A case study of the IP-based, digital CCTV used by the US Park Police, National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Interior (DOI) for public safety and operational efficiencies at the recently renovated Statue of Liberty National Monument and Liberty Island.
The Statue of Liberty reopened to the public on Independence Day, July 4, 2013, after eight months of renovation and repairs after Hurricane Sandy. As part of the refurbishment, Total Recall designed, installed and maintained the CCTV as a donation by the company. Total Recall migrated from analogue CCTV to in IP-based digital video, building a command centre for the NPS and US Park Police so that the park couldcover areas with video surveillance that they could not reach before, such as the security screening facilities.
“The National Park Service and Statue of Liberty National Monument greatly appreciate the comprehensive security system donated by Total Recall,” said Capt. Gregory Norman, Commander of Liberty District, US Park Police.
“We are extremely honored to once again be part of the surveillance system design and installation at the Statue of Liberty,” said Jordan Heilweil, president, Total Recall Corporation. “We assembled a Dream Team of cutting-edge security technology providers to give her the best protection possible while helping the Park Police, Department of the Interior and National Park Service deliver a memorable experience for the millions of families who visit the Statue each year.”
The IP system covers the entire perimeter of Liberty Island, as well as the park’s security screening facilities and all 393 steps from the main lobby to Lady Liberty’s crown. The system will be used for day-to-day safety and security of the park while also helping the US Park Police and NPS monitor traffic flow and do people management to keep lines moving, assist ferry service operation, reconnect parents with misplaced children and respond to any medical emergencies.
Product firms used by Total Recall for the Statue of Liberty’s new surveillance system include:
• Axis Communications to provide a mix of nearly 160 IP cameras with HDTV quality
• BriefCam for its unique Video Synopsis software that enables law enforcement and security personnel to review hours of video in minutes;
• DragonWave to supply multi-gigabit packet microwave radios
• Milestone Systems for its IP video management software enabling first responders to view live or recorded video, also using mobile devices;
• Pivot3 for digital storage and compute devices designed for the IP video industry;
• Proxim Wireless to deliver wide area wireless broadband using WORP to connect IP cameras in areas the previous system could not reach;
• RGB Spectrum for enabling multiple video feeds to be displayed on the video wall in the new command centre using its MediaWall 2900 Display Processor;
• Scallop Imaging for perimeter security via its all solid-state M6-200 IP cameras with six megapixel, low-light video and undistorted panoramic 200 degree field of vision;
• and Winsted Corporation for ergonomically designed command centre consoles.
Total Recall designed and supervised the last major security system overhaul for the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island in 1999, with the latest upgrade made in 2004.
Conditions for installing the new system were not easy, Heilweil added, noting that the site presented challenges even without the damage done by Sandy. “The lack of electricity, flooding and damage caused by Sandy could not stop the amazing team from making sure that Lady Liberty could welcome visitors – as she always has.”
According to the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy, about four million people visit the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island each year. For more see http://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm.
Total Recall will present the Statue of Liberty project at the upcoming ASIS New York City Security Conference and Expo, on March 13 and 14, at the Jacob K Javits Center in New York.
