December 2007

Common Technology Combinations

Security systems are the combination and integration of a number of components. The most basic and widely used equipment is the CCTV camera. Security cameras can assist transit agencies in monitoring and knowing how to respond to situations onboard vehicles and at transit facilities; they can also be used in incident response. Agencies can choose between analog and digital video technology. Analog technology can be less expensive, recording at 5 to 20 frames per second. Digital technology records at over 30 frames per second.

The CCTV cameras are usually paired with many other technologies to create an effective security system. These technologies include radio communications, silent alarms, covert microphones, and AVL. The use of digital video technology enables greater combination and integration opportunities with other technologies to create an expanded security system.

On-Board Surveillance

On-vehicle video surveillance can be used to observe suspicious or criminal activity, increasing the chances of arrest and conviction if a crime has taken place on a transit vehicle. Complex remote monitoring on transit vehicles can include the use of silent alarms that can be turned on by either the vehicle operator or by remote monitoring personnel, GPS or other AVL systems to pinpoint exactly where an incident has occurred, and Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) that provide the driver non-verbal communication options.

Station and Facility Surveillance

CCTV can be used as a safety and security precaution to monitor transit stations and facilities. Combined with other passive (perimeter fencing) and active (motion detectors) security devices, CCTV cameras can be used to determine the level of any real-time threat (e.g., was an alert from a facility fence an actual security breach or simply an animal setting off the alarm?). Use of digital security cameras transmitting over fiber-optic cable allows images from multiple locations to be transmitted to a central location for monitoring and video storage.

Incident Response

Security cameras and the communication system can provide a critical early information source for the transit operations center and enhance the connection between the transit agency and the responding public safety personnel. A remote view of the post-incident scene by the security cameras can assist transit management's decisions on whether the structure or vehicle is usable. This decision process can be improved through the use of the computer-aided dispatch and scheduling (CADS) system, AVL technologies, and transit communications with dispatchers, supervisors, and drivers to determine how to best resume the transit schedule to the affected locations.

Traveler Information

Transit agency monitoring of the CCTV camera feeds can be instrumental in identifying occurrences that may impact the transit operations. When such an incident occurs, it is advantageous for a transit agency to provide modified traveler schedules as quickly as possible. The traveler information infrastructure is the best method to reach the widest audience of travelers and alert them to the disruption or modification of any transit service. Customer satisfaction is dependent upon timely notification.