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Baby protection delivered

Sukema Integrated Solutions was commissioned by the Western Cape Health Department to implement a security solution at a number of government hospitals in the Western Cape, in order to eliminate baby stealing.

The project was scoped and presented in draft form to the authorities for approval, after which a specification was compiled for tender purposes. The project was made up of three major components, namely CCTV, baby tracking with RFID, and an integrated management system (IMS) to form the standard across the hospitals. The specification listed the following systems as the standard technology to be used:

• IMS - CHASE Enterprise Operations Management.

• CCTV – Avigilon HD.

• RFID and infrared baby tagging.

A control room was established from where all systems would be monitored and manned. CCTV was installed at all identified positions in order to obtain maximum footage and coverage. A network of RFID readers was installed at all required positions, and RFID tags provided for the tagging of babies. The IMS was installed and integrated to the CCTV, baby tracking and access control, providing a centralised management system accessible to numerous stakeholders with the relevant authority.

Protection via RFID

The primary objective of the project was to eliminate the stealing of babies from the hospitals, a very unfortunate reality they face. By tagging the babies with RFID and linking them to an authorised caregiver or parent, babies cannot be removed from any particular area without the authorised person being present.

Should an attempt be made to remove a baby by any other person, the RFID system will trigger an alert which in turn locks down access control, automatically activates CCTV in the area, logs an incident into the IMS, which then notifies all response parties of the event.

Standard operating procedures (SOP) are automatically displayed for security personnel to action, and all further actions taken are recorded in detail in the IMS for investigative purposes. The IMS is also linked to the licence plate recognition system for further identification of perpetrators.

Response and SOP critical

While technology is very powerful, enabling us to implement all sorts of powerful solutions, it is only as good as the response to an alert identified by the system. This is the operational side of an incident, and is reliant on a number of factors, including notifying the relevant role players of the incident, ensuring that the role players are suitably trained to deal with the required response, that they are aware of what the response should be (SOP), and that all of these actions take place timeously and in order.

The importance of an operational management system that is integrated with technology, and functions in unison with personnel, is key to a successful solution. Technology will not provide a solution on its own; it will only be able to trigger an event that requires operational actions to take place quickly.

For more information contact Sukema Integrated Solutions, 0861 116103, info@sukema.co.za, www.sukema.co.za

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