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Enhancing port security

How Advantech and Honeywell helped enhance port security.

The Port of Wilmington in Delaware is one of the busiest import/export gateways on the east coast of North America, handling over 400 vessels per year and nearly 5 million tons of cargo. Located at the confluence of the Delaware and Christina rivers, 65 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the port has operated continuously in maritime trade since 1923.

Given the opportunity to proactively upgrade its security management systems to satisfy the new standards suggested by the Department of Homeland Security, the Diamond State Port Corporation, managers of the Port of Wilmington, released an RFP in 2004 for a design/build project using grant money provided by the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP). They had a very specific goal in mind: to secure 100% of their perimeter. Along with complying with the Coast Guard’s requirements for increased security, Diamond State also wanted to increase employee safety and prevent potential losses from remote cold-storage warehouses.

Security integrator Advantech and its partner of choice, Honeywell, were selected for the project. The Honeywell solutions allowed Advantech to leverage the existing security infrastructure to help contain costs while providing a scalable architecture that supported the evolving needs of the Port of Wilmington.

The wide-area surveillance system consists of special application fixed cameras monitoring the entire perimeter of the port. HD6 ruggedised PTZ day/night cameras are also placed along the perimeter for threat interrogation and tracking. Integrated with the initial gate security surveillance system, the existing Rapid Eye DVRs were complemented with 4 TB of additional video storage utilising the Fusion DVR platform and Video Management Software.

An additional power distribution grid was deployed providing primary and emergency power to the security system components. The port’s varied perimeter landscape initially made accessing the video data a challenge; however, the team quickly came up with a solution, designing a complete fibre-optic network which was placed throughout the port’s campus to transmit the cameras’ images data back to the video recorders for viewing.

The Port of Wilmington had been selected as the first US East Coast facility to test the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Smart Card, which was developed to improve security, enhance commerce, and protect personal privacy. Any security system had to take into account the unknown hurdles provided by the TWIC Smart Card which, at the time, was still untested in the field.

“The port desired single card access, yet the TSA’s TWIC Smart Card had not yet been used with any card reader at that point,” said Eric Schaeffer, president of Advantech. “Drivers were looking at having to use two cards, which would have made administration more difficult and costly.”

Honeywell assessed the entire system in order to determine a solution. “Their technical team helped integrate the new card with the card readers and security software,” said Horne. “Honeywell went beyond their scope of services and because of their expert input, we now have one system in place with one card.”

As a result of the integration, drivers are now able to use the TWIC Smart Card for both purposes. Upon presenting their card to an iClass Smart Card Reader, the transportation worker’s picture pops up for the gate operator to verify, alongside a live video feed from the Rapid Eye camera. If the operator does not get a match, he can override the gate’s automatic response.

To provide internal theft controls, Advantech installed Honeywell’s MagnaView Camera Systems designed for harsh environments. Advantech also installed a single interface for the security group to monitor activities in the field.

“A system is only as good as the people who run it,” pointed out Schaeffer. “If it gets too complicated, administration of the system gets sloppy.”

Advantech simplified the process by integrating VistaScape with Pro-Watch to share video alarm information. Honeywell’s technical representatives were a constant source of support, providing quick solutions to resolve issues both within and outside of scope to execute the team’s installation plan.

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