Campus Security | News

Wyoming High School Upgrades to IP Cameras

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 08/31/10

The 42-acre Cody High School in Wyoming has switched to an IP-based video system to replace analog cameras. The new equipment--including 80 indoor and outdoor network cameras--comes from Axis Communications.

The video captured by the school's decade-old analog video cameras yielded too few details to be useful--especially at night when most incidents occur, the district said in a statement. It decided an IP-based surveillance system with higher image quality and more advanced features would provide much better forensic detail, act as a deterrent for vandalism, and enable quicker and easier video searches following a security event.

"The video from our old analog camera system was so pixilated, we only identified culprits about 15 percent of [the] time," said Principal Brandon Jensen. "Our new Axis cameras have such amazing image clarity that so far we've been able to identify who was doing what 100 percent of the time."

The installation was done by ISC, an Axis reseller based in Casper. The network integrator recommended AXIS 214 pan/tilt/zoom cameras and AXIS 225FD fixed dome cameras on building exteriors to cover entry doors, the senior parking lot, bus loading zone, and adjoining parks and recreation areas. The company deployed AXIS P3301 fixed dome cameras inside the high school to cover hallways, stairwells, the gymnasium and common areas, as well as outside bathrooms and classrooms.

School administrative and security staff are using NetDVMS, OnSSI's video management system, to monitor and manage the video and to control the cameras over the school's fiber network.

The high school has the cameras set to trigger recording based on motion detection. When a user needs to locate a specific video clip, the video management software uses a "Smart search" function to scan archived video for missing objects. The user specifies an area within a field of view, such as a laptop sitting on a table, then instructs the program to compare pixels in multiple frames to identify when that object disappears.

In other Axis news, the company has introduced seven video "kits," which each include four network cameras and monitoring and recording software. The kits are priced between $799 and $1,999 and can be extended by adding additional cameras and upgrading the license for the software.