星空传媒

Today鈥檚 discerning end user of security systems is always looking for the Holy Grail 鈥� a security systems integrator with well-trained sales and engineering staff that can offer a high level of service and consistently provide excellent customer care and support.

As one of the industry鈥檚 leading manufacturers, Panasonic (UK) is also on the look-out for installation and integration companies with which it can work in harmony. With this in mind, the CCTV specialist has set up its Premier Integrator Scheme, accrediting only those systems contractors who can meet several demanding criteria: engineers must attend at least three training courses per year, the installer must demonstrate the highest standards of technical service and support (including repairs at component level) and carry ample demonstration stock for on-site presentations to the potential purchaser.

In return, Premier Integrators enjoy the full support of Panasonic and the prestige of having achieved a standard of excellence above all other installation concerns.

To highlight the benefits of this scheme to the end user organisation and its Security Department, Security Management Today has again teamed up with Panasonic (UK) in offering a third series of detailed case studies encompassing all manner of different end user installations, from sports arenas and retail complexes through to hotel and office developments.

What do you need to look for in an installer? How should you work with them? How might you extract the maximum benefit from that working relationship?

We鈥檒l attempt to answer these and further questions for you as we continue this hugely popular strand of dedicated articles aimed at the practising in-house professional.

Situated just over a mile from Lisburn

on the Hillsborough Road 鈥� where the A1 main road from Belfast to Dublin meets the M1 motorway 鈥� lies the Sprucefield Centre, Northern Ireland鈥檚 only regional out-of-town shopping complex. Built on a Greenfield site with its first phase opening in late 2003, the Centre is readily accessible from all parts of Ireland and, in a relatively short space of time, has developed a reputation for regional shopping excellence.

Not only that, the Sprucefield Centre is also one of the few single-level shopping facilities in the country 鈥� an attribute that has helped developer and owner the Westfield Group (which also owns the Castle Court retail complex in nearby Belfast) to open the Centre鈥檚 doors to a far broader audience of shoppers through its undertaking to attain 鈥楽hopmobility鈥� status. Tenants at Sprucefield include Sainsbury鈥檚, B&Q, Currys, Homebase, JJB Sports, MFI, Laura Ashley and a concept Marks & Spencer combined with the newly-opened Caf茅 Revive.

Customers of all retailers can benefit from 1,500 free car parking spaces, additional coach parking and an on-site petrol/service station. The Centre also hosts a McDonald鈥檚 Restaurant as a dining option for the hungry shopper!

On a day-to-day basis, the Centre is managed by Whelan Property Management, whose on-site team is headed up by Denise Greenan and Tim Honeyford. Opening hours are pretty standard, with shoppers able to access the Centre at 9.00 am right through to 9.00 pm from Monday to Friday, from 8.30 am to 8.00 pm on Saturday and then from 1.00 pm until 6.00 pm every Sunday.

From the outset, the task of overseeing the site鈥檚 security measures was entrusted to Robin Guthrie, the managing director of Northern Ireland-based consultancy Cherton Enterprise Ltd. Guthrie joined Cherton in 1999 from his previous position as commercial director with a UK plc, having acquired an expertise for the development, delivery and management of strategic security programmes.

Guthrie boasts extensive experience in the fields of corporate security advice and risk management, which is why his current role also involves offering bespoke security consultations for chief executives and the Board members of client organisations.

Typical security incidents

Due to the site鈥檚 location, the police are known to ask for specific times and dates with reference to incidents where criminals are suspected of using the retail park as a convenient vehicle changeover or rendezvous point

Although not a regular occurrence, there have been a number of security incidents in the past 12 months. The B&Q outlet was subject to an incendiary fire bombing which forced the store to close for six months. On a lesser scale, there is an ongoing problem with gypsies (or 鈥榠tinerants鈥� as they are known in Ireland) who attempt to set up home at the Centre鈥檚 perimeter. It is for reasons such as these that the new surveillance installation had to be of the very highest performance specification.

To assist with the deployment of integrated security for the Centre鈥檚 230,000 sq ft retail development, right from the outset Guthrie was closely involved in a tendering process aimed at providing a CCTV system that would offer comprehensive surveillance right across the site. The Sprucefield Centre鈥檚 geographical location (approximately 15 miles west of Belfast) and its proximity to a major broadcasting site necessarily meant that all responses to tender had to address several interesting localised issues.

鈥淔or this new facility, we wanted high performance systems throughout,鈥� suggested Guthrie. Providing detailed documentation through its own application 鈥� in particular with respect to its solution鈥檚 cost-effective nature in relation to the project specification 鈥� the tender bid process to supply the external CCTV system was won by VIS Security Solutions of Belfast. 鈥淧ersonal experience of having worked with VIS in the past left me happy that the company could deliver to its own specifications with the required level of quality and within the agreed timescales,鈥� continued Guthrie.

Major design considerations

In order to accommodate the planned expansion and development of the retail park, the CCTV system鈥檚 network had to be flexibly configured. The temporarily-housed Control Room covering Phase One of the development (Phase Two will encompass a 220,000 sq ft John Lewis store as part of a 拢150 million expansion, although traders in Belfast and Lisburn have voiced opposition to the idea) would require relocation to a more permanent facility. To meet the need, VIS installed the system鈥檚 network of cabling, terminating it at a remotely-sited equipment rack. The link to the existing Control Room is via a short cable run, with the siting of the equipment rack being chosen as it is ideally located to cater for the provision of a new cable link to the planned Control Room yet to be built.

The proximity of a BBC radio transmission mast could have been potentially disastrous for the CCTV system鈥檚 all-important rendered images. The solution? VIS installed a private fibre network that ensures an interference-proof camera video transmission medium.

The Sprucefield Centre鈥檚 surveillance system employs a matrix and system controller to control all CCTV functions and ancillary equipment. Now offering round-the-clock monitoring, the installation provides high resolution coverage of the Centre鈥檚 car and coach parking areas. To ensure that all parking bays are secure, two-way radio communications between the CCTV Control Room and uniformed security officers (wearing high visibility jackets) helps in reassuring customers that their vehicles are safe, and their contents constantly protected against theft.

Further awareness of the presence of the CCTV system is advertised via the discreet placement of 鈥楥CTV In Operation鈥� signage.

VIS specified WV-CW860 external dome cameras to serve the Sprucefield Centre on the basis of the cameras鈥� ability to deal with varying daytime and night-time lighting conditions. That ability stems from an automatic colour/mono image switching device and a useful 22x built-in zoom lens. The provision of 64 pre-set options also assists in the establishment of a number of customised camera 鈥榯ours鈥� encompassing pan, tilt and zoom sweeps of key areas within each camera鈥檚 field of view. A useful feature which can greatly assist in the security management of a multi-camera equipped system supplying automated, pre-programmed surveillance 鈥� and associated image 鈥� recording.

Information storage on site

Covering service vehicles鈥� deliveries to the retail park鈥檚 back-of-house service yards and entry/exit barriers at the public and service entrances, fixed cameras have been deployed to maintain a watchful eye in these areas. The adjacent petrol station is also monitored by the system, with visual information being used in the advent of any 鈥榙rive off鈥� incidents.

On entering and leaving the site, all visitors鈥� vehicles (including service vehicles) are captured in full-frame picture format for recording in 24-hour mode. A hard disk unit featuring 1 Tb of digital storage capacity is used to record and store video footage for a period of 28 days before the recording 鈥榣oop鈥� cycle overwrites the information.

CD writer viewing software supports the recorded video footage by enabling the downloading of visual information if required. All recorded information is downloaded once each month for archiving. Due to the site鈥檚 location, the police are known to ask for specific times and dates with reference to incidents where criminals are suspected of using the retail park as a convenient vehicle changeover or rendezvous point. n