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Hikvision secures California landmark

North of Sacramento, in the city of Oroville, the Chinese Temple stands as a California landmark and an epitome of Chinese culture. Playing the role of a museum, it is home to hundreds of priceless Chinese artifacts, including embroidered tapestries, parade parasols, medicinal herbs and gold, among others.

Beyond its rich cultural heritage, the temple is also open to the public and provides worship services for devotees far and beyond the city.

The temple showcases a wealth of Chinese relics for public viewing. However, the limited number of staff and the lack of a large organised security department makes the temple highly prone to theft and burglary. The layout of the buildings resembles traditional Chinese architecture with pillars and angles that make it challenging for caretakers to monitor activities when it is flooded with visitors.

Reliance on public law enforcement is not an efficient solution due to lag between the times of reporting and the arrival of law enforcers.

Defending spiritual grounds

Turning to modern technology, Hikvision’s centralised security camera system was chosen as the solution to the Chinese Temple’s growing need for surveillance. The temple opted to use Hikvision’s DS-2CD752 (I)FB(H) and DS-2CD762(I)FB(H) vandal proof network dome cameras to defend its spiritual premises.

The sizes of the DS-2CD752(I)FB(H) and DS-2CD762(I)FB(H) network cameras are 160 mm x 134 mm, sufficiently small to be discretely mounted on the ceilings, so as to avoid the public eye and yet provide quality supervision of the premises.

The DS-2CD752(I)FB(H) is a 2,0 megapixel camera with an angle view of 101°–30,4°, while the DS-2CD762(I)FB(H) has an 89°–24° angle, providing a wide viewing range. Both cameras support audio and video streams, with maximum image resolutions of 1600 x 1200 and 1280 x 960 respectively. More importantly, they support Ethernet technologies and can be combined with other Hikvision products to form more comprehensive security solutions.

A comprehensive solution for a complex layout

The cameras enable the temple to closely monitor all activities within its premises, including the dark corners, with minimal manpower, thus saving costs and minimising the use of human resources. Both cameras can be linked to an alarm system so as to provide surveillance around the clock. A small security task force is sufficient to monitor activities at the temple through the lenses of the cameras.

Unauthorised activities and emergency events such as vandalism and injury can be easily spotted. Security personnel can then trigger the necessary alarm to alert the temple and neighbouring law enforcement agencies. This is particularly useful during Chinese festivals when unlawful behaviour can easily go unnoticed amidst the ceaseless crowds.

Vice Mayor, Thil Chan Wilcox, who holds the temple dear to her heart given the historical links between its history and her family, was impressed by the capabilities of Hikvision’s technologies. She commented on the simplicity and depth of the solution. “The cameras are very powerful and easily put up. Without them, it would have been impossible to monitor everything that is going on,” she said.

All it takes is a staff member or two to peruse the screens from the office and everything is within the temple’s control. The wide coverage of the cameras also came as a surprise to Hikvision’s installation officer, Larry Tracy. He explained that they “installed fewer cameras than originally intended because they worked far better than expected.”

Weather-proof

Humidity, dust and heat, are a bane to electronic devices. The intricate circuitry of many electronics has often fallen prey to the hands of Mother Nature. The robust physical designs of these network cameras enable them to withstand wide temperature ranges under different weather conditions, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

No more malfunctioning in bad weather, no more routine checks for operational issues. These network cameras provide the same optimum performance regardless of the weather. Temple staff members have praised their rugged designs: A single installation for sustainable satisfaction. Just set them up and let them do their work.

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