CCTV

Cameras at JFK Airport

by Mark Rowe

Megapixel cameras at John F Kennedy Airport

In 2011, JFK airport was ranked the busiest International Air Passenger Gateway to the United States. Among the multiple terminals at JFK, Terminal One is the centre of international travel, and JFK’s newest addition to the facility. Inside Terminal One, 11 gates and two hardstands are controlled by their own ramp control tower, equipped with radio communications and weather information. Previously, the airport had run on analogue CCTV, which was failing to meet the demands of security in the facility. Most of the complaints had to do with lack of image quality for investigation, narrow field-of-view, and overall resolution of the camera. Even with the highest quality analogue cameras, detailed images were only produced at a maximum of 25 to 30 feet. After product evaluation, Sentry360 was selected. JFK was evaluating products based on demanding criteria such as: image quality, frame rate, minimum 5-megapixel resolution, and low light performance.

The Insight IS-IP500DN and the IS-IP10K cameras were used on the exterior of the building to secure the tarmac and loading bay. A complaint of the client was the inability to identify workers as they operated various pieces of equipment on the tarmac. There had been several cases of workers compensation claims, as well as other breaches in security that made detail the highest priority for this deployment.

Greg Keeling, President of New York Security Systems, said: “The InSight 5 megapixel cameras delivered shocking image quality which clearly identified all maintenance workers around the planes and on the tarmac at upwards of 200 feet. What also impressed me was the low light performance of the camera. Even using ambient lighting, the InSight 5 megapixel camera was able to maintain colour images during the night. Most cameras I have come across have poor night time performance and are very noisy.” By using Sentry360’s OwlEye technology, each camera has the ability to limit the amount of digital noise produced by low light shots, thus decreasing spikes in bandwidth. Greg added: “After seeing how these [Sentry360’s] cameras perform, there is no doubt why JFK chose this camera to secure their facility.”

The inside of the terminal is a different obstacle in and of itself. The architecture alone, consisting of large windows, high ceilings, and pillars makes this deployment very challenging. By taking advantage of the engineering behind Sentry360’s FullSight 360 camera, the airport was able to gain full situational awareness using a significantly less number of cameras. The key areas that required this type of coverage were the ticketing and check-in areas.

This is a high traffic area with many activities all at once. By covering this area with just one camera, it meant that less cabling was required, and more importantly, less footage had to be reviewed in the event of an incident.

Laslo Tria of Media Wire said, “The Sentry360 FullSight camera in the ticketing and check-baggage areas was a perfect fit. They could see the customer receiving their ticket, the bag being put on the conveyer belt, and all of the people waiting in line simultaneously with one camera. It enables the investigation team at JFK to quickly track incidents with how baggage was handled, where it was placed, and who was responsible at the time. It also gave us the ability to ensure no bags were left unattended, and no other suspicious activity was taking place.” Overall, a total of 247 cameras were deployed at JFK Terminal One, with each model chosen serving a specific function. InSightcameras were used where highly detailed images with a wide field of view were required. FullSight cameras were selected to secure areas using the least number of cameras possible.

Results
A total of 247 Sentry360 cameras were used to secure the inside and outside of terminal–one because of their ability to exceed the specifications of the project. Each of the models chosen for this project served a different function. Interior areas were covered using a combination of wide angle fixed cameras and 360-degree cameras to provide detail and coverage in areas that were not previously possible. Exterior areas employed the high detail and low light performance of the InSight professional camera series to allow for maximum detail in all lighting.

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