The Challenge
Newcastle's Telewest Arena has recently completed a full overhaul of its security system with the help of CCTV system consultants and installers Integrated Electronic Security (IES) - and has found an unusual benefit of going digital.
The 11,000-seat Telewest Arena, that has played host to stars such as Justin Timberlake, Elton John and Cher, had suffered a spate of thefts, involving publicity material being stolen from outside the premises, where traditional pan and tilt cameras were clearly visible - and, for the practiced petty thief, avoidable. Furthermore, picture quality from the old analogue system was poor, making it difficult to identify troublemakers or review incidents in this high risk, public environment that hosts a wide range of events.
The Solution
Alan Baker, Director of IES explains: "A state-of-the-art digital networked system was the best solution for this large site installation. "We specified two 320GB DS2s from Dedicated Micros that were fully networked into the arena's existing system, to enable instant access to images via PCs situated at strategic points around the site as well as in the central control room. "A mixture of thirteen 2050 domes from Dennard (now a member of the Dedicated Micros Group of Companies) and fixed cameras were installed, to allow clear 360 degree viewing across the whole arena, in the entrance corridors and externally."
Jim Duncanson, security executive for SMG Europe, owners and managers of the Telewest Arena, said: "Going digital has improved our security system beyond our expectations.
"Being able to view incidents from the PCs around the arena, rather than simply from the control room, means that any one of the security personnel can view what's happening from wherever they are on site - and take instant remedial action. "The new system has also come into its own to help us offer an unusual form of crowd entertainment: we can use the zoom facility on the internal domes to record the stage being set up. We can then play it back to the crowd on fast forward in the entrance and bar areas as a warm-up act before the concert to give fans an up close, behind the scenes look at the chart-toppers!
"On a serious note, the management of any venue where public events are held has to be very aware of the implications of crowd safety and public liability. We archive all recordings from public events so that, in the event of a public liability insurance claim, we have unequivocal, digitally signed evidence to show exactly what happened, critical to ensure genuine claims are dealt with swiftly - and fraudulent claims are weeded out.
"Data is easy to find, whether archived or still stored in the machine - instead of having to scroll through tape after tape, we have instant access to any image we need via an event log. And because the system has 28 day's data storage, we no longer have the daily chore of changing tapes and ensuring their safe labelling and storage. "Good picture quality is critical, particularly for monitoring a packed arena when we have international stars here. Dedicated Micros' DS2 has given us a fast refresh rate that allows us to review events in real-time, ensuring nothing is missed. "Outside the arena, security has improved to the extent that our car park has applied for Secure Parking status."
