Unique System Design Challenges

As mentioned earlier, before the new casino could be constructed an existing Aqueduct Racetrack building had to be cleared out to create two floors of gaming, an events center and a ground floor to accommodate back-of-house operations.

Reader spearheaded the design process for the surveillance and equipment rooms, providing input for the location of walls, size of rooms, Winsted console layout, etc. He presented design concepts based primarily on the end user’s desire
to have ample square footage allotted to the surveillance room construction. Reader was also involved with camera installation and positioning throughout the facility as dictated by NYL regulations.

The control room is built on the first floor in the back of house. Unique to a typical casino surveillance room design are the large glass windows between the monitoring and equipment rooms that allow for viewing of the surveillance system. In addition to three desktop displays, each operator station has four 19-inch monitors flanking a 60-inch display on a “smart” digital monitor wall, which uses a recording process that requires no extra inputs to track activity on the wall. There is a shift supervisor workstation in the center of the room, as well as a manager station in a private office – all with individual review clients.

A challenging component of the surveillance installation was the requirement by the state of New York to use union labor. This created a unique scenario where Reader and Arnett took on the directorial roles an integrator would typically have with this type of project.

Another difficult aspect of the project was the installation of cameras in a complex ceiling design that included soffits of varying heights. As the designs evolved and plans were modified, the original camera layout had to be altered to accommodate the fluctuations in the overall design. This resulted in swapping and repositioning of cameras.

“I was presented with several redesigns that were required because of changing slot layouts, alterations to ceiling design and the varying heights in the ceiling,” says Reader. “It was my job to consider the regulatory requirements, as well as the needs of the surveillance environment and end user, and meld these together during the install.”

Delivering Results on Deadline

When the project began last July, the immediate concern was providing camera coverage of the slot machines once they had been delivered to the site to make sure they weren’t tampered with prior to installation. This required setting up the core networking infrastructure in a temporary office to record 100 cameras until the surveillance area was completed.

Camera installation also had to precede many aspects of the construction process, which meant certain areas had to be completed before cameras could be wired and installed. With the soft opening set for Oct. 28, 2011, Reader and Arnett knew it would be down to the wire to make the go-live date.

“We worked closely with both the electrician and carpenters’ unions and were able to navigate the tight deadlines by providing extra manpower on weekends and holidays,” says Reader. Arnett adds, “The fact that we were installing in to what was essentially a new build helped reduce certain difficulties that could arise from retrofitting existing space and equipment.”

Since the new surveillance system has been installed, Arnett reports that there have been a number of incidents where they were able to detain suspects while still on property because of the ability to play back video instantaneously. There have also been a few situations where patrons have slipped and fallen. The recorded video has been instrumental in both resolving those events and giving the risk manager the ability to correct problematic areas in the new casino to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

Overall, Medolla says they are very pleased with the system: “New operators with no experience have been able to learn the Synergy platform within days and become proficient with minimal training. We are able to resolve incidents from the floor within minutes instead of hours because of the digital system. And, the high quality of the HD IP cameras has proven to be like nothing I’ve seen in my surveillance career. To be able to discern facial features or small objects [i.e. someone putting something suspicious in their pocket] is extremely beneficial to our surveillance operation.”

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Case Study in Brief: Resorts World New York City

PROJECT: IP HD video surveillance system for Resorts World’s first
North American casino venture in Queens, N.Y.

SOLUTION: 1,500+ channels of IP HD video recording with 1,080p capability on all cameras (including pan/tilt/zoom models recording at 30 fps across all channels); America’s first “smart” digital monitor wall recording process that requires no extra inputs to track activity on the monitor wall; POS integration; ability to integrate with access control system

COST: $7.5 million for surveillance system and installation

CONSULTANT: Shawn Reader, Security Surveillance Consultants Inc.,
Phoenix

 

 

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