Ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 20 redeployable CCTV cameras are in use by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to cover multiple construction projects in anticipation of the 2022 Games.
The Transport for West Midlands capital construction work comprises several projects around Perry Barr on the outskirts of the city, including the A34 highways, Perry Barr Rail Station & Bus Interchange, Alexander Stadium, A34 Sprint and A34 public realm works. As much of that work has to carry on within a constrained geography and along one of the busiest radial corridors into the city centre means redistribution of traffic flows and potential disruption to the regional transport network. Hence the need for CCTV monitoring and rapid incident response.
The UK manufacturer Revader Security describes its redeployable CCTV cameras as outdoor surveillance solutions which combine camera, recording, storage and wireless video transmission in a single unit. They can be installed in virtually any location within minutes and repositioned to other locations to suit changing requirements, the company adds. The units can operate from a variety of power sources, including mains and battery.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) are able to relocate their cameras from site to site according to construction schedules, traffic volumes and the disruption caused to surrounding areas. The camera units are primarily attached to street lighting columns beside major traffic routes.
Data and video feeds are fed back to TfWM’s Regional Transport Coordination Centre in Birmingham, where these can also be shared with regional Urban Traffic Control centres and others such as West Midlands Police. It was thus important from the outset that the new cameras interface with network infrastructure and control rooms.
Revader says that it worked with CDC Technical Services (TfWM’s appointed consultant for the project) and Total Integrated Solutions (the authority’s incumbent maintenance provider) to see that the cameras integrated with CCTV systems.
Carl Chippendale at CDC said: “Given the large geographical area involved, the solution to use 4G cameras was an obvious one. Revader’s redeployable products are both reliable and high performing, making them the perfect match for a complex project. The level of support provided was exemplary and I would not hesitate to recommend them highly”.
And Eamonn Murphy, key account manager at Total Integrated Solutions said: “Revader supplied us with a large fleet of redeployable cameras, which were delivered on time and have proven highly effective. They also worked closely with us on this complex project to help configure our video networks and ensure that all our client’s priorities had been satisfied. I would recommend them highly.”
Note that the main ticket ballot for next summer’s Games is due to open on September 8. Visit https://www.birmingham2022.com/.
