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News from Unique Integrated SystemsUIS Wins Achilles Accreditation
UIS is now registered with a host of major utility suppliers and related organisations under two categories:
Achilles works to identify, qualify, evaluate, and monitor suppliers on behalf of major organisations worldwide. In the UK, the Utilities Vendor Database is used by such organisations as British Gas, the British Nuclear Group, Centrica, the National Grid, nPower, Powergen and United Utilities, amongst others. Wigan Council uses CCTV as tool in fight against crime (Press release produced by Norbain, March 2008.) Wigan Council has had 33 Pelco Esprit cameras, supplied by Norbain, added to their already extensive CCTV system to ensure that they are using the most up to date technology to monitor activity in the city centre. The new cameras have proved very simple to operate and form an important tool in the fight against crime.
In the town centre itself, Terry Bolton, principal officer for Wigan Council, wanted to update the existing kit which was rather complex to operate and had become expensive to maintain. "We were especially keen to make zooming and focusing easier so that operators could more effectively track suspects," he explains. Installers Unique Integrated Systems Ltd (UIS) were called in to advise on the project. "UIS have been the Council Approved Supplier for almost seven years now and the relationship we’ve built up over the years means that we know they’ll give us excellent advice and service," says Mr Bolton. The Council has a policy of trialling their CCTV equipment before it’s purchased. "Dome cameras were initially trialled for the job, but it was found that blind spots prevented them from getting the best view of the surrounding area. The Esprit cameras offer us an overt solution to CCTV," says Mr Bolton. "People don’t know where the dome cameras are looking, but this is obvious with the Esprit cameras and we’ve found this to be more of a deterrent." The control room has an impressive wall of rear screen projection units along with individual Samsung and Bosch flat screen monitors. "As with the cameras, we trialled a number of flat screen units before making a decision," explains Mr Bolton. "Interestingly, the morning shift favoured the Samsung screens, while the later shift thought the Bosch screens gave a better image quality in reduced light conditions. It made sense to get both so that the best pictures could be viewed whatever the time of day or night." The Pelco cameras have all been positioned on poles that afford operators a 360 degree view of the area. Each of the columns is within view of another giving overlapping footage. This means that no key area is overlooked and, should a column develop a problem, one of the adjoining columns can cover the area. Equipment suppliers Norbain played an important part in the project. "We’ve got an excellent relationship with them," says Mark Ashall, operations director for UIS. "They’ve really bent over backwards for us over the years and have always come through, even against very tight time scales. It’s not just about price with them, it’s the service, technical support and returns policy that really makes the difference." Looking at the effectiveness of CCTV in the fight against crime, Mr Bolton believes that it certainly plays its part. "CCTV acts both as a deterrent and as an investigative tool for our partners," he says. "All the relevant partners need to work together and communicate regularly to most effectively tackle the problem." About Unique Integrated Systems Ltd ENDS Comprehensive Security for Wigan School Unique Integrated Systems recently completed a large scale security upgrade at Hindley Community High School in Wigan. The contract entailed the installation of CCTV, security lighting, video transmission equipment and external passive infra-red (PIR) detection systems.
The upgrade of this system was designed by Tony Hollinrake
of Wigan Council’s Security Section working together with UIS and
the client. UIS engineers installed a range of different cameras including
Bosch vandal-resistant fixed domes, Bosch G3 fully functional domes and
dedicated micros. In all, the site was equipped with 57 cameras, supported
by DM digital video recorders and Vista SmartTel video transmission equipment,
which enabled all footage to be observed and recorded at the Council’s
CCTV control room. “This was a major upgrade of our CCTV system,” said head teacher, Mrs J Lees. “I want to pass on my thanks to the engineers from UIS, who were all highly efficient and accommodating. They quickly and unobtrusively did and excellent job.” Tony Hollinrake commented: “Wigan Council’s Security Section worked very closely with Unique Integrated Systems and Hindley Community High School on the upgrade of the system. As Design and Project Manager for the Council, I can say that the service provided by UIS was excellent from start to finish. Various sections of the Council are speaking about the system in glowing terms and it is a credit to the company for the high standards of service they provided for this scheme. “Wigan Council’s remote monitoring centre monitors the system via video transmission and provides a 24/7 service for alarm-triggered CCTV systems, which adds to the security of the school when it is closed.” |
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