Page 62 - Security Today, February 2017

people through gates, the more cost-effective your operation will be and the more attractive your port will be for companies to do business there. So the operations department uses the video cam- eras like an intelligent highway system, monitoring traffic queues so they can adjust staffing and lane openings on the fly in order to maximize throughput and minimize wait times.
From a commerce perspective, the cameras provide an empiri- cal record of what is being trucked into the premises and what is being trucked out. Cameras equipped with recognition software record the vehicle’s license plate and each cargo container num- ber and tie them to the driver’s credentials in an electronic record.
Once inside the gate, cameras help yard managers direct the movement of cargo. Managers can monitor yard activity, identify slots for loading and unloading, detect problems in the lanes and dispatch resources all from the safety of their office. I’ve even seen some ports put cameras on the cargo cranes to help operators lock the lift arm mechanism onto boxes and move the boxes into slots. It’s actually a lot faster and safer than depending on some- one in the yard waving you on with hand signals.
And then, of course, there’s the cruise terminal side of the op- eration. While they certainly deploy cameras around perimeters and at gates like they do in a cargo yard, there’s also a lot of em- phasis on monitoring escalators. Ports are infamous for getting into litigation over slip-and-falls on escalators. And the cameras help to mitigate those types of lawsuits.
Camera systems are becoming integral to other types of criti- cal maritime facilities, especially refineries. Refinery safety is a great application for cameras equipped with thermal analytics because they can be programmed to detect and alert operators to temperature variations on pumps that might lead to a fuel leak or to a bearing seize-up that would shut down operations. Having that kind of an early warning system is critical in those environ- ments, especially when you’re moving flammable liquids through a pump and pipeline.
Incorvati: Have you seen other analytics being used much at ports? Brown: The first thing to remember is that no one sensor does everything well in every location. Video analytics work well on a fence line detection system, generating an alarm if someone at- tempts to climb the fence or jump the gate. But analytics typically fail on waterside surveillance because wave action tends to cre- ate false alarms and sunlight reflecting off the water washes out camera views.
However, analytics work great in cruise terminal parking ga- rages. They can detect and alert security to someone casing cars to break into or if someone is being assaulted.
I always recommend that ports use a strategic mix of sensors – fiber optics fence detection systems coupled with cameras, ra- dar sensors coupled with cameras, and cameras equipped with video analytics to address the unique topology of the environ- ment. There’s no one silver bullet when it comes to using tech- nology to improve security. Every tool in the toolbox has its strengths and weaknesses.
Incorvati: Are there other ways ports are leveraging their video system investment?
Brown: Training is another area where cameras are becoming in- dispensable. Having a video history of an event helps you see how it all unfolded and you might do things differently in the future. It’s also a way to monitor employee performance. You have to remember, working in a port isn’t like working at a discount store. These facilities are restricted under Federal law and have to have
a higher level of security.
The people who protect them have to be held to a higher stan-
dard. So it’s important for port managers to know that their peo- ple are doing their jobs right, that they’re not accessing areas of the facilities that they shouldn’t or allowing anyone else to enter who doesn’t belong there.
Incorvati: We hear a lot about the convergence of IT and secu- rity. Has that had an impact on the way ports approach IP video technology?
Brown: I’ve always been a proponent of IT being involved in the design and procurement of the security system because the tech- nology is generally outside the expertise of the average of secu- rity/law enforcement group. I’ve seen what happens when a secu- rity department tries to procure and deploy complex technology solutions by themselves. Oftentimes they don’t really understand what they’ve bought or the total cost of managing and owning it. Typically the IT Department is left holding the bag because the solution is either unstable or incompatible with other technology riding on their network.
I’m a firm believer that the IT department should own the technology systems and have the security department be their cli- ent. That way each group gets to do what they do best. Security departments get the service level agreements they need because IT recognizes that the cameras are mission critical to the port’s operation and IT gets control over what technology gets attached to their network. However, I’ve also seen where some ports have addressed this issue by giving the security department its own IT staff to install and maintain the surveillance systems.
As a member of the American Association of Port Authori- ties (AAPA), the leading professional maritime organization, I’m definitely seeing the affect that the convergence of security and IT is having on the industry. AAPA’s security and IT committees are now holding joint conferences on a regular basis to discuss how the industry can best leverage the convergence of technology with port safety, security and efficiency.
Incorvati: What I take away from our conversations is that IP video technology will continue to play an important role both in port security and port operations and safety. I’m already seeing a number of camera manufacturers producing cameras with capa- bilities especially well-suited to port environments.
There are thermal cameras that can reveal the heat signature of intruders attempting to scale security fences or approach a waterside under cover of darkness. Pan/tilt cameras with optical zoom are helping inspectors to remotely examine containers in a yard that might stretch the length of six football fields instead of walking all that distance on foot and running the risk of be- ing hit by a massive crane or stacker. Port operators can now use presets coupled with video analytics to enable a camera to sense an event, such as a reach stacker attaching to a container, and execute a sequence of predetermined moves to scan and record the condition of a container’s sides and bottoms. It’s the kind of visual archive that can assist a port in determining liability in case someone should submit an insurance claim.
But what’s most clear to me is that the stra- tegic partnership between IT and security is essential for the long-term success of whatever solution ports choose to implement.
E. Anthony Incorvati is the business develop- ment manager for critical infrastructure and transportation for Axis Communications Inc.
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