In February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an allocation of $348.6 million. Although that is an almost 27-percent increase, it's a drop in a bucket for an industry that, according to APTA, transports Americans more than 34 million times each weekday. Those funds must be parceled out among nearly 100 transit agencies across the country; with most of it being awarded to those that put together the most compelling grant application.
"Charlotte just received its first transit security grant," says James Dougherty, general manager of Safety & Security for the Charlotte (N.C.) Area Transit System (CATS). "We're moving toward where we want to be, but you have to have the dollars to buy those systems and put them in place, hold the training, and basically get the infrastructure built."
Fortunately, according to APTA, transit agencies have managed to augment insufficient federal funding with $2.5 billion since 9/11. And at the crossroads of dire need and rigid spending constraints emerges the necessity for due diligence and making the most of precious resources.
"I have to justify what we're doing. We look at everything as a business case," says Dougherty. "What are the pros, cons, benefits because there's an advantage of being under that microscope in that you look at, 'How is what I'm doing going to be perceived?' "
With the recent launch of the first leg of CATS' new light rail system - the LYNX Blue Line, which travels 9.6 miles in and around downtown Charlotte - that perception is exceptional thanks to the reality of a comprehensive, fully integrated video surveillance, access control, intrusion and fire/life-safety system designed, installed and maintained by SimplexGrinnell.
The LYNX line is a pillar of a multipronged, multibillion-dollar transit initiative that began in 1998 and is scheduled for completion in 2030. In an SSI exclusive, Dougherty reveals the inner workings behind the planning, design and execution of what could serve as both an inspirational and practical model for the next generation of transit safety.
SimplexGrinnell Sales Manager Del Clark and Construction Manager Jeff Poole chime in with additional insights.
New Security Chief Comes to Town
With a current population of nearly 700,000, Charlotte, which lies just north of the South Carolina border, is one of the nation's fastest-growing cities. During 2006 alone, some 80,000 transplants began calling the " Queen City " home. Growth of such magnitude demands radical action to facilitate the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Fortunately, city planners could read the writing on the wall 10 years ago when they adopted an ambitious transit plan that in addition to light rail includes streetcars, buses and commuter rail. However, it was not until 2004, in the shadows of the looming launch of the LYNX line, that a full-time security specialist was brought in to oversee operational safety and security for all of the city's public transportation.
Dougherty, who had previously concluded a 24-year career with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority as its manager of safety, faced the challenge of building a system from the ground up. He embraced the mission of fulfilling CATS' mandate for a user-friendly, fully integrated security solution that maximized both safety and operational efficiencies.
"We didn't want to have a lot of standalone systems," he says. "We wanted our video system to interface with our access control system. We wanted our fire system to integrate. We wanted a fully integrated system with our cameras. We wanted to have camera views wherever we can get on the Internet. And, although security was at the forefront, we wanted it to provide a greater benefit across a multitude of ranges." Integrator, Police Ease Burden
There were at least two significant factors playing in Dougherty's favor. The first of which was his systems integrator. When Dougherty moved from the Midwest to the South, he brought his relationship with SimplexGrinnell with him.
SimplexGrinnell is one of the industry's largest systems integrators. Merged together by Tyco Int'l in 2001, Simplex and Grinnell have histories that date back to the 19th century. Today, the company's 10,000 employees provide security, fire and communications systems and services for more than 1.3 million customers worldwide.
The other ace in Dougherty's pocket was that Charlotte had already established itself as a progressive advocate of municipal video surveillance and its police department had a dedicated regiment of 12 Transit Police officers in force. Augmented by CATS inspectors and contracted police personnel, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (county) Police unit is responsible for preventing crime, trespassing and fare evasion.
"The city of Charlotte has always been in tune with the benefits of camera systems and has had several systems used by the police department," says Dougherty. "In transit, we wanted to buy into that to collaborate and work together. We wanted an integrateable system that we could share with other public safety personnel to enhance overall effectiveness, to give us more eyes on the community, which I think is great."
Seamless Solution Sought Dougherty and his integrator spent substantial time and effort evaluating all the possible offerings on the market to meet the aforementioned objectives of ease of use and seamless integration, as well as a high degree of scalability and future proofing, given the project's extensive scope and duration.
"I wanted an access control system with graphics so I could see the point of an alarm, be it security alarm, fire alarm, smoke detector, pull station. I knew what I liked from past experience and where we wanted to go," says Dougherty. "I looked for something I could build on to take us into the future to 30 years and beyond, where we don't have to do a whole system replacement."
The rigorous evaluation period included case study simulations to gauge how different technology platforms meshed with CATS' operations, as well as using checklists to determine what would be the best option given available resources. Finally, after six months of trials, Dougherty had his answer.
"We chose Andover Controls' Continuum security system and SimplexGrinnell's own fire system," he says. "Andover Controls can serve as a total management system if the various modules are purchased together. Everything has to be programmed in each device, but that allows us to have all those readers, etc. It allows the different devices to integrate with our platform. That's what led us to choose that system."
According to SimplexGrinnell's Clark , other equipment incorporated into designing Blue Line's access control system included around 2,000 HID iClass card readers to go along with magnetic locks, door strikes and electric locksets. Four workstations are integrated with SimplexGrinnell's 4100U fire alarm system across CATS' citywide network.
Intrusion detection is integrated through the access system's door contacts. The entire length of the rail line is dotted with 60 Code Blue and Gaitronics emergency call stations. The video surveillance system features nearly 250 Pelco fixed and pan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) cameras strategically placed at all the platforms, parking structures and CATS facilities and offices. They are continuously recorded by more than 20 Pelco DVRs. In addition, 160 Safety Vision cameras were installed in the rail vehicles themselves and feed images to a Safety Vision mobile DVR on each car.
"We have two cameras on every platform throughout the system," says Dougherty. "We have cameras in every park-and-ride lot. We use a combination of fixed cameras and p/t/z cameras to get us the widest coverage that we can get."
CATS security personnel monitor the systems 24/7 at the Rail Operations Control Center via more than a dozen large-screen video monitors mounted on the wall. An intercom system permits operator intervention, if deemed necessary. Workstations are also equipped with specialized computers displaying advanced graphical user interfaces.
"My graphics view is my footprint of the facility," says Dougherty. "I can see when/what door is opened or closed, or even bring up a picture of the person who went out that door. I can have alarms set to where it alerts a police officer's cell phone and notifies the dispatch."
Turning Mountains into Molehills SimplexGrinnell assigned a 20-member team to begin working on the Blue Line project in June 2005. As of November 2007 when the train's operations got under way, the integrator had logged approximately 2,000 man-hours.
As one might imagine, the logistical and technological challenges associated with an installation of this magnitude are enormous. Being up to the task requires a firm understanding of transit's unique characteristics.
"Transit is a little challenging because we have an open-door policy," says Dougherty. "We don't have the restrictions that are at an airport where you have a closed, gated area that you can control where people go. We have to work with an environment that allows folks to have free access, but at the same time we have to do our best to ensure their safety. "
According to SimplexGrinnell's Poole , one of the most prominent obstacles encountered in the project was the need to interface so many systems dispersed throughout the city. "One of their complexes consisted of fire alarm, access control, emergency phone, CCTV, intercom, paging and security spread across five separate buildings being built at one time," he says. "We had to bring in extra manpower from outside sources to maintain the pace of the project, with as many as 20 installers at one time onsite."
To make matters more taxing, the integrator ran into some snags dealing with the city's pre-existing networking and communications infrastructure, which in some cases was obsolete.
"There are card readers with local controllers across the city at the park and rides that required a network connection at each facility," says Poole . Most only had two connections available, both used. So CATS had to install more network hardware to get the controllers tied back into the head-end."
Progress was further impeded when third parties had to be relied on. "The rail maintenance facility was an extremely fast-paced building with all systems being installed in complete conduit systems installed by others," continues Poole . "Convincing the conduit installation company to maintain pace and provide the required conduit required full-time management."
While the vast number of challenges was met with successful solutions, some remain fluid as the city, CATS, vendors and contractors accommodate adjustments and expansion.
As the nexus of CATS' security and safety operations, keeping the multitude of stakeholders at bay during the course of the project meant Dougherty had to diplomatically curry favor with other municipal departments, and even had to reel in his integrator from time to time.
"To get what I need from security while maintaining aesthetics sometimes can be tricky," he says. "The architects like to get the awards for something being aesthetically pleasing, and the last thing you want is a security guy coming in and running some rigid conduit down your beautiful wall!"
Total Effort Maximizes Payoff All the careful planning, coordination and hard work paid off in short order as the system has shined brightly in just the few months since it has gone online. Dougherty cites numerous occasions in which the system has served as an indispensable tool.
"We've recently had runaway situations and the video system has helped with it," he says. "We received a complaint about a person who ran a crossing gate. When we looked at the video and we could positively identify it was her and her car, we issued a traffic citation. So not only for security, it can help with an accident, event, if someone's lost."
The integration at the heart of CATS' security success story is not confined to card readers, network switches, et al, however. Practices and people are also key. "We train our employees, we have public awareness training; we provide safety brochures to the riding public, teach our employees to say something if they see something," he says. "Folks are concerned about their community and their public safety here in Charlotte . It's made my job easier."
Despite his satisfaction with CATS' security system, Dougherty is not resting on his laurels. He continues to keep a close watch on possible improvements and new technologies.
High on his priority list are a wireless network for video distribution and downloading, enabling greater viewing of video at multiple sites, real-time monitoring of onboard cameras, and introducing video analytics.
In the meantime, Dougherty takes pride in what has already been accomplished. "I have a strong passion for what we do and I'm fortunate to have the support," he says. "I think we've been successful and I'm personally happy and proud of the systems we've put in."
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Scott joined the staff of Security Sales & Integration in October 1998. His one-time occupation as a cable-TV technician and lifelong love of electronics made his move into the security industry a natural progression. In addition, Scott has spent more than 20 years in print and electronic media. Since graduating in 1986 with honors from California State University , Northridge with an undergraduate arts degree in Radio-Television-Film, his work has encompassed magazines, radio, television, film, records, teletext, books, the Internet and more. |