On the case

A total of 12 new generation AutoDomes have already been strategically located around Ashton town centre near Manchester. The cameras bring many benefits including much faster panning over 360 degrees in one second, new longlife motors for reduced maintenance costs, higher quality colour images, 99 pre-set camera positions and up to three minutes of stored control sequences for more efficient surveillance. The domes are also said to blend better into the town centre environment.

"The old cameras took 15 seconds to pan through 180 degrees, whereas the new AutoDomes give us a major improvement," said Mike Rhodes, Tameside Principal Safety Officer. "Operators were recently able to pass on valuable information to the police about a dozen offences relating to car theft within a 12-hour period. These would not have been picked up using conventional slow cameras because of the time it would have taken them to pan the area."

FAAC gets fruity
Strand Systems of Halstead has put in FAAC electro-hydraulic barriers at the main entrance to the Copella Fruit Juices factory near Sudbury. There are currently around 50 or 60 vehicle movements in and out of the site each day. Strand Systems therefore specified a pair of FAAC 640 barriers, designed for commercial applications.

The 640 is described as robust and hard-wearing with a neat, slimline appearance. It operates at speeds of between four and eight seconds and is suitable for beam lengths from 4m to 7m. An integral fan activates automatically to cool the system during heavy use, and a secure locking system ensures the beam retains its open and closed positions, with manual release via a customised key in the event of power failure. The 640 also provides the reassurance of an anti-crush system.

At the Copella Fruit Juices factory, the barriers are linked to a telephone entry system, which is connected to the landline and housed in a bespoke double-height post. This provides access control for visitors, while staff members use a hands-free card access system.

Bill Dotesio-Eyers of Strand Systems said: "In the 15 years I have been working with FAAC automation, I have found the equipment extremely reliable, with minimal maintenance requirements – two attributes that are especially important in applications like this one."

What better recommendation?
Alert Systems, a subsidiary of Securitas AB and Belgacom, has installed the StarWatch integrated security management system from Remsdaq at its HQ in Kortenberg, Belgium. Alert systems had been consistently impressed with the StarWatch product, having installed it at client premises including multiple sites of a major Belgian bank and Securis, a patrol and guarding specialist based in Brussels and a member of the Securitas AB group.

Remsdaq's StarWatch was launched in 1988 and has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of users. The system is capable of supporting access control, alarm management, CCTV and photo ID, all from a single workstation as a seamless solution.

Distributed processing and a high-speed communications network ensure that all StarWatch systems can process access requests within half a second. The latest version of StarWatch features a modular architecture, whereby traditional two, four or eight door controllers are replaced by optimally-sized units, reflecting the requirements of the particular application.

Shopping shoppers!
Approved BPT installer Atec Security has moved to prevent entry to a busy access road which leads to a private parking area alongside the new Tesco store in the centre of Ludlow. The Combipost, a hydraulically-operated bollard from BPT Automation, is doing the trick.

Quick and easy to operate, the new bollard provides flexible access when required and as well as preventing unauthorised parking by shoppers, also ensures additional security for shop-owners' vehicles, as they can control the bollard using a hand-held radio transmitter. Vehicle safety is ensured by loop detectors, which are located either side of the bollard, preventing it from rising until it is safe.

Unlike some rising bollards which require motor/pump units, it is completely self-contained, which means there is no need to run copper pipework underground.

Nightclub pilot scheme chooses DM
ADT Fire and Security and Lancashire police selected the Digital Sprite Lite from Dedicated Micros for a pilot exercise in Preston's Tokyo Jo's nightclub. ADT and the police worked closely to select and install the system (with RAID storage), ensuring its compliance with the Public Entertainment Licence.

Due to the popularity of the nightspot and hence the need for greater vigilance, Tokyo Jo's was selected by owners Luminair to pilot the new system. Using a combination of 16-camera and nine-camera Digital Sprite Lites with RAID, the new system covers all the nightclub's different levels, providing 24-hour digital recording. RAID enables the club to access 31 successive days of evidential reporting, as required by law.

ADT national account manager Cliff Ross explained: "We wanted to pilot digital recording using all the cameras constantly. The technology used in RAID allows us to do that, and together with the excellent training and support services, made Dedicated Micros our obvious choice."

DM communications manager Pauline Norstrom commented: "We don't believe that digital CCTV has to be complicated. Digital Sprite Lite is designed with the installer and end user in mind and leads the way forward by offering the latest digital technology in a truly accessible format."

Long term security
Hudson Electronic Systems and Videx Security have combined to bring a continuing sense of security to residents of a London housing estate. The advanced and flexible VX 2000 door entry system was installed in an estate in St Johns Wood, with 300 households. As well as excluding unauthorised visitors it reduces the risk of vandalism to their property.

The VX 2000 series incorporates telephone handsets, video monitor handsets or a combination of both. Suitable for use on high-rise and larger low-rise developments, it is proving popular with local authorities and housing associations.

HES commercial business manager Laurence Jolly said: "We have not had a single problem with this site since the equipment was installed 14 months ago. We are now trying to persuade councils to specify Videx systems for all their housing projects."

Robust and expandable
SureFire, one of the region's leading fire companies, has installed an 11-panel Morley-IAS intelligent networked fire system, controlling more than 3000 devices, at the Royal Hospital, Chesterfield.

Alan Booker, the hospital's electrical engineer, initiated the complete replacement of the previous system, which was difficult to update and gave an unacceptably high level of false alarms.

Working closely with Sandy Geddes and Dave McNeill of SureFire, Mr Booker designed the new system to ensure it was robust, expandable and could be easily reconfigured as the hospital campus was extended and departments relocated.

To minimise the cost, existing devices and wiring were used whenever possible. Plans are already well advanced to add a further 500 devices and several additional panels to the system.

During the upgrade, the new panels were sequentially introduced; new panels were initially linked to the existing system to preserve cover; and the existing panels were then replaced with ZX ones. Some existing conventional zone wiring was converted into an intelligent loop and linked to the new panels; additional devices were also installed.

The Morley-IAS ZX network's simplicity also means that panels and devices can be added to the network on a piecemeal basis as required.

SureFire improved system performance at Chesterfield Hospital