A safer city with market leading technology from Kentima

The alarm central in the city of Helsingborg is one of all satisfied customers who combine Kentima’s software Ethiris VMS (Video Management System) and WideQuick PSIM (Physical Security Information Management) for efficient and secure monitoring. The system gives the operator the opportunity to quickly make the right decision and take the right action in an alarm situation.

Around the city, there are about 50 facilities with Ethiris Server, which together with about 1,000 cameras continuously monitor the city. Some of the cameras are thermal cameras and react to heat, for example in the event of a fire. The purpose of the system is for the operators in the alarm central to quickly receive information about whether a fire has occurred or is at risk of occurring.

With the Client/Server architecture that Ethiris VMS is built on, it is possible to have clients in the desired number of places for access to live and recorded video. You can also administer all the 50 facilities in the system from a central workplace.

The operators’ interface consists of a 75” 4K screen that is divided into different logical parts. In the upper left corner is a map view based on a live map from Open Street Map. Here the operator can zoom to the desired level and move the map around as needed. Each Ethiris facility in the system is represented by a facility object in the map and shows relevant information, such as the number of cameras in total, the number of cameras that detect movement and the number of cameras that display video at the moment.




The system automatically retrieves GIS data (geographic information system) from the city’s GIS system so that every connected camera is placed exactly at the correct position on the map automatically. There is also a control that the GIS data and the configuration in WideQuick match, regarding which cameras are defined. In this way, the risk of errors is minimized when new facilities are connected to the system.


"It feels safe to use software that is developed for the industry’s high demands,” says André Hiertemyr, Security Consultant, Kärnfastigheter Helsingborgs stad.


In the lower part of the screen, 40 camera views are reserved for incoming alarms that display video from the cameras that are alarming. The list is filled in and emptied automatically as alarms come and go. The upper right corner displays cameras that the operator has, in various ways, manually selected to view by clicking on cameras in the map or in the alarm list at the bottom of the screen. There is a feedback to the map, when the operator clicks on a camera view the corresponding camera is highlighted in the map so that the operator can easily see where the video is coming from. When an alarm is triggered, the position on the map is indicated and the system automatically displays information about the current facility. All cameras of interest are highlighted and live video is displayed. In this way, the operator quickly accesses information that simplifies decision-making in critical situations. Recording starts automatically for the alarming cameras.

In Ethiris VMS, recorded video can be reviewed afterwards for up to 64 cameras simultaneously, if desired with cameras from different facilities. The video is played time synchronized to facilitate the determination of the course of events. If necessary, video can easily be exported in order to be sent to the relevant authority.

The system has been developed in close collaboration with the Property Management’s security department, which has led to a work tool that is optimized for alarm operators.
 

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