Port of Tacoma CCTV Surveillance
Tacoma, WA

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Port was granted funds from the Department of Homeland Security for CCTV surveillance system modifications to provide waterways intrusion detection capabilities as well as establish the core of a networked surveillance digital video recording system; this function being planned to use high performance blade servers and high density storage area technology.





ACSI's RESPONSIBILITIES:
As a subconsultant to KPFF, ACSI performed planning and design services for the selection of camera, fiber-optic communications, video networking and related site infrastructure facilities and equipment. The project was unique in that the range of areas requiring video surveillance is quite diverse and widespread over the Port’s 2,400 acre campus plus the adjacent Commencement Bay waterway.

An integral function of the project video servers was that of video analytics whereby sophisticated automated analysis of the surveillance video is performed. There are numerous benefits to such analysis techniques. First, it reduced security operational labor requirements. Second, if properly configured, it performed much better than a trained operator at identifying operational anomalies, particularly when the system can provide such functionality for a large number of cameras. Third, the centralized analysis technique permited cost effective analysis software updates as new analysis algorithms become available.

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