A DAY OUT IN LONDON - COUNTER TERROR EXPO

I spent the day yesterday at the Counter Terror Expo in London. There are very few exhibitions that I enjoy because generally I am "salesman intolerant" or indeed, sales woman intolerant. I would not want to be accused of being sexist with my prejudiced opinions of people whose job it is to sell a product and not let a few minor negative points get in the way of a sale such as "this really isn't the technology I am looking for" or "that doesn't actually work, does it?"

The CTX in London was different to my usual experience at exhibitions in that none of the technology was "being launched" or "on the road map for development". One or two stands grabbed my attention as I wandered past trying to take everything in and as I approached I was set upon with the sales patter of a seasoned professional. But generally I was unhindered in my quest to get familiar with the technology that is available and who is manufacturing it.

There was a vast array of heavy security equipment on show. When I say heavy, I mean blast resistant, bullet proof and solid as opposed to all of the whizzy gadgets that you may see at other shows; no names of course. There were very few conventional CCTV cameras and very little network feature rich products such as access control or video management. The show was packed with solid and proven technology that is fit for purpose. Remembering that you have to first establish what that purpose is in your operational requirement.

I guess the tag "Counter Terror" suggests that we cannot afford to mess about with new gadgets, which really came through in the show. It is a shame that some people don't take the same view when dealing with security that doesn't have the "Counter Terror" tag.

This show is possibly not for the everyday security project and does concentrate on the more unique or specific issues associated with terrorism. Thermal imaging, robust video content analysis, robotics, security screening, armoured vehicles and more 358 weldmesh fence than I care to mention were amongst the exhibitors. Although why there was so much 358, I am not sure.

A good day out in London, I met some friends and made some new ones. I might even go again next year.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FACTORY ACCEPTANCE TESTING

When trying to establish why an installation or individual products don’t perform as they should I have to consider which step of the design and delivery process has failed. Very often the problems are created in the early stages of design. The operational requirement document is the key to getting a project set on the right track. However, there are many other stages in the project delivery process that can negatively impact the end result if due diligence is not paid at the right time.

Whether you are designing  a complex system that involves new technology, high levels of integration, multiple levels of programming or a system that you have deployed many times before it is important to consider the role of the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in the project delivery process.

A factory acceptance test is a documented procedure that is carried out prior to system deployment to determine whether the system will operate to its performance specification. This test procedure should cover all aspects of the system functionality under all scenarios.

Many of the systems that I review have obviously not been fully tested prior to deployment. When I am asked to evaluate a system to determine "what went wrong" I often receive a project history that lists problem after problem during installation, commissioning and then through the defects period. I don't think that I have ever visited a system that has suddenly started to play up.

When I look in to the details of such a project history, I find that the installer had problems getting system A talking to system B or that a certain piece of equipment struggled to achieve what it was there to do. Camera 27 has never had a usable image etc. etc. All of these problems could have been eliminated prior to installation with a good factory acceptance test.

The FAT does not only eliminate the risk of design or interface issues, it is an opportunity to pre-program systems and let engineers get familiar with the project long before it hits site. After a good factory acceptance test a project installation should be smooth without unexpected problems. This fact does not only ensure that the system meets its operational requirements or performance specification, it has the potential to save a lot of money. Installation programmes can be reduced, on site commissioning can be reduced and loads of expensive time and resource used up by reacting to problems can be eliminated.

Spending a little time and money on a factory acceptance test prior to installation can save you a lot of time and money during (and after) installation.

Of course, the FAT is only part of the project design and delivery process but in my experience it is one that reaps many benefits if carried out correctly.

THE BASICS OF DESIGNING A CCTV SYSTEM

In order to maximise the benefits of your CCTV system it is important to establish some basic criteria as a starting point for the system design. The first of which is to define the problem and consider if CCTV is the most appropriate response. Given that the answer is “yes”, it is critical to establish the Operational Requirements (OR) of the system.

The basic model for an OR is to establish the following information.

• Site Plan – to identify areas of concern.
• Statement of the Problem.
• Stakeholder Liaison.
• Risk Assessment.
• Success Criteria.
• Determine the Technical Solution.

With the OR in place it is then possible to design the most appropriate CCTV solution. The second level of the OR must identify observation category of each camera. I.e. is it to monitor the area, detect a figure or recognise a known individual. There are five surveillance categories.

• Monitor and Control
• Detect
• Observe
• Recognise
• Identify

When this has been established, other factors need to be taken into considerations such as image quality, target speed, lighting and environmental conditions etc.

Finally, the response to CCTV information needs to be considered. Who will monitor it, where from, will they be dedicated to it. What training do they need and are there any legal issues associated with privacy and data protection.

With the Operational Requirements in place, it is important to establish the most appropriate technology to use. Does it need to be wall or ceiling mounted, vandal resistant, static or fully functional? Does it need to work in low light conditions or are there challenging lighting conditions such as high contrast areas?

Dependant on the camera choice a suitable lens needs to be selected. What size lens is required to achieve the surveillance category detailed in the OR? Does it need to be IR cut to work with infrared illumination?

It is important to establish which methods of signal transmission most suit the Operation Requirement. For example, fibre optic for long distance and secure transmission or IP on a LAN for integration.

Lighting is one of the fundamentals of CCTV design. Although with the advent of wide dynamic processing it is possible to get usable images in a range of challenging conditions, it is essential the scene illumination and reflectance is understood to achieve the best possible results.

The display monitors need to be selected to best display the received images. The size and position needs to be selected to enable the operator to use the system both safely and comfortably.

Finally the recorded evidence needs to be established in terms of image rate, quality of compression, resolution and duration. How is the data to be exported, should it be required in a criminal case?