Monday, November 30, 2009

Crisp County Courthouse


Crisp County Government began construction of a new courthouse in 2009. The county began working on the specifications for the security system on the project and decided the S2 system was the preferred system to provide an integrated, scalable security solution. CooperCraft had an existing relationship with the Crisp County Government through a previously installed S2 system at the Crisp County Sheriff’s office.

CooperCraft was contracted to install the S2 system due to involvement throughout the planning phase, competitive pricing, company experience with the S2 system, and reputation for great service with a strong presence in the local area. CooperCraft was able to provide scalable, integrated security system to manage multiple locations with the S2 system. Crisp County officials also liked the fact S2 did not require any software to be installed on the network and was accessible locally, over the county wide area network, and from any remote connection.

The scope of the project involved the installation 50 Axis IP cameras and access control for 45 doors on multiple floors. The CCTV system included 2 Terabytes of storage to a local Windows Server with up to 45 days of video archiving. Security monitoring stations with 32-inch monitors and a PC were provided in the second floor security office and the sally port security office. ONSSI IP video management software was utilized for video management and integration with the S2 System. A total of 45 doors were connected to the S2 system to control access and monitor door status. CooperCraft was able to upgrade the existing S2 system at the Crisp County Jail to an Enterprise system. The new courthouse was then integrated to the upgraded system. The old courthouse had an existing access system that was retrofitted using existing locking hardware and readers with new S2 controllers to the system.

The project presented some unique challenges. The sally port area requires a secure area to load and unload prisoners for court. The sally port at the new courthouse had 6 doors. Officers wanted the system designed where if one door was open, none of the other 5 doors would open. A relay system was designed to prevent access to any of the other 5 doors if one door was open.


The project was just recently completed and provides the Crisp County Government with a county wide security solution as the county decides to add other facilities to the system. Officers will have the ability to access the system locally from security offices, through the county wide area network, or remotely from any internet connection. Officers are also interested in adding features to be able to view video on PDA’s and access the many other features the S2 system offers.

Albany State University – Axis IP Campus CCTV Case Study

Late in 2008, Albany State University began working with Blackboard and CooperCraft Communications on a campus wide CCTV system. Blackboard, a nationwide education software company, had a relationship with Albany State but needed a local integration company to team with in order to have a successful project. Through referrals from clients of CooperCraft, Blackboard contacted CooperCraft and began a relationship that resulted in a teaming agreement between the two companies.

ASU’s goal was to provide a more secure campus for students, faculty, staff, and visitors through the installation of a campus wide CCTV system. Several options were discussed and an Axis IP CCTV system was decided on as the best solution for Albany State’s current and future needs due to its reputation as a leader in IP cameras, clarity of video, and performance at similar sites.


CooperCraft began the process of planning the project through numerous walkthroughs with Blackboard and ASU staff and in house design meetings. Cameras were located throughout the campus and presented a challenge obtaining accessibility and providing vandal protection. Through quality field engineering and a dedicated team of hard working technicians, CooperCraft successfully installed 31 Axis 233D PTZ cameras, 2 Axis 216FDV fixed dome cameras, and 2 Axis Q1755 Fixed Day/Night cameras.


The new system allowed the ASU Police Department to effectively survey the campus and provide safety in previously dangerous hidden areas. From the Central Command Center, ASU officers are able to spot potentially criminal situations and quickly dispatch officers to the site while maintaining observation. The new system also provides more evidence for conviction of criminals and the ability to detect any criminal element attempting to move into the ASU campus.


Through this project and previous service work, CooperCraft has been able to build a strong relationship with Albany State University. ASU staff was very pleased with the work completed by CooperCraft and the college is currently looking at access and interior camera projects for Blackboard and CooperCraft to begin in 2010. A letter of referral from Virginia Stewart at Albany State is included.

Tift Regional Medical Center – S2 Case Study

Tift Regional Medical Center was dissatisfied with the facilities existing Legacy access control system, constant hardware failures, and an antiquated security command center. They also desired a system that offered ease of expansion to the main hospital facility and remote offices located throughout South Georgia. Environmental Services Director, John Lindsey, contacted CooperCraft to conduct a site visit and discuss the options. The decision was made to contract with CooperCraft Communications to replace the existing system with a combined solution of Digital Sprite 2 DVRs from Dedicated Micros and the S2 NetBox from S2 Security Corporation.

One of the main challenges of the project was bringing a new system online without disrupting normal security routines, creating issues for operation of access controlled doors and losing video surveillance capabilities. The process was started by installing a temporary command center and completing redesigning the permanent command center with modular work tables, monitors supports and officer storage. Ten Hybrid (analog/IP) Dedicated Micros DVRs were installed to support 70 existing cameras along with the installation of 50 new Pelco dome cameras. The S2 system nodes were deployed into data closets throughout the facility and integrated into the TRMC network. Once all nodes were online, CooperCraft methodically merged 65 doors from the existing legacy system into the new S2 system over a 48 hour weekend with minimal down time. Since the initial installation TRMC has added approximately 30 more doors, 70 more cameras, and 4 more Dedicated Micros Hybrid DVRs.

For this large-scale deployment, S2 NetBox and Dedicated Micros solution offered the highest level of flexibility, scalability and ease of implementation. The combined functionality of the S2 and Dedicated Micros technology was easily installed without the need to run new cable or to configure special databases. The S2 NetBox integrates with Dedicated Micros’ DVRs over a standard IP network. Events detected by the access control and alarm monitoring systems of the S2 NetBox can initiate video recording; likewise, video motion detection by the recorder can trigger alarms on the S2.

Tift Regional has continued to add to the S2 system throughout the main hospital. The panic system, intrusion detection system, and temperature sensors have been integrated to the system. CooperCraft is currently working on a project for Tift Regional to integrate energy management into the S2 system. TRMC is continuing to expand the use of the S2 system throughout the facility’s locations.