilities. Given the hospitals future building plans, the control desk is easy to move, and the system is open to expansion.
For flexibility and economy, installers Evolution (Electronic Security Systems) designed the new system round seven of Geutebrücks Multiscope II digital video recorders networked on the hospitals existing 1Gb WAN. - A solution which avoided expensive cabling, supports near real-time video transmission, and provides both local control and central management.
Trying to design a solution that met all the requirements yet fell within the budget made the project an interesting challenge, reported Russell FitzRagan, Evolutions project director. Without the use of up to the minute technology we couldnt have done it.
As well as recording, the Multiscope II offers event management and digital picture transmission on IP networks (LAN/WANs). In stand-alone applications it supports up to 32 cameras but when networked there is no limit. Its particular strengths are its easy integration into larger systems and its easy operation.
Its activity detection function can control recording and minimize false alarms, while its comprehensive alarm management system controls automatic live or recorded picture switching. Functions such as motion search, for locating movement in recorded pictures, and synchronised playback for simultaneous display of pictures recorded from different cameras, are both useful analysis tools.
