Jan 21, 2016

Transient destinations such as airports, train stations and large tourist attractions have a way of introducing unique public safety hazards. So many people and vehicles coming and going creates a level of calamity that makes it easy for personal items to be lost or stolen. Small children wander off in the chaos. Someone might fall down amid the rush of human traffic. A lot can happen in these hectic environments.

The same can also be true for large waterfront ports that see considerable quantities of goods coming and going. While the threats to public safety are significantly reduced due to the fact that these are not public spaces, staff need to be protected from the many hazards of the job. After hours – or during shifts at unusual times – waterfronts are also at risk of becoming meeting grounds for mischief and mayhem.

As such, having a reliable video surveillance solution in place in shipping ports is hugely important.

The case of Port Newark

In the case of the Port Newark Container Terminal at the Port of New York/New Jersey, officials were worried about the safety of shipping containers – more specifically, the estimated 600,000 containers that make their way into the port every year. On top of that, approximately 500 workers are in rotation on any given day in order to ensure the delivery and safe storage of goods. Some of these workers may be visitors (i.e. cargo ship crews) while others might be daily dock workers. Just as the valuable goods that come through the port must be protected, so too must the safety of the people who transport and receive them.

In order to help ensure this safety, PNCT opted for a wireless video surveillance solution. The port deployed a total of 54 Firetide HotPort 7020 wireless mesh nodes, which kept as many as 70 IP surveillance cameras up and running throughout the port. This made it possible to keep close watch over key sectors of the port from a single viewing room.

In addition to improving security monitoring of the shipping containers, this helped bolster safety for the 500 or so workers on site during the day. Looking forward, the port may see an injection of $500 million total by 2030, which would make it possible to double the current number of containers. With reliable video surveillance in place, expansion can occur at a quick, confident pace, as wireless network infrastructure can scale as needed to meet the new demands.  

West Sacramento Port

Port Newark is not the first port to benefit from wireless video surveillance. In 2011, the West Sacramento Port undertook the installation of a video surveillance solution in order to meet requirements laid out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Further impetus to improve security monitoring was the fact that the port was viewed as a vital amenity to the local farmers in the areas – despite its relatively small size. With roadways adjacent to the port, and fisherman frequenting the waterfront, it was important to ensure the security of port assets and employees.   

Thus, the port bolstered its real-time video surveillance system. Firstly, they upgraded the network to support more video cameras in important choke points, such as security gates, perimeter fences that divide highways and waterfront zones that are visited by fisherman. Secondly, the port deployed wireless surveillance cameras on the opposite side of the Sacramento River in order to cover more ground in its security monitoring efforts. This included the use of two wireless video surveillance trailers that leveraged Firetide HotPort 6000 wireless mesh nodes.  

Port Newark and West Sacramento Port are only two examples of how wireless surveillance bolstered security for cargo shipping zones. Click here to learn more about how wireless mesh solutions can help safeguard valuable assets.