Force Security has installed a Bosch video surveillance solution to protect the Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE). The system incorporates a range of Bosch’s surveillance cameras supported by Bosch BVMS video management system.
THE Australian College of Physical Education ACPE) is Australia’s leading provider of specialist undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the related disciplines of sport, dance, and physical education. One of Australia’s oldest higher education institutions, ACPE was founded in 1917 as a physical education training institute for young women, and was purchased by global education provider, Study Group, in 2009.
As an independent tertiary institution, ACPE attracts individuals from around Australia and the world who wish to launch or further their careers in the sports sector and its related professions. Over 900 students per year enrol with ACPE, and in February 2016, the college moved into its new state-of-the-art campus at 10 Parkview Drive at Sydney Olympic Park.
When it came to designing the security camera system, Sharon Marlow, Operations Manager and Brian Nook, Dean and Head of College, were actively involved and knew from previous experience what they needed and wanted. Their former site featured an analogue system that was slow and dated, so IP was the natural product choice. Marlow identified the locations where cameras were required in conjunction with the architects at the building design stage.
Particular focus was given to being able to view key areas for the purposes of health & safety of the students and facilitators, public liability, and for possible theft and property damage. The building access points and car park were also significant to monitor for unlawful entry and vehicle damage. A minimum of 30 days of video storage was also specified as part of the recording brief.
Marlow and ACPE had a solid history of working with Force Professional Security Services for more than 10 years, and nominated Force as their preferred contractor. Force Security was provided with the pre-determined camera locations and asked to recommend a 5MP camera solution that best suited the site requirements.
After investigating what the market had to offer, Force Security selected and proposed the Bosch FLEXIDOME IP 5000 MP cameras. Key deciding factors were the FLEXIDOMEs’ ability to provide the best overall coverage & the quality of image that the college desired. An equally important element for the architecturally designed facility was that the housings were aesthetically pleasing and did not detract from the modern structure.
“ACPE left the decision-making entirely up to Force Security as to the brand of video surveillance system to be installed into their new premises”, says Dave Sutherland, director of Force Security. “After much research, we decided on Bosch due to value for money, aesthetics, ease of use, network impact, support and the reputation of the Bosch brand. It turned out to be a sound choice as we were not left wanting in any area.”
According to Sutherland, the installation is a brownfield site, and the work was undertaken at times when it would not disrupt the operation of the college.
“The installation was not without its challenges, given the size and complexity of the applications but our technicians are experienced with this sort of application and we had great support from ACPE,” Sutherland explains.
According to Sutherland, there were a number of key challenges to the application, which was led by project manage Adam Waterford and took 6 months to complete.
“The fact that the project was staged, presented logistical challenges,” he explains. “One of the requirements was to set up and maintain some security during the construction process. Dealing with the many variations presented some design alteration challenges. Providing a head end from the start that could cope with 30 per cent expansion, proved to be a good choice.”
Importantly, the topology of the network is simple and robust. The CCTV system is connected to dedicated network switches and communicates via a dedicated VPN. Sutherland says there are 3 workstations with multiple screen layouts, including perimeter areas, common areas and floor-by-floor displays.
Force Security installed more than 40 FLEXIDOME IP 5000 MP indoor and vandal-resistant outdoor cameras into the premises, teamed with a DIVAR IP 7000 recorder running Bosch Video Management System (BVMS) software. With a workstation client for the main security guard front desk, all cameras are visible from this location, with key cameras permanently displayed on-screen.
Domes have been positioned in all the main thoroughfares and inside learning areas on each level, as well as 2 in the working gym, and 6 in the basketball court. The exterior of the premises features vandal-resistant domes at the building entry, external doors, and at the car park entry boom gate. All staff have been trained on video retrieval and have found access and control of the cameras very simple.
“We chose the Bosch product for a few reasons – image quality, camera aesthetics, budget and ease of use”, says Marlow. “Bosch was the system recommended by Force Security, and it ticked all the boxes. The image quality of the cameras is amazing, especially compared to our old analogue system. The Bosch Video Management System is intuitive and easy to use. Retrieval of recorded footage is very fast, and my staff have learned how to use the system very quickly.”
Meanwhile, campus coordinator, Elizabeth Gray, observed how important the system was for her in tracking the movements of students and staff, including after-hours services like cleaners. Having the ability to quickly review video data in the event of an incident on-site from her desk made things very efficient. Gray said she was also impressed with the storage capacity of the DIVAR IP 7000 recorder, noting that it exceeded the 30 days required and provided up to 50 per cent more, with 45 days of storage. She said the ability to transfer images easily onto USB was also extremely handy. ♦
Force Security installed for ACPE:
* FLEXIDOME IP 5000 indoor 5MP
* FLEXIDOME IP 5000 outdoor 5MP
* DIVAR IP 7000 Recorder
* BVMS 6.5 video management system.
