System wide, there are about 418 terabytes of video storage, with each recorder providing13 to 18 terabytes. The goal is to store video for 30 days (recorded at 5 images per second), enough to cover any school breaks except for the summer. Use of video motion-triggered recording minimizes storage needs, especially in areas with little activity.
Motion detection functionality on the security cameras enables zones to be created within a camera’s view and motion sensed within the zone will trigger recording. For example, vehicles passing on the street will not trigger video recording since it is not within a camera’s specified zone. Also, the district is respectful of neighbors’ privacy, using the cameras’ privacy masking functionality to block out images of windows or yards. Most of the cameras do not send video to the NVR unless there is movement, which cuts down the need for additional storage space.
Cameras Indoors and Outdoors
About a dozen vandal-proof network dome cameras are used at each elementary school and between 20 and 30 at each mi
ddle school. The cameras’ VGA images provide views of restroom exits and other doorways to help identify who enters or exits, at any door with an access reader. The Super Dynamic feature enables cameras to deal with sudden bright light as the door opens while maintaining image quality. The cameras are also used in kitchens and other interior locations.
Photo Gallery: Kyrene School District’s ‘Virtual Video Fence’
Outdoors, Panasonic’s WV-NW502, an H.264 camera, provides 1.3 megapixel images. This vandal-resistant fixed dome network camera had just been introduced to the market as the Kyrene project was being installed, and it quickly became the primary camera used for the exterior of campuses because of its megapixel image quality. The camera is also used in select indoor applications to watch gymnasiums or multi-purpose rooms that are in use on the weekends, and for larger interior areas such as long hallways. In each front office, the camera provides clear images of anyone coming in or out.
To capture license plates of any vehicles passing through driveways or drop-off/pickup areas, the Panasonic i-PRO WV-NP502 box camera is used with a 15-55mm lens. Three or more box cameras are used at each elementary school and up to five at each middle school.
“We made sure we had coverage of the playground structures with exterior cameras,” said Peloquin. “If someone fell or got hurt, we would have video of the incident. After hours and on weekends we can use those views to prevent vandalism. Cameras also watch basketball courts, which are used by students during school or after hours, again to prevent possible vandalism and monitor any injuries that may occur.”
“For all of the cameras incorporated into the system’s installation, the auto back focus feature assisted technicians fine-tuning the cameras to get the best image quality,” added Peloquin. “This feature simplified the process while allowing us to see crystal-clear images of what was going on in the school district at any given time.”
In the last several months, cameras have also been installed at the district offices, which include an administration building, a food services warehouse, transportation maintenance, a facilities department (for plumbing and HVAC), grounds maintenance and other departments — about 10 buildings in total, spread across several acres. Cameras provide exterior views and can enable the identification of vehicle license plates as they come and go. Watching the perimeter of the buildings, general views record traffic flows and, if an accident occurs, there is video of it. Cameras also view the fuel pump area where buses and district vehicles gas up and the warehouse/loading dock where products come into the district. Also in range is a parts room which contains expensive parts for vehicle maintenance, and storage areas which house lawn mowers and grounds equipment.
How Surveillance is Helpful
The video cameras have already demonstrated their value in several instances. For example, after one weekend a school found that a basketball hoop had been pulled down. The video showed kids hanging onto the rim until it broke. When there was vandalism in a middle school restroom, video showed the guilty students high-fiving each other as they exited. Video has also solved the theft of bicycles from bike racks and, in the parking lot, cameras have captured car accidents.
Video also helps with general maintenance. When a water main broke in front of a school, video showed clearly how and when it happened.
“Surveillance also enables school administrators to reevaluate procedures such as recess, and parent and bus drop-offs. They can see the flow of activities and make changes,” said Diehl. For example, when students were coming in late, administrators were able to determine that the students were being dropped off at the wrong door and correct the problem by alerting parents to the proper designated drop-off area.
The system was recently helpful during a serious crisis in which an active shooter appeared at a shopping mall near one of the schools. The school went into lockdown, which means no badge can open any door, and the video system enabled administrators to watch the school from the outside and inside until the danger passed.
“We could see how teachers and students responded,” said Share. “We saw that the staff was sitting near glass windows, so we called and asked them to move. Video increased the level of support we could provide to the school during the crisis.”
