The cameras being used are dome units with varifocal lenses. Engineers from ISO Integration were able to plug these into an Avigilon encoder and then make a simple Ethernet connection to the hospital’s network switches so that the network and video matching software could view and record both types of camera feed as well as applying motion detection and video analytics.

David Darling is IP Video Sales Manager at ISO Integration. He said: “With healthcare facilities wanting to maximise patient, staff and visitor safety but needing to focus their principal investment on clinical excellence, our value proposition was that by using encoders we were able to produce an IP stream from the analogue cameras while also integrating pure IP cameras into a unified control and monitoring platform. This is also a ‘green’ solution since viable units have remained in situ.”

Intelligent scene analysis is optimising the camera system’s use of RAID, this being an important consideration in hospitals where increasing digitisation of medical records makes demands on storage. Intelligent, selective video transmission optimises use of bandwidth, preserves storage capacity and reins in cost.

David Darling continued: “A feature of high-end software such as Avigilon’s Control Center is the ability to search footage for a significant event based on changes in even a portion of the frame over a particular timeline. Such a review can be performed from any computer on the hospital campus or indeed remotely, a facility that is being used to significant effect by senior management at the Chapman Medical Center. ISO Integration’s engineers worked seamlessly with the hospital’s IT department, ensuring that IP addresses were immediately secure, and accommodating the client’s style of network usage.”

ISO Integration has introduced one, two, five and eight-megapixel cameras, making effective use of wide viewing angles in lobby and reception points at the hospital. The surveillance cameras cover areas including medical emergency and surgery centres, ambulance arrival bays, cafeterias and external walkways which are benefiting from IR illumination. There is extensive surveillance of car parks to promote safety and discourage loitering or other inappropriate behaviour.

Wiring at the facility is a combination of Cat5e and fibre optic, while switching units are predominantly Cisco with the existing 2.5 TB Dell server set to increase fourfold. The project features use of COTS (‘commercial off the shelf’) hardware and software, this being characteristic of the transparent working methods adopted by ISO Integration.

Use of sophisticated video surveillance at the medical centre has been a catalyst for general cultural change, with employees at all levels of seniority giving more thought to security, lighting, use of gates and barriers and promotion of patient and staff wellbeing through technology. Possible future developments include enhanced perimeter intrusion, access control and automated time and attendance.

Jason Shane is the Director of Security at Chapman Medical Center. Mr Shane has taken a close interest in the implementation of the surveillance equipment and has assessed its functionality carefully.

He said: “Judicious use of high-quality cameras has enhanced our awareness of the facility in general. The cameras have helped us become aware of questionable activity in our rear car parks, exterior lights that were failing, inappropriate use of emergency exits by staff, and exterior doors failing to be locked as expected.”

Mr Shane continued: “It is well known that hospitals are facing increased security challenges. Our senior management are very pleased with their investment in this new video surveillance system to help us meet these challenges. The system has improved staff security awareness, helped us satisfy new legislation to improve patient/visitor safety and is protecting hospital assets from theft and vandalism.”