ISO Integration Improves Hospital Security With Video Surveillance
[IMAGE]319[/IMAGE]
ORANGE, Calif. — ISO Integration, the installation arm of Rainbow CCTV, has recently completed a camera surveillance project for the Chapman Medical Center in Orange County, Calif.
Founded in 1969, Chapman Medical Center in Orange County, Calif. called on ISO Integration, the installation arm of video surveillance dealer Rainbow CCTV, to deploy a camera surveillance project at the facility.
The integrator installed IP cameras from Avigilon to operate alongside existing analog cameras that are still fit for purpose at the 114-bed acute care facility. ISO Integration has been able to protect its client’s investment in the legacy units and provide an ongoing migration path using the control center video management system (VMS) from Avigilon whose open-architecture platform accepts input from multiple manufacturers and ensures ultimate scalability along various paths.
The cameras being used are dome units with varifocal lenses. Engineers from ISO Integration were able to plug these into an Avigilon encoder and then make a simple Ethernet connection to the hospital’s network switches so that the network and video matching software could view and record both types of camera feed as well as applying motion detection and video analytics.
“With healthcare facilities wanting to maximize patient, staff and visitor safety but needing to focus their principal investment on clinical excellence, our value proposition was that by using encoders we were able to produce an IP stream from the analog cameras while also integrating pure IP cameras into a unified control and monitoring platform, says David Darling, IP Video sales manager, ISO Integration. “This is also a ‘green’ solution since viable units have remained in situ.”
Intelligent scene analysis is optimizing the camera system’s use of RAID, this being an important consideration in hospitals where increasing digitization of medical records makes demands on storage. Intelligent, selective video transmission optimizes use of bandwidth, preserves storage capacity and reins in cost.
“A feature of high-end software such as Avigilon’s control center is the ability to search footage for a significant event based on changes in even a portion of the frame over a particular timeline,” says Darling. “Such a review can be performed from any computer on the hospital campus or indeed remotely, a facility that is being used to significant effect by senior management at the Chapman Medical Center. ISO Integration’s engineers worked seamlessly with the hospital’s IT department, ensuring that IP addresses were immediately secure, and accommodating the client’s style of network usage.”
ISO Integration introduced one-, two-, five- and eight-megapixel cameras, making effective use of wide viewing angles in lobby and reception points at the hospital. The surveillance cameras cover areas including medical emergency and surgery centers, ambulance arrival bays, cafeterias and external walkways which are benefiting from infrared (IR) illumination. There is extensive surveillance of parking lots to promote safety and discourage loitering or other inappropriate behavior.
Wiring at the facility is a combination of Cat5e and fiber optic, while switching units are predominantly Cisco with the existing 2.5 TB Dell server set to increase fourfold. The project features use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware and software, this being characteristic of the transparent working methods adopted by ISO Integration.
Use of sophisticated video surveillance at the medical center has been a catalyst for general cultural change, with employees at all levels of seniority giving more thought to security, lighting, use of gates and barriers and promotion of patient and staff wellbeing through technology. Possible future developments include enhanced perimeter intrusion, access control and automated time and attendance.
Chapman Medical Center Director of Security Jason Shane has taken a close interest in the implementation of the surveillance equipment and has assessed its functionality carefully.
“Judicious use of high-quality cameras has enhanced our awareness of the facility in general,” he says. “The cameras have helped us become aware of questionable activity in our rear parking lots, exterior lights that were failing, inappropriate use of emergency exits by staff, and exterior doors failing to be locked as expected.”
“It is well known that hospitals are facing increased security challenges. Our senior management are very pleased with their investment in this new video surveillance system to help us meet these challenges,” Shane says. “The system has improved staff security awareness, helped us satisfy new legislation to improve patient/visitor safety and is protecting hospital assets from theft and vandalism.”
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
