Page 63 - Security Today, July/August 2018

Dealer Strategies
approach over several years. The phase two upgrade involved more than 600 cameras, multiple DVRs, monitors and video encoders for the Fox Tower Casino, as well as its Cage and Count Room. Through- out the phased-in transition, Foxwoods continued using its existing analog cameras and infrastructure.
Foxwoods selected a variety of cameras for the upgrades, includ- ing equipment by manufacturers AXIS and Bosch, which offered im- age quality optimized for forensic purposes, regardless of the lighting conditions. The upgraded cameras ensure excellent detail, even with both bright and darker areas in a scene. For this application, several different telephoto and standard lens options are used depending on specific areas of the casino.
The third and final stage of the Foxwoods upgrade involved instal- lation of approximately 238 IP cameras and cabling, and the expan- sion and testing of the DDN and Genetec systems. All work had to be performed in a 24/7 casino environment where unforeseen obstacles are an inherent reality.
Foxwoods’ upgrades were installed by Red Hawk Fire & Secu- rity based in Orange, Connecticut. Red Hawk General Manager for the Orange district office Dino Rocco manages the team of profes- sionals experienced in the application and integration of electronic security systems.
“We began the phase three upgrade with the high stakes gaming area and moved on to the poker rooms completing the installation and testing and meeting deadlines for each section as we went along,” said Rocco.
GOOD TO BE FLEXIBLE
The installation schedule required extreme flexibility, so there was al- ways a “Plan B” if, for any reason, the Red Hawk team was unable to
access an area scheduled for installation.
“Foxwoods’ patrons are loyal and valued, and card players often
want to play at specific tables,” Rocco said. “So, if they come in or if they happen to be playing at their table when we’re scheduled to do work, we would then move on to plan B and concentrate on another area.”
Since the work required the casino to close off sections of the gaming area with security officers present during installation and testing, the Red Hawk team had to work efficiently to bring in the Cat 6 cabling, place the cameras, install and test the RJ 11 jacks to certify the cables paired correctly.
“Some sections were bigger than others and some had more den- sity where you could have 5,000 square feet to cover. It wasn’t unusual for us to have 25 or 30 cameras to complete in one area, sometimes over the course of a couple of days,” Rocco said. “In the last phase when we did the work on the Bingo Hall, the work needed to be done after hours, from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. We had to make sure we were in and out no later than eleven in the morning because that’s about when the buses started arriving with customers who wanted to play at their tables.”
A key component of the new digital surveillance upgrade was integrating the DDN Genetec system for storing and managing the vast amounts of video data to simplify the process of navigating video from multiple locations in and around the casino.
Everything came together seamlessly, expanding the depth of re- sort security at Foxwoods. Resort staff receives the security informa- tion they need quickly and accurately—providing both the surveil- lance department and resort guests with greater peace of mind.
Michael Lohr is the senior director of marketing at Red Hawk Fire & Security.
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