Organisers of the 2015 Boston Marathon made sure of strong security measures, after the 2013 race was marred by bombing. A Network Video Management System (NVMS) and associated cameras covered more than 30,000 runners and nearly one million spectators at key race points and spectator viewing areas along the 26.2-mile course.
The Latitude NVMS from the manufacturer DVTEL merged existing, stand-alone DVTEL video systems, as used by various users in the city for routine monitoring, scene recording and investigations, into a single unified system. That allowed race officials and authorised agencies to access video footage across the marathon route. Officials monitored activity from multi -agency command centres. DVTEL says that its Latitude NVMS provided situational awareness by linking separate camera networks into a single entity to deliver greater visibility, and provide more insight into safety and security operations.
Since the deadly 2013 bombing, officials at sports and special events throughout the United States have spent on surveillance technologies to monitor suspicious acts, and mitigate risk. Boston’s use of DVTEL products is also for other sporting events, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The city this year added new DVTEL Quasar HD cameras, including the Quasar 4K Ultra HD, to cover high-risk or high-traffic areas on the marathon route. The cameras were selected for their ability to be quickly deployed and will be re-purposed for future events, according to the city’s systems installer and DVTEL partner Lan-Tel Communications.
Yoav Stern, CEO, DVTEL, said: “Since the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon, race officials throughout the country have made security a number one priority. DVTEL is proud to be a part of Boston’s efforts to ensure safety while providing law enforcement with greater visibility to effectively and efficiently respond to incidents. This year’s collaborative efforts were deemed a success, and other race and special event organisers are now looking to Boston as a model for their future security endeavours.”
