Oct 01, 2014

The Port Newark Container Terminal at the Port of New York/New Jersey is a destination for more than 600,000 shipping containers every year. These containers can hold all types of valuable contents, making their security a top priority. To secure the 180-acre port and its day-to-day operations,officials turned to Firetide for a wireless video surveillance network solution.

Recently, PNCT announced the completion of the second phase of the Firetide deployment, which allows security officers to keep eyes on the entire port via indoor and outdoor real-time video feeds. The system includes 54 Firetide HotPort 7020 wireless mesh nodes and 70 IP surveillance cameras situated throughout the port. The video feeds are sent to a central command center for view by the port’s security team.

More than 500 employees work at the port on any given day, including dock workers, ship crew and port visitors. With Firetide technology in place, safety officials can monitor the activities of these individuals, as well as the ships and containers handled by them.

“More than 75 percent of work trade is transported by sea so implementing a comprehensive video surveillance network for maritime terminals can’t be undervalued,” PNCT safety director Frank Chimento told Security Director News. “The installation of the Firetide system will further enhance Port Newark Container Terminal’s and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s surveillance of the terminal and shoreline.”

The second phase represents the build out of the original deployment and is part of an ongoing process to secure the expanding port. Before 2030, officials have plans to invest $500 million in PNCT, enabling the facility to double the amount of containers it sees. As a result of the expansion, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey plans to invest another $150 million in improvements. Some of this funding will go toward growing the current footprint of the wireless video network.