The new Beaver County 911 Center, about 10 miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport, opened in early 2010 as one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the United States.
The 18,000 square-foot, $18 million project was centered around an upgrade in technology – and manufacturer Pelco was at the core of the upgrade.
The Pelco Digital Sentry platform was chosen for its flexibility in supporting analogue CCTV as well as more sophisticated IP and megapixel cameras. The 911 center’s own surveillance needs are met using eight Sarix IX30 3-megapixel cameras for exterior views and 25 analogue cameras for interior views. Recording is provided by Digital Sentry RealVue and a DX8100 DVR system.
The compatibility allows emergency personnel to access camera systems at other sites, such as bridges, schools, colleges, malls and apartment complexes. The use of the Pelco ControlPoint viewing client makes it possible for the 911 center to view video feed from any cameras in the community on its internal cable TV.
“The capability of plugging into other systems [off site], that’s going to be the thing of the future,” says Wes Hill, director of Beaver County emergency services. “It will be the way of the future for 911 centers, not to be monitoring, but if there’s an incident, to get information for responders.”
