Jack Thomas Tomarchio

Jack Thomas Tomarchio, the former Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis Operations for DHS and a SightLogix board member, recently sat down for a Q&A about the use of technology in the wake of the Boston Marathon events.  

QUESTION: From a homeland security point of view, what stands out most about the bombings at the Boston Marathon?

JTT: One thing that is very striking about the Boston Massacre attacks is that this is the first time since September 11, 2001 that we’ve had a successful terrorist attack in the homeland that has resulted in the loss of life. I don’t know if I want to go as far as saying that is a game changer, but it’s a very significant development. As you know, we’ve had many attempted attacks in the past. We’ve had the Christmas Day 2009 attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 234 over Detroit by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, known as the underwear bomber. We’ve had the attempt using an explosive device in Times Square by Faisal Shahzad. We’ve had the shoe bomber attempt by Richard Reid, who tried to detonate explosives packed into the shoes he was wearing on an American Airlines flight to Miami.

We’ve had other attacks that haven’t been successful. The single other attack that has been successful, besides the Boston Massacre, was the attack at Fort Hood by Major Nidal Hassan, who acting alone and with automatic weapons did kill a number of soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. Still, this is the first terrorist attack using an explosive device intended to produce mass casualties that’s been successful, and I think that makes it a very significant development in the terrorism genre.

How did the Boston Marathon bombings differ from criminal acts like the shooting in the movie theater in Aurora, CO, or the Newtown, CT, school tragedy?

Those two unfortunate events were the result of individuals who appear to have had a significant mental illness or some type of diminished capacity. In the case of Adam Lanza, he was a young man that apparently was so mentally ill that he essentially had to stay in his house, but unfortunately he had a house in which there was a substantial stash of automatic weapons. In the Aurora Colorado case, James Holmes, a graduate student in neuroscience, had also exhibited behavior issues. So those cases were different in that they were committed by perpetrators who seemed to be suffering some type of mental illness that caused them to commit thecrime. In the Boston attack we have two seemingly rational individuals, who, at least as we’re learning now from the interrogation of the surviving attacker, did this for some type of political reason, or as he informed his interrogators yesterday — to defend Islam. So, these appeared to be attackers who were radicalized over the Internet and decided that it was incumbent upon them to commit a terrorist attack, either to commit to Jihad or to defend the Muslim faith.

What would you say that many of these events have in common?

Well, I think certainly they do have some things in common. The Boston attacks took place in what I would call a “soft target,” in which there were a lot of people but the security — although not lax — was maybe a little less stringent, because this was an open sporting event. You can’t really clamp down on an event like that, so the attack modality here was a couple of guys coming in with improvised explosive devices, essentially anti-personnel bombs filled with BBs and nails and other types of shrapnel, used for maximum effect to take out human beings in close rane.

This is a classic terrorist tool; we’ve seen this for years in places like Iraq, in places like Israel, in places like Afghanistan, even in places like India where the Tamil Tigers for many years were attacking targets in the Indian subcontinent.

Do you think that this idea of attacking soft targets, as opposed to something more securable, like a stadium or an airplane, is a trend?

Well, it certainly represents a harder target to secure. You know, when you’re dealing with an airplane, when you’re dealing with an enclosed structure — a building, an indoor stadium — you can usually control ingress and egress pretty easily. But, when you’re dealing with an open-air forum like an athletic event, that’s not even a stadium, there’s no entry gate, there are just people out in the streets.

Or when you’re dealing with a lower level type of event, maybe a golf game or a soccer game, or a high school football game where security is historically lax and where you want people to mingle as part of the experience, this represents a much tougher challenge for security and law enforcement to ensure that someone carrying a device or a weapon doesn’t get there and start taking out targets. So it’s a greater challenge. To answer your question, will it represent a new trend? I don’t know yet. I think it’s too early to tell.

Unfortunately, in the past we have seen that terrorists are often copycats. They look and see what’s worked before and they then adopt those tactics for their future operations. So, whether someone will get the idea that they should attack another marathon or race or crew regatta, where there are a lot of people remains to be seen. Looking at the past as a teacher, we have seen unfortunately that when something works once, terrorists usually like to go back and try it again. That’s disturbing.

There have been a number of news articles since this event that talk about technology that could prevent a tragedy like this. Do you think there’s any validity to this claim?

I think that every time we have one of these events we try to look for a technological solution. I do think that while in many cases technology will be part of the answer, it is not the only answer. We can’t completely terrorist-proof or crime-proof any place; we’d have to live in a society that would be something out of 1984, and it would be a very difficult place to live in. I think our free and open society is an asset to our national culture.

Rather, there will be — and there are — technological solutions that can be brought to bear to harden some of these historically soft targets. I think that we will have to turn to some new technological solutions in the future. Those solutions run the gamut from very active to somewhat intrusive solutions, including X-ray machines and machines that could possibly trace odors, certain chemicals that might be used in explosives, to more passive technological solutions, like increased use of video surveillance or the increased use of thermal cameras. Those things, which I think in many cases the public is unaware of, will also probably be utilized in trying to address these challenges.

There have been some claims in the wake of the bombings that object-left-behind technology and face recognition technology could be helpful. What do you think about that?

Yes, I think those are great examples, especially in the area of facial recognition, which I’m fairly familiar with. Great strides have been made in that area with increasing pixel resolution and using certain algorithms to identify individuals. I think that there is a tremendous future for that type of technology, certainly even other technologies, such as looking at a person’s gait, how they act, certain psycho-social type of technologies — there are actually algorithms for that — to determine how a person’s activities may or may not indicate suspicious activity. I’ve also seen technologies that try to get a read on an individual and whether he’s perspiring or not. Some of those technologies have been very problematic, especially in the sporting environment. But they have been trying to utilize those in certain airport types of security solutions. There’s a whole raft of different things that are now on the market or are being developed, and I think that Boston will act as an accelerator to this technological development.

How did video surveillance technology help in actually apprehending these bombers?

Well certainly that was a huge game changer for law enforcement. The use of cameras here obviously identified the faces of these two suspects. I actually went on TV the day that those photographs were released by the FBI and said that these two men had about 12 to 24 hours of freedom or life left. That turned out to be true, because once video from the surveillance cameras fixed to buildings, along with images from people’s cell phones at the event and other videos of the event that were harvested captured these two men, they really had no place to go and no place to hide — their time was up. There were literally thousands of images of the Boston Marathon that were looked at by the FBI in assembling this montage of photographs.

Certainly that’s a very important aspect of the solution that will help secure venues like that because now we have so much video and photographic evidence. So I think you’re going to see personal cameras and videos coupled with the use of industrial or stationary building security cameras to be a valuable tool in the future, not only for securing an open type environment like this, but also for harvesting evidence and eventually identifying the perpetrators.

Still, ultimately, we needed millions of eyes on the photographs and video to actually figure out who these individuals were. Is there a more advanced technology solution that helped to apprehend the bombers?

Well, in this case we saw the use of thermal imagery which is not actually a new technology. It’s been utilized for awhile and most effectively in combat theaters of operation, most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq, but mainly in Afghanistan where our military forces utilizing drone technology and airborne technology from helicopters and aircrafts are able to take a thermal scan of an area of operations and locate moving bodies, due to their heat signature.

In the case of Boston we saw that where the second shooter was hiding out in a boat covered with a plastic tarp, helicopters’ aerial surveillance was able to pick up his heat signature inside the boat, which led the SWAT team to their man for apprehension. This is a very powerful technology that has been primarily used with great success for military operations, and which has become affordable in hand-held solutions for law enforcement purposes. In Boston, we saw it used for criminal apprehension and the use of this thermal imagery is a very, very powerful tool.

Can you speak a little bit to other ways that thermal technology can contribute to security operations, beyond what we have already discussed?

Certainly another way to do that is in the area of perimeter defense. For example, let’s say you want to secure the perimeter of a building or make sure that people aren’t trespassing or coming into a certain area that might be off-limits, or that you want to have a security buffer zone set up. Using this technology, you can very accurately detect individuals using a smart thermal camera. That sensor, coupled with a higher-resolution camera such as a PTZ, gives you a photograph of an individual in real time and later on, from an optical sense and from a thermal sense, it gives you better certainty of who the individuals are, where they are, distance, and what they’re doing. So it’s another tool in the tool kit for securing a perimeter or an area, and it can automatically detect when people are where they are not supposed to be, with a high degree of accuracy and at costs that now make sense for commercial use.

With budgets under such extreme scrutiny right now, is it realistic for municipalities to be looking at these kinds of new technologies?

Certainly we’re under a time of very lean budgets and no one feels that pinch more than municipalities and local law enforcement, but I think that one of the lessons that’s been learned in the events of the past year, with activities or actions like Newtown, Connecticut and now the Boston Massacre bombings, is that the threat — whether it be a criminal-inspired threat or a terrorist-inspired threat — is real and it’s pervasive. And while we don’t live in a society like some of the places we’ve seen in Afghanistan or the Middle East, there are certainly a number of threats out there. I think when you have a high profile event like Boston or a situation with school shootings, for example like Virginia Tech, colleges, universities and municipalities are going to understand that we need a solution for this, because no place, no city, no town, is immune and it’s going to continue to happen.

Again, it’s not an epidemic, but it’s happening enough that people realize there are individuals out there who want to cause mass casualties. So, I think that what things like Boston have done and I think that what we’ve seen with Newtown, with a lot of the failed legislation for gun control, is that they spur politicians and governments to action. What you’ll see in the wake of Boston is a renewed sense that we have to secure these events, we have to find technologies that are not overly invasive, but that quietly and confidently protect the safety of our citizens and allow us to still to freely associate and enjoy ourselves. Certainly if I were an emergency planner or chief of police in a major metropolitan area I would be thinking that we need to get some solutions here to harden these targets. Fortunately, costs for effective solutions like thermal cameras are continuing to drop. I think money will be found.

Given that money is limited and that we can’t put a perimeter fence around the entire Boston Marathon route and have people go through metal detectors to go through it, what would make sense for applications with open areas? In light of everything that’s available and also effective, what makes sense right now for people to be looking at?

A couple of things. One, I think you have to look to see what type of technology is available and affordable that will provide wide-scope coverage of a large open area with video analytics tools. It will need to give law enforcement a clear view of the area that they’re concerned about, to allow them to harvest potential evidence, so that should an action occur or an attack occur or a crime occur, they’ll have the ability to use good, affordable video analytics.

There will also need to be changes in some of the procedures that accompany putting on these different events, with increased security. For example, trash cans will be removed from a longer route of a race, so that people can’t drop a bomb in the trash can. There will probably be increased use of sniffer dogs and certainly there will be increased public awareness, as the New York police say, “If you see something, say something.” We are really going to need a holistic approach to the problem. All the expensive cameras and technological devices and photo recognition and photo imagery are great, but that alone will not be the answer to the solution. It’s got to be holistic. It’s got to be the use of technology, the use of better physical security and procedures and public awareness, so the public knows that they’re part of the fight to secure the area that they’re enjoying. I think this will be key to trying to solve this problem.

Note: Jack Thomas Tomarchio is the former Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis Operations for DHS. He currently serves as a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and is a television commentator, writer and speaker on national security issue. He is a member of the board of directors of SightLogix Corp. and serves on the board of advisors of Data Vision Group, LLC and A2BTracking Corp.

An earlier version of this article appeared in GSN Magazine. 

Read Securing the Outdoors: Q&A with former DHS official Jack Thomas Tomarchio on SightLogix.

When combined with video analytics, thermal cameras offer real-time, exterior perimeter protection with instant notification about security violations that occur over outdoor areas. In the past, these sophisticated security solutions were typically deployed to protect large critical infrastructure applications, where a disruption in operations would have serious economic impact. However, as smart thermal cameras with on-board video analytics fall near the $5,000 MSRP price barrier, the technology now makes sense in less mission-critical environments. In fact, one of the most fundamental of security functions – theft prevention – can now be addressed economically using the same sophisticated thermal camera solutions. Applications include copper theft at electric substations, securing equipment at maintenance yards, protecting car lots, securing the millions of oil and gas well heads in use, and other areas where theft prevention remains a key objective.

Historically, the approach for these applications has been to use a “blind” sensor such as coax on the fence acting as an intrusion detector, which required augmentation by a camera to determine the cause of the alert. These systems were not fully effective because the sensors would generate many nuisance alerts, and they were costly because they involved use of two separate systems – a sensor system and a video system. Thermal detection cameras offer a key functional advantage over these traditional solutions because thermal cameras simultaneously detect and “see” an alarm event 24 hours a day, providing instantaneous validation for prompt action. The result is a viable, single-technology solution that reduces costs for securing and monitoring assets and facilities around the clock.

Thermal Cameras Beyond Security

Smart thermal cameras open up a new world of understanding about what is happening outdoors beyond security, from early detection scenarios to looking at behavior that increases a company’s operational efficiency. For instance, a company could use a thermal camera to determine if there is a leak at a refinery, or if transformers are overheating at a power station, or to monitor storage tank levels. The possibilities for thermal cameras also extend to highway safety, measuring the volume of traffic in a road, or automatically determining if a car is driving the wrong way on an on-ramp or road. New return on investment (ROI) scenarios and greater functionality now make smart thermal cameras a perfect solution for such applications.

Read New Applications for Smart Thermal Cameras on SightLogix.

Las Vegas, NV (April 10, 2013) – At ISC West, SightLogix is showcasing its smart thermal analytics technologies that make the challenge of outdoor and perimeter security more practical and viable. From airport perimeters to maintenance yards, electric substations and critical infrastructure, the range of SightLogix’s smart thermal camera portfolio meets a variety of applications and budgets.

SightLogix cameras have dramatically advanced sensor technology to provide clearer images 24 hours a day regardless of weather or environment. Camera design is further complemented by a high degree of image processing to capture small differences between the temperature of an intruder and the background to present a thermal image in a way that is optimized for the eye to see, even in less than ideal conditions. And on-board analytics improve real-time, pre-emptive security with instant notification about security violations.

With four times the processing of alternatives, the SightLogix solution covers twice the range and four times the area of alternate approaches, cutting overall project costs by half.

“SightLogix’s smart thermal cameras are now cost-competitive with solutions combining traditional visible cameras with analytics, fence sensors, or buried cable systems,” said John Romanowich, President and CEO, SightLogix. “Our vision is to make this more accurate technology practical and cost-effective for all outdoor security applications.”

SightLogix solutions on display at ISC West include:

SightSensor NS60 is the newest addition to the thermal analytics lineup. It accurately detects intruders at distances up to 60 meters with a 63° field of view (FOV). The price sensitive camera is an economical solution for reducing incidents of theft and vandalism or to fill gaps and blind spots along irregularly-shaped fences or topography.

SightSensor Long-Range Thermal Detection Cameras, incorporate an imager, lens optics, electronic stabilization, video analytics software, camera control and GPS target tracking. On-board digital signal processors (DSP) communicate directly with the image sensor to analyze scene details of each video frame for better accuracy and extended range.

Clear24 Thermal Technology uses powerful image processing to provide the most detailed thermal image possible, 24 hours a day, including conditions of rain, snow, fog, wind, or humidity.

SightTracker pan-tilt-zoom controller automatically steers PTZ cameras to zoom and follow detected targets using the GPS-based target information from an associated SightSensor.

SightMonitor target mapping and configuration software overlays camera positions, detected alarms and locations and camera fields-of-view onto a geo-positioned aerial map of the surveillance area to provide users complete situational awareness.

SightLogix also offers the Video Security Trailer (VST), a self-contained rapidly deployable perimeter security solution for temporary or long-term surveillance applications.

SightLogix system components are enclosed within ruggedized, NEMA 4X housings to withstand extreme weather and climate conditions, providing many years of service.

Read SightLogix Demonstrates Smart Thermal Cameras for Wide Range of Applications and Budgets on SightLogix.

Princeton, NJ (March 12, 2013) – SightLogix^®, Inc., the leading smart thermal camera manufacturer for perimeter security applications, announces integration of the SightLogix video analytics solution with Vicon Industries’ ViconNet video management software (VMS).

SightSensor video analytic cameras, which detect objects that violate perimeter security rules, can now send video and alarm information over the network for display within the ViconNet video management system. SightTrackers, which automatically steer PTZ cameras, now send the PTZ’s video to the ViconNet system for up-close, alarm verification. The combined solution can trigger actions within the ViconNet system to initiate alarm processing, such as recording or alarm notification. The integration provides accurate, cost-efficient outdoor security for protecting critical assets.

“Our customers need accurate, detailed information about threats to their security or operations,” said John Romanowich, President and CEO, SightLogix. “The integration with ViconNet incorporates powerful outdoor detection functionality into the operating environment of ViconNet to expand the value of both systems in support of our customers’ security.”

“ViconNet’s open-platform, enterprise VMS solution provides added value to its users by making integration, such as what we’ve done with SightLogix, as easy as possible via an ‘event manager system.’ Through a simple process of assigning relationships between data fields from the SightLogix cameras and ViconNet, the user benefits from a perfect combination of video verification and analytic event triggering,” explained Guy Arazi, Vicon’s Director of Product Management.

SightLogix has transformed video analytics technology to deliver accurate, cost-efficient outdoor security, and new mainstream pricing makes the solution available to a broader range of mainstream applications. Their innovative camera solutions provide a higher level of image processing to supply superior images, accurate detection, and lower cost. The cameras integrate easily with third-party video management, physical security information management (PSIM) and access control systems.

Read SightLogix Smart Thermal Camera Solution Integrates with ViconNet VMS on SightLogix.

When combined with video analytics, thermal cameras offer real-time, pre-emptive security with instant notification about security violations that occur over the large outdoor areas typical of pipeline security applications. Recent advancements in the sensitivity of thermal imagers, combined with sophisticated image processing, now allow thermal cameras to deliver very clear images regardless of rain, humidity, fog and bright sun, delivering detail approaching a black-and-white video instead of the blurrier images once associated with the technology. Image processing is also used to detect human intruders with high accuracy while ignoring nuisance alerts from wind, vibrations, small animals, trees or blowing trash. The result is a viable, round-the-clock security solution that simultaneously detects and visually represents the nature of an intrusion in real time.

The economics of thermal camera systems also support their use for pipeline applications. These economics become clear when examining “per-foot” costs of securing a perimeter. While many manufacturers do not present their pricing in this way, the costs can be calculated, and the results are motivating a wider range of customers to adapt this approach. Thermal analytic camera systems are now available at an MSRP as low as $10/foot, making the most accurate perimeter security technology very competitive cost-wise in addition to providing superior performance.

Another cost advantage is gained through the use of long-range cameras that reduce the number of cameras needed. Fewer cameras equates to less infrastructure (poles, power and communications), lowering costs. Also, thermal imaging detects targets without the need for visible lighting with infrared (IR) illuminators, which are often not practical for large pipeline applications; visible lighting is expensive, and introduces concerns about “light pollution” impacting nearby neighborhoods.

In addition to the pipeline itself, every pipeline system has critical nodes along its path – involving pumping stations, for example – that also must be secured. Newer thermal cameras use a higher degree of image processing to cover longer-ranges, and can create a buffer zone around a pipeline or related asset to provide early warning about when and where people approach the pipeline and send accurate alerts before an incident occurs. Thermal cameras supply more than just security, too. Because they “see” heat, they are also useful for leak detection both day and night and ensure early warning of a potential disruption to supply delivery or the environment.

Pipelines pass through very harsh environments, so a thermal camera must withstand and survive the elements. To ensure dependability and continuous accurate coverage, outdoor cameras are protected from humidity, sand and extreme temperatures. Otherwise, normal expansion and contraction due to thermal changes throughout the day could allow grit, dust or humidity to enter a camera’s housing and impact the electronics and/or cloud the lens. Sealed, nitrogen-purged cameras tested to meet NEMA 4X standards withstand harsh environments that can be characteristic of pipeline surveillance applications.

Accurate detection is an especially important consideration for pipelines located in remote areas. When security and business operations receive accurate information they can mount an appropriate response to the nature of the alert. Ensuring effective security and operational efficiency is critical given the impact of the existing millions of miles of pipeline infrastructure on the world economy. New thermal cameras are a useful and cost-effective technology for these applications.

An earlier version of this article originally appeared in Security Magazine. 

Read Smart Thermal Cameras for Pipeline Security on SightLogix.

Princeton, NJ (January 29, 2013) – SightLogix, the leading smart thermal camera manufacturer for outdoor security applications, introduces the SightSensor NS60, a new low-cost addition to the SightSensor line of thermal video analytic cameras. With an MSRP of $4,995 in the United States, the NS60 brings thermal analytic accuracy and the clearest thermal images 24 hours/day to a broad range of price-sensitive applications.

SightSensor NS60

More details about the NS60 smart thermal camera are available at http://www.sightlogix.com/NS60-thermal-camera/.

“The NS60 continues our commitment to provide the most trusted and cost-effective solutions for protecting outdoor areas with video,” said John Romanowich, SightLogix President and CEO. “This addition to the SightSensor product line makes the highest-performing security affordable to mainstream applications.”

Like all SightSensors, the NS60 leverages powerful on-board video processing for high Probability of Detect (PD) and low Nuisance Alarm Rates (NAR) while providing crisp, clear images night and day. The NS60 consists of a thermal imager, complete with lens optics, electronic stabilization, image contrast enhancement, video analytics software, camera control, and geospatial target tracking within a ruggedized, NEMA 4X IP66 nitrogen-purged housing. SightSensor cameras are pre-integrated with most third-party video management, physical security information management (PSIM) and access control systems.

The SightLogix portfolio also includes a wide-range of SightSensor security cameras, SightTracker^® automated PTZ camera controllers for target identification, and SightMonitor^® coordination and GPS target location topology map display software.

Read SightLogix Introduces Low-Cost Smart Thermal Camera on SightLogix.

“BRC International brings best-of-breed capabilities including design, consulting, implementation and training skills to this important geography,” said John Romanowich, SightLogix President and CEO. “Combined with their expertise in IT-based security systems, they are well positioned to expand deployment of SightLogix’ outdoor video security systems in Mexico.”

“There is a clear need throughout the region for protecting critical assets with cost-effective solutions that can operate with high effectiveness outdoors,” said Krag Reinertson, Co-Founder, BRC International. “Our customers in Mexico will be well served by SightLogix’ unique security capabilities.”

SightLogix has transformed video analytics technology to deliver accurate, cost-efficient outdoor security. SightSensors function with a high degree of accuracy amid the many variables of the outdoor environment, providing superior thermal images 24-hours per day in all operating environments including the temperate extremes found in Mexico.

BRC’s management team has more than 20 years of experience with customers, including twelve years working in Latin America, protecting airports, seaports, law enforcement, city infrastructure and projects for the Federal government. In addition to SightLogix technology, BRC offers other systems such as access control, video monitoring solutions, physical security information management (PSIM) software and integration services.

Read SightLogix Names BRC International as Manufacturer’s Rep for Mexico on SightLogix.

Princeton, NJ (December 4, 2012) – SightLogix, Inc., the leading smart thermal camera manufacturer for perimeter security applications, announces integration of their SightTracker® pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera controller with Videotec’s ULISSE line of positioning devices. The integration gives users an accurate and cost-effective video security solution for comprehensive detection, tracking and assessment over outdoor areas.

“Security managers need fast, detailed information about the location and nature of an intrusion in real time,” said John Romanowich, SightLogix President and CEO. “The integration of SightLogix SightTracker with Videotec’s positioning systems provides the necessary domain awareness that is critical for accurate perimeter intrusion detection.”

Watch a SightTracker auto-tracking PTZ example at http://www.sightlogix.com/auto-tracking-PTZ-camera/.

The SightTracker solves the challenge of an operator trying to manually locate a target outdoors using a PTZ camera. SightTracker auto-steers PTZ cameras to follow detected targets for greater detail without any human intervention. Targets are visually displayed on the customer’s video management system with great detail while the target’s location is presented on the SightMonitor map or a Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) system. The result is a comprehensive security solution that provides the “what and where” of an intrusion for making fast decisions while capturing the event for evidence.

The integrated solution from SightLogix and Videotec has been proven in real-world deployments. At a Canadian oil refining facility, fixed SightSensor® video analytic thermal cameras provide long-range detection around the refinery’s perimeter, while SightTrackers automatically steer Videotec ULISSE IR360 cameras with infrared illuminators to light the target. The combination of systems creates a complete thermal detection and assessment solution over large outdoor areas without visible lighting.

Similar systems have been deployed to protect electric substations in Europe for detecting intruders entering the facility while also sending alerts when onsite personnel get too close to high-voltage equipment. In these applications, accurate detection is combined with real-time video assessment to ensure that both security and safety requirements are met.

The all-in-one ULISSE systems integrate a high speed 360° rotating pan and tilt head with a camera and housing and a multiprotocol telemetry receiver. SightTrackers use GPS-based target information provided by an associated SightSensor detection camera to automatically guide the ULISSE systems to follow detected targets for greater detail without human intervention.

“Working with SightLogix allows our customers to benefit from enhanced situational awareness for securing outdoor infrastructure,” said Gianni Viero, Vice President of Sales at Videotec. “Our collaboration provides security personnel new options for automated security built around Videotec solutions.”

The SightLogix portfolio of products includes long range SightSensor detection cameras, SightTracker automated PTZ controllers for target identification, and SightMonitor® coordination and GPS target location topology map display software.

Read SightLogix SightTracker Automatically Steers Videotec PTZ Cameras on SightLogix.

REP Marketing Solutions will represent SightLogix thermal camera intrusion detection products in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. The rep firm works through a network of authorized integrators to provide product demonstrations, training and sales support.

SightLogix has transformed video analytics technology to deliver accurate, cost-efficient perimeter security. Their innovative camera solutions provide a higher level of image processing which provides superior images, accurate detection, and lower cost. The cameras integrate easily with third-party video management, physical security information management (PSIM) and access control systems.

“REP Marketing Solutions works to provide the highest possible value for the customer, a core mission for SightLogix,” said Dan Hearn, SightLogix Vice President of Sales. “There is a strong need for critical infrastructure protection in the Northeast region. Working together with REP Marketing Solutions, we look forward to providing accurate, cost efficient solutions to protect these high value assets.”

“SightLogix’ innovative approach to securing perimeters and outdoor areas makes them an excellent addition to our product lines,” said Robert Peach, President of REP Marketing Solutions. “We are pleased to represent SightLogix outdoor video systems, which deliver world-class security and superior value for our customers.”

The SightLogix portfolio includes long range SightSensor® detection cameras, SightTracker® automated PTZ controllers for target identification, and SightMonitor® coordination and GPS target location topology map display software.

Read SightLogix Appoints REP Marketing Solutions for Northeast US on SightLogix.

SightLogix Protects Five New York Hudson River Bridges

Perimeter security for ports and bridges is the first line of defense from disruption to commerce. In the past, these assets have been difficult to secure with automated technologies. Ports cover large geographic areas that include vast and varied perimeters that are not capable of being secured the same way. For example, fences aren’t feasible for the waterside segment of a port perimeter and are impossible to use to secure a bridge. Physical barriers also do not provide the necessary situational awareness over the large areas typical for ports and bridges, which can encompass miles of perimeter.

Thermal Cameras as a Technology Solution

Achieving security awareness around bridge and port perimeters comes down to timely, credible alerts with detail to respond. Knowing the nature and location of an intrusion is the key to mounting an effective response. While there are a number of options available for port perimeter security, thermal cameras with video analytics have become a best-of-breed solution for port requirements. Smart thermal cameras operate day or night, and can “see” what the eye would miss, even over large outdoor areas in complete darkness.

Recent advances in thermal camera image processing have expanded their traditional role as “night vision” cameras to 24-hour perimeter security solutions, making them an excellent choice for solving port security challenges. Thermal cameras that have substantially more on-board image processing accurately detect the presence of unauthorized persons anywhere across site perimeters, enclaves, and isolated outdoor assets, while filtering the effects of environmental elements. Smart cameras with sufficient processing can provide accurate detection over large areas, regardless of wind, weather or the movement of small animals, trees or blowing trash.

Read about bridge and port security customers who have deployed thermal cameras for waterside applications here.

Thermal cameras can also accurately discriminate legitimate targets from extraneous motion, while presenting very clear details about the scene. In a waterside perimeter application, thermal video analytics can identify intruders despite background water movement or glare off the water.

Thermal cameras can also geo-register their field-of-view to GPS coordinates. This allows the analytics to make accurate determinations regarding target location, size, bearing and speed, critical details for securing large areas like ports. Such geo-registration can be used to display a target’s precise location against a topology map of the port to pinpoint the location of an intrusion in real time. The same information can be used to automatically steer a PTZ camera to zoom and follow detected targets for making fast response decisions.

Economics are important when securing large outdoor areas such as port perimeters, especially given the tight budgets many port operators have to work with. Outdoor surveillance involves additional infrastructure costs, including construction, trenching, camera poles, network connectivity, video display and storage. New thermal analytic cameras can operate at twice the distance and cover four times the area, creating a larger buffer zone for early detection of intruders, along with a direct economic benefit: Fewer thermal analytic cameras are needed to protect the same location, lowering overall costs accordingly.

The First Line of Defense

The economic impact of the nation’s ports, and of ports around the world, is a good indicator of the importance of providing proper maritime security.  Clearly, a lot is at stake as port management and local, state and federal governments evaluate the best security technologies to protect these important assets. When it comes to protecting the port perimeter, technologies such as thermal cameras and outdoor video analytics address the particular needs of the port environment and serve as a critical first line of defense.

An earlier version of this article previously appeared in GSN Magazine. 

Read Perimeter Security for Ports and Bridges on SightLogix.