Can Drones Help Firefighters Contain Wildfires?

2014 is proving to be a historic year for wildfire activity in California and the Pacific Northwest. The National Fire Inter-Agency Center, in a report they update daily, put the combined number of fire-ravaged acres in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, to date, at over half-million. Due to the prolonged drought in California, the number of wildfires in that state alone is 123% of the state's average - and we're only halfway into August. With local firefighters working round the clock and, out-of-state teams journeying cross country to join them, one has to wonder if drones might be able to play an assisting role.

Adding Drones to the Mix

Last year, during the Rim Fire in California that destroyed 257,314 acres in Yosemite National Park and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains, the National Guard launched a Predator Drone to aid firefighters by using infrared sensors to detect hot spots along the fire's perimeters or in isolated spots.

The technology packed into the drone proved to be effective since it was able to use infra-red cameras to see through the smoke and dust to detect a spot-fire with the potential to spread to populated areas. Since it had technology to pick up the precise longitude and latitude it was able to pinpoint the coordinates so planes could be dispatched to drop water and fire-retardant chemicals over the site to keep it from spreading
The drone also made passes from one side of the fire to the other, using I-R to see through the smoke all the while detecting and keeping clear of two helicopters whose crew members were keeping an eye on the blaze from opposite sides.

The Twin Falls Times-News reports that the Oregon Forestry Department is planning to equip a small

remote control helicopter drone for the purpose of flying into smoky canyons where conditions would be hazardous to crews piloting helicopters.  It could then share the data its infra-red camera footage and GPS systems gathered with fire crews on the ground. If it proves effective, they plan to equip firefighters with such small drones as regular equipment by 2016.




With an estimated cost of $5,000 and  a gas tank that can keep it flying for 30 hours, the heli-drone would be a bargain compared to the $17m dollar Predator Drone that can stay aloft for 20 hours.






But First Some Questions
While drones are definitely an untapped resource in fighting the increasing numbers of wildfires, their use raises several doubts in firefighters minds. First and foremost is the question of connectivity and second is also a question of ..........

Connectivity......

For a fire fighter, viewing video and interpreting data supplied by a drone's cameras and sensors is not the same as actually flying over the fire, hearing it, tasting it, seeing it  and smelling it. This type of virtual intelligence is better than  no intelligence at all but it's not enriched by the intuition  fire experts flying over the scene of the fire and connected to it by their senses depend on to predict what is apt to do.

and.......Connectivity
How will command centers on the ground connect with the drone pilot receiving the drone's data first hand.

If they are located within an urban interface, connectivity to his iPad will be good, but out in the mountains and canyons where fires usually range? Lots of luck, Charlie.

The biggest concern of all is safety. Will the drones remain at their restricted altitudes or will they stray into the airspace of planes engaged in air attacks. As one official told the Times-News, "It's bad enough to get hit by a bird. Think if you hit a 40-lb piece of metal...."

Kintronics is eagerly awaiting the day when technology for using IP camera systems in drones is developed but at present only analog cameras are used in drones, with video encoders  being used to enable network connectivity. Meanwhile Kintronics has supplied PTZ cameras to The National Center for Landscape Fire Management, which is overseen and administered by the University of Montana College of Forestry and Conservation to be used in their remote sensing program, as well as to the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Whatever your IP camera needs, call 914-944-3425  to speak to a sales engineer, or fill out an information request form

A New Role for IP camera systems - Operations Managers

In this business era when companies are focusing on getting the best return on their investment, a sizable number are looking towards extending their use of IP camera surveillance systems beyond security and into overseeing business operations.
According to a recent issue of Security Watch Info, a survey in which IT and video surveillance professionals  were asked what their business plans were for video surveillance revealed that 68% of respondents plan to use their cameras for improving operations while 32% planned to restrict their usage to security.

Many retail businesses with more than one outlet, perhaps because they are already familiar with how IP cameras systems and video management software deliver remote real-time multi-screen viewing of several locations, have already made the move.

Managers feel that using the cameras will give improve their ability to:

• manage multiple locations
• monitor everyday business activities
• track employees over the course of a day
• keep a watchful eye on inventory and sensitive customer and business data.

They are particularly fond of VMS ability to record and store video and easily access it for future viewing and plant to use it for

•  ensuring  employees are following safety protocol,
•  gaining insight into employee-customer interaction 
•  keeping an eye on their assets.
• providing evidence in disability and accident incident investigations.

 Video analytics scores big too, as small business owners have come to appreciate how event-triggered notifications allow them to stay in touch with their home base from anywhere in the world via smartphones, tablets, or other Internet-connected devices, and plan to help them manage from afar

Lest the respondents appear to be too homogeneous, there were a few outlier replies. One of the most interesting came from a manager who oversees 1,600 stores.  He has 32 surveillance cameras at each location. His biggest problem is neither managing employees, keeping track of inventory, nor preventing theft. It's evaluating the value of  items brought in for sale.
Since it's impossible to have an expert at every location, he's looking into using video to enable experts to do remote evaluations.

We hope this spurs you on to think about how IP camera systems can help you  manage your business operations. Give Kintronics a call at 914-944-3425 or fill out an information request form. Our sales engineers would love to help you transform your ideas into day-to-day reality. 

Access Control: From Keys to Cards to the Uniqueness of You

Remember when access control was limited to fitting a key into a lock and turning? You know the drill. You probably used one to lock your door this morning, and you'll  use it again when you go home this evening. Turn it one way you retract the deadbolt that holds the door closed and gain  access. Turn it the other way, you fit it back into place, denying access to anyone without a key.

The First Lock and Key
The first key unlocked the first lock close to 6,000 years ago in Egypt. The Egyptians used a very simple wooden locking mechanism composed of several small pins inserted into a wooden bolt close to its locking slot. When the pins were in place, gravity held them down, locking the bolt.When a small wooden toothbrush-type key was inserted, it reached the pins and raised them, unlocking the bolt.

This rudimentary locking mechanism was a good first step to access control but it was vulnerable to blunt force and the key was heavy and bulky.

Locks and keys have worked for us through the ages. They are easy to install, universally available, and offer simple secure access control. But they are hardly ideal. Who among us has not lost a key? Keys can break off in the lock if too much pressure is applied. Then you need a new key .....and maybe a new lock.
And there's no way to revoke a key's "security clearance." When a roommate moves out you can't take her off an authorized list nor can a new home owner or renter be certain they hold the only keys. In all these instances, security demands getting the lock changed. And with it comes a new set of keys.

Access Cards

Keys and  keyholes may still be sufficient for residential use, but are all but obsolete at most workplaces, having been replaced by IP access cards and card readers. But cards, too, are going through a flux of change.

Barcode

A bar code is made up of a pattern of lines and spaces of varying widths and sequences. 
It may or may not contain alpha - numeric characters. The information contained in this computer code is scanned into  memory and resides on the card. When presented to a barcode reader at an entryway, it will unlock the door if the employee seeking access is authorized.

Bar codes were the first type of code to be used in access control. They are easy to create, simple to use, and cost little to produce. In fact, a user can print his own barcode using a PC-based application and apply them to blank cards and badges. This plus is also a minus. Since the barcode is there for all to see, anyone who sees it can reproduce, or counterfeit it. One way to get around this fault is to cover the barcode with opaque film of some sort,so that it must be read with a UV bar code reader but this adds to the cost.

Magnetic Stripe

When most people think of swiping a magnetic stripe, they think of their credit card. Swiping a magnetic access control card is no different The magnetic stripe, actually a piece of coated magnetic recording tape, holds information that identifies the holder as someone authorized to enter the facility just as a credit card holds account information.





Magnetic stripe access cards and badges are one of the most economic solutions since they are easy to produce. However since swiping them puts them through the reader, they wear out and need periodic replacing.

Add to this the fact that they are easy to forge and you can see why, although they are good for companies requiring  only simple access control, they are not the answer for facilities with a need for tight security.

Proximity Cards

Proximity cards, like those used in IP access control systems, fill both the voids left by magnetic stripe cards.

They contain a microchip holding encoded identity and authorization data and an antenna to transmit it at the point of entry. When the employee approaches the door, he presents his proximity card, activating a so-called wake up field that powers up the electronics in the microchip so it can send the encoded identity data to the reader via the antenna.

The proximity card never comes into contact with the reader so it can last indefinitely. The reader, since it can be hidden inside the structure, is resistant to vandalism and tampering, making proximity cards a secure, durable means of access control.

Biometric Card

Keys, barcode badges, magnetic stripe and proximity cards all share a common security deficiency. They will permit access for whomever is presenting them whether that person is the rightful owner or someone who has stolen or found it. Biometric cards fill the gaping need for identity authentication.

The biometric card places the authenticating technology on the card. In many solutions ,a fingerprint scanner

resides on the card,  enabling the card, itself to read the cardholder's fingerprint in seconds. Users authenticate themselves right there on the card. If the fingerprint matches the encrypted fingerprint, the card system opens the lock, granting access.

Access control systems using biometric fingerprint and thumbprint authentication provide a higher level of security than systems that just verify a card anyone might be carrying. They do away with the possibility of a stolen or lost card being used for unauthorized access.

Biometrics in Development

While the fingerprint is the most prevalent form of authentication at the time, the technology is moving on, with facial recognition technology in the lead, as well a  futuristic-sounding solution  that can measure and recognize the card holder's gait as he approaches the reader. If all measures up the reader will unlock the door.
.

Can the day be far off when all we have to do is approach and request "Beam me up, Scotty."?

Kintronics is the place to call if you're interested in finding out how IP door access control and IP surveillance camera systems can keep your facility safe and secure. Call 914-944-3425 to speak to a sales engineer or just fill out an information request form.

Will IP Camera Systems Change the Flow of Baseball?

We just finished watching the All-Star game which means we're halfway through the 2014 baseball season. So it remains to be seen what sort of impact the introduction of the expanded replay review will have on the pace of the typical baseball game. Commissioner Bud Selig, in announcing its approval at the January quarterly owners' meetings, had this to say.
 "This is really big. I'm proud of the changes we've made..... because they won't disturb the game as we know it.....Yes there will be some differences but because of our own technology, we've been able to do this."

IP Technology?
The technology to which he refers, brings up a question. Are they using IP camera systems? It sure would seem so, but since MLB is tightly closed mouth on exactly what technology they've employed, we can't say for sure. What we can say is that MLB put a lot of muscle and manpower into setting up the video camera systems in time for opening day.  Consider these numbers:

32,178 person hours and 682,788 person miles went into shipping and installing 42 tons of equipment at 30 ballparks, and running 172.14 miles of cable.  And don't forget that back in New York City at the operations center, 37 HD monitors had to be mounted.

The Rules and Regulations

Each manager is able to dispute  a call by requesting a video review. To do so, he must "verbally inform the umpire in a timely manner." Each manager starts a game with one allowed challenge. If it's upheld, he's allowed another. If it's overturned he gets no more. So will this further slow what's already a slow sport with interruptions and calls to "go to the videotape"?

The limit on the number of challenges is intended to keep with the rhythm of the game, but still there are a lot of instances in which a review can be requested. Approximately 90% of all plays will be subject to replay review including

• a home run
• ground-rule double
• boundary calls
• plays at first base
• force, tag, and trap plays

Tying It All Together with Technology

To insure impartiality, on-field officials do not review the video and make the call. That is carried out in the 900 square foot replay operations center in New York City on the top floor of a former Nabisco factory, now the fashionable Chelsea Market. Current MLB umpires rotate through duty there, reviewing video feeds.  In order to accommodate the innovation, two additional four-man umpire crews have been hired.
In the interest of uniformity, cameras have been mounted at the same twelve angles at each ballpark. So no matter which ball park the ops center umpires are viewing they are seeing the play from the same advantage.

Once the review has been completed, the on-field crew chief and at least one of his umpires is called to the

designated communications center where they use hard-wired headsets to hear whether the replay review umpires have upheld or overturned the disputed call. The crew chief then relays the news to the team managers.







The Bottom Line
Most team managers have shown a willingness to give it a try. According to the Associated Press, manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants  says "It's about getting it right, and with our technology today we can do that in a way I don't think interrupts the flow of the game."

But getting back to our original question of Baseball as we know it, just as some NASCAR racing fans consider car crashes part of the viewing experience and hockey fans, the fight, are the impartial cameras denying baseball fans the sometime comic scenes of volatile manager's disputing umpire calls. For instance,

  Billy Martin and his dirt-kicking tirades

Or

 Baltimore Oriole's Earl Weaver's turned around baseball cap

No, it doesn't appear managers have mellowed any. They're still arguing ball/strike calls which are not subject to expanded replay review, and so far, more have been ejected along with players and coaches than this time last year. But in their favor, thanks to the impartiality of the video, roughly half the out/safe calls they challenged have been overturned.

One fact that's never challenged is the expertise Kintronics sales engineers bring to the table in helping customers choose  IP camera security systems that best fit their needs. If you are thinking about installing  IP cameras, video management software, or PA over IP, give us a call at 914-944-3425, or fill out an information request form.

A Report from the Field

Here's another in our continuing series of reports from the field; the field of view that is. We like to look around the country to see how various cities are coming to appreciate the benefits of IP camera surveillance systems and how they're putting them to work.

Syracuse PD - Home Grown Cameras

You've heard of baby booms, well the Syracuse NY police department is in the midst of a camera boom. They began installing surveillance cameras in 2011 and the total number has grown to over 40, and counting. If all goes as planned, Syracuse will add 20 more by summer's end.

The police call their camera network the Criminal Observation and Protection System, or COPS for short. Believing in transparency, the city lists the location of all its cameras on a special COPS Cameras map.

According to the city's website, Police Chief Frank Fowler says they're not done yet. He plans to continue deploying cameras as long as funding holds out. He may be installing as fast as he can, but a growing number of homeowners are taking matters into their own hands and installing their own cameras on their property. Other residents, some pro and some con, wonder if, like the cities of San Jose, California and White Plains NY (which we previously reported on), Syracuse PD will eventually seek to tap into these private camera feeds

- which brings us to Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids, MI - Imported Video Feeds

Like many cities, Grand Rapids has sought to rejuvenate their downtown area with new restaurants, bars, and music venues. And like many cities, they have found that when after-dark activity increases, criminal activity does, too. The most recent example was a shooting incident that injured three youths after a Bruno Mars concert, and another one outside a downtown drinking establishment.

According to a post on www.mlive.com, a Michigan local  news site, the Grand Rapids PD and  Kent County Sheriff's Dept has beeb putting  Dept of Homeland Security funding towards expanding their surveillance camera presence in the downtown area with new and upgraded security cameras. Inspired by   how footage from privately owned security cameras helped authorities apprehend the Boston Marathon bombers, they are also looking to supplement their own real time surveillance capabilities by enlisting the help of downtown businesses who have mounted cameras on their buildings.

Prior to this program, when investigating an incident, police had to request footage from businesses whose outdoor cameras might have captured part of it. But with the new program in place, they'll be able to tap into the video feeds from cameras whose owners have agreed to participate in the voluntary,opt-out-at-any time project. So far 100 businesses have signed on and made their cameras feeds available to the police.

According to the Kent County Emergency Management Coordinator the agreement only applies to outdoor cameras, and they will not be used for "day-to-day" but only " in the event of an emergency. There would have to be an event serious enough to trigger us to monitor the cameras."

Speaking of serious events .....Dayton Ohio, has an ongoing one.

Dayton Ohio - No Dumping

Over the past three years, the Dayton Dept of Public Works has spent over $1million  to clean up illegally dumped refuse. In 2013,  in an effort to stem this practice, the city installed 23 mobile, motion-activated, day/night cameras to monitor 46 sites where the most dumping  occurred.

Each day, DPW staff reviews approximately 600 images to see people discarding old recliners, plumbing fixtures and piles of trash on abandoned lots, some even backing  trucks filled with building materials and debris, dumping them onto empty lots or abandoned properties."It's an on going battle," the director of  the Dayton DPW told the McClatchy News Service. "When we put cameras up, we see less dumping at that particular site."

Surveillance cameras may not have put an end to illegal dumping but they have resulted in dozens of prosecutions for illegal dumping and unlawful transporting of tires, leading to 20 misdemeanor convictions, and five cases of property seizures. City commissioners are satisfied enough to approve spending $14,000 from this year's budget to purchase and install 18 more surveillance camera systems

IP security camera  systems can be used to monitor situations like these,  as well as to monitor everyday retail operations, to keep track of assets, or as a resource in new-hire training.To speak to a sales engineer about the best camera for your application, call Kintronics at 914-944-3425, or fill out an information request form.

IP Security Cameras Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

It 's been nearly two years since militants, armed with grenades and anti-aircraft weapons, stormed the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, killing the US ambassador to Libya and three others, but the man suspected of orchestrating the attack was captured in Benghazi in mid-June. Last week, Ahmed Abu Khattala
appeared in federal court in Washington DC court to face formal charges of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, resulting in a death.

Fraught with Controversy

Perhaps as a sign of this contentious era, this incident of terrorism is not only tragic for its loss of life and destruction of property but it has been mired in domestic political infighting as well. Those on the receiving end of criticism include

• President Obama for his national security policies
• Hillary Clinton for how she responded  to the ambassador's call for security
• Susan Rice, the then UN Ambassador for her press appearances where she followed State Department talking points proclaiming the attacks spontaneous rather than a concentrated terrorist attack.

And now that a suspect is in custody, there's a new swirl of controversy including

• the choice of Washington DC as a venue for the hearing since the prisoner must be escorted through city streets whereas if the prisoner were tried in the federal courthouse in New York or Virginia, the facility has an attached prison.

• no consideration being given trying him before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay as an alternative to a criminal trial.
• Since it is a criminal case, the fact that Khattala was advised of his Miranda rights.

A Trial for the Books

Senior federal prosecutors and FBI agents occupied the first two rows of the courtroom at the United States District Court ( not your everyday courtroom spectators). This may be because, as the former United States Attorney for Eastern District Virginia put it, "This trial won't be a walk in the park."

 That's putting it mildly:

• In contrast to a typical trial where crime scene investigators have promptly vetted the scene of the crime for forensic evidence, security concerns in Benghazi following the attack prevented FBI investigators having access for over two weeks.

• Whereas your typical trial relies on witnesses who come forth voluntarily or are subpoenaed, the hostile environment in Libya, first of all, made tracking down, let alone questioning witnesses difficult, and what cooperative ones were found will have to be flown in from Libya and may not stand up well to cross-examination.
• While intercepted electronic conversations have yielded evidence that could be valuable, their classified nature precludes most of them from being presented at a public trial.

Surveillance Cameras to The Rescue

According to the New York Times, In addition to eyewitness accounts, the prosecutor is expected to rely on IP camera security systems video. Thanks to Video Management Software, Justice Department investigators were able to analyze over one hundred hours of video that allowed them to construct a narrative of the period leading up to the attacks, the actual attack, not only on the mission, but on the CIA annex as well, and the time following the siege.

As to how valuable the cameras' eyewitness accounts will be, the former United States Attorney has this to say " The Department of Justice bats nearly 1,000 percent in these kinds of extraterritorial cases but that's because they put so much diligence on the front end of the investigations."

Kintronics has faith in IP camera systems as well. If you are interested in finding out how IP surveillance cameras can served your home or place of business, call 914-944-3425 to speak to an engineer, or fill out an information request form.

Top Three Considerations in Getting the Most Out of Your IP Surveillance Camera System

IP surveillance camera systems are here to stay. You know it. We know it. Criminals know it. The Police know it. As we mentioned in our last post, surveillance video can be supremely valuable to the police--- or it can be totally worthless. To summon more of the former, and less of the latter, police department after police department has taken to giving advice and offering assistance to citizens wishing to install cameras.  They all cite the same three factors that can make or break a video's forensic value.

• line of sight
• lighting
• maintenance

Line of sight

This morning I watched a news story of an escaped convict. Unfortunately he had been caught on surveillance video. No, I didn't mean fortunately. My use of the word unfortunately was intentional, because all I saw was a large floppy hat that reminded me of a scarecrow. How about it. How many times have we seen news accounts of an assault or robbery that includes video from a security camera and the anchorman pleads" if you've seen this person call the police." We look and all we see is a Yankees cap or a hood?

This is the reason we need a camera system, with every camera having its own place and its own purpose. Yes, the high-mounted or wide angle camera is a must in any bank, convenience store, or lobby since it covers a lot of geography, and allows for surveying the scene and observing a crime as it takes place, and perhaps an escape route or extenuating detail that can be of forensic value to the police.

However, as evidenced in those top-of-the-head shots, every security camera system also should include at least one camera mounted in a prime location to provide a close-up facial view.
As a rule of thumb, mounting a camera at  a 10 - 15 degree angle gives the best line of sight for facial identification. In a convenience store or bank this could be right behind the cash register or teller, or at the door to catch a fleeing shop-lifter. An added value of a low mounted camera is that it can deter crime just by its obviousness.

Lighting 

Quite often surveillance video will be too dark to be of much use. Sometimes it's because the camera was installed during the day when the business was open and well-lit, without giving much thought to the fact that burglaries and break-ins most often take place at night. Bright lighting should be employed at all times. Better yet, if the business can afford it, the best step to take is to install low light performance cameras that perform well in dark situations.

When using outdoor cameras, one should always consider the various light changes that occur in  the course of a day. Direct sunlight will "blind" the camera and reduce image sensor performance. The best position for mounting a camera, if possible, is with the sun shining from behind a slightly downward-angled camera.

Back-lighting can also an issue. Problems occur when the object of focus is in front of a window or brightly lit door. The camera will focus on the well-lit background while whatever is going on on front of the door or window will be dark and hard to identify. In the case of a window, curtains, plants, or posters will help, as will the most obvious, re-positioning the camera. Adding a camera with wide dynamic range to the system is  the best solution if one can afford to spend a little more.

Maintenance

Obviously maintenance involves making sure each and every camera is functioning at its best. This involves not only cleaning them but keeping then up to date with all the current software updates.
In the case of outdoor cameras, care should be taken that surrounding trees and bushes haven't grown to the extent that they are blocking the camera.

Indoor camera sites should be checked to make sure all lights are functioning and that the addition of any new equipment isn't blocking the light. Any changes since the camera was installed, such as a new paint color or the addition of floor tiles, can also make a room darker and require extra lighting.

If all this sounds familiar, it's because these are the same three points  Kintronics, has been hammering home in our newsletters and blogs for years and years. If you have questions about setting up your IP camera or anything IP  give us a call and speak to one of our sales engineers. 914-944-3425 or, if you prefer,  fill out an information request form