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Surveillance on the move

Rapid-deployment security vehicles ­employing infrared surveillance cameras from Bosch help to protect heads-of-state and government ministers during visits to remote, unsecured venues.

Total security in today’s environment requires more expertise than ever before. The general feeling that we are facing an increasing problem with home-grown and international terrorism has spurred more and more governments and heads-of-state to increase their investment in security systems. This, in turn, has given security teams the opportunity and resources to acquire more sophisticated equipment for the job.

Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia, in particular, have all seen a growing requirement for specialised security vehicles to reinforce the ability of security services to operate in remote areas or venues. A project to develop such a vehicle was recently initiated by several UK companies acting in cooperation: Meridian Distribution UK, Vedesco, and Norbain SD.

The result of this cooperation is a command and control vehicle for use by presidential personal-security teams. It has been designed to help ensure the safety of the president when travelling to remote or unsecured venues. The vehicle features, among other equipment, advanced MIC400IR aluminium infrared CCTV cameras from Bosch Security Systems which were specified by Vedesco and supplied through Norbain SD.

Providing mobile security and rapid response

The command and control vehicle is a 26 tonne 6 m x 4 m Mercedes truck that acts as a platform for the security services to organise themselves and effectively control a venue or event. This allows the president to visit in safety more locations than would otherwise be advisable. Thanks to the CCTV element, the unit also allows security personnel to respond to situations that officers may otherwise not be able to see, giving them a more tactical view of the surroundings.

The facilities on board are extensive: a conference room with an LCD projector; satellite communications for voice, fax and data communications, encrypted radio transmitter/receiver, kitchen, bathroom and operations room, and other made-to-order systems. Advanced kit includes cellular jamming, explosive-device detection and metal detection systems, which are available as a portable gate that can be positioned outside the truck. The truck also includes airconditioning to keep personnel and equipment at a comfortable temperature, as well as portable scene lighting to ensure a clear view around the vehicle at all times.

The command and control vehicle holds 12 wireless cameras which can be deployed up to 1 km from the vehicle. These include two MIC400 aluminium fully functional PTZ cameras from Bosch with integrated wipers to ensure they operate perfectly regardless of the weather or environmental conditions. With a rating of IP68 the cameras are well protected against the elements and offer a high level of vandal resistance should the cameras come under attack.

The MIC400 range of PTZ CCTV cameras feature brushless motors as standard – delivering virtually silent operation and reliability. The virtually silent operation ensures that sound does not resonate through the mast on which the camera is installed, a common problem with many other PTZ cameras.

Combining performance and robustness

All cameras are controlled via a matrix, which has facilities for four operators in the control room. Radio contact equipment is used for the wireless transmission of images and is simple to set up: the operators simply need to switch it on and point it in the right direction.

“All the kit was chosen with performance and robustness in mind,” says MD of Vedesco, Steve Woodhead, whose company project-managed the vehicle build and coordinated the installation of the CCTV cameras with wireless networks and portable power solutions. “The cameras can all be deployed quickly and can operate unattended for up to 48 hours.”

Installing the equipment for this type of application presented some challenges of its own: “Everything had to be carefully protected against the vibration and shocks that come with being driven over rough terrain,” says Woodhead.

The equipment is also heat protected. A custom rack has been designed to ensure that all heat is directed to the outside of the vehicle, which helps maintain a comfortable working environment for the operators.

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