U.S. Security Professionals Choose Vumii Products for Long Distance Maritime Security Applications

ATLANTA, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Port security professionals face a unique set of security and surveillance challenges due to the lack of lighting and difficulty in achieving situational awareness across large and vulnerable waterway environments.  As a result, ports across the United States are seeking solutions that enable law enforcement officials and others who patrol these ports to detect, recognize, and identify security threats during the day or in complete darkness.

Many agencies and organizations are implementing and using award-winning security cameras from Vumii Imaging, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of innovative high-quality thermal and near-infrared illumination cameras.

One of the first agencies to choose Vumii technology is the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).  Tasked with the challenge of protecting and serving the citizens within Maryland's largest municipality, the BPD not only protects the area's streets but also has shared responsibility for safeguarding the city's port and historic Fort McHenry.

BPD needed technology that would allow security operators to both detect threats at long distances and then assess the details to determine the level of security, safety, and environmental threats at long distances around Baltimore waterways and bridges. To address these requirements BPD chose Vumii's thermal and active illumination technology to meet the agency's long range, round-the-clock requirements.

A recently released case study highlights BPD's deployment of Vumii's Discoverii 1000 and 2000 active illumination cameras and Accuracii ML thermal and CCD cameras.

Vumii Cameras Provide Detail Needed for Effective Assessment

"Our challenge is that we patrol and protect such a diverse area including sections where it is dark and easy to hide," said Sgt. George McClaskey, BPD. "We required a means of not only being able to see vessels and critical infrastructure at great distances during periods of darkness but also at a high level of detail including vessel numbers and names, particularly ones of high-interest."

The Discoverii long-range threat assessment cameras feature long range optics with CCD cameras that are optimized for Vumii's near-IR laser illumination (up to 3000 meters in complete darkness). This combination of high performance cameras, optics, and laser illumination creates a camera system which provides natural contrast video offering the user critical scene details such as facial features, license plate or vehicle lettering, and the ability to see through glass.

Accuracii ML, Vumii's dual channel thermal and CCD camera, offers the BPD a powerful day-and-night, multi-sensor observation solution allowing mid-range detection and observation with both a zoomable CCD and dual field of view thermal imager.  

Layered, Shared Approach to Security Delivers Comprehensive Protection

The cameras are tied to a web-based Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) system enabling multiple organizations to share views from Vumii cameras. "By coupling the visual aspect of the Vumii cameras to radar, Automatic Identification Systems for gathering ship data and other software tools, we can pretty well tell what's on the water at all times, day or night, even in bad weather," according to McClaskey.

"Safety is paramount," stresses McClaskey. "With a layered and shared approach to security, Vumii has helped us provide blanketed protection within this diverse area enabling better and faster protection and more value for our dollar."

McClaskey notes the cameras' ease of use, nighttime performance and the ability to zoom-in to see images at great distances with clarity and detail have provided a winning combination.

"Our broad spectrum of thermal and near-IR camera technologies deliver a cost-effective solution for helping law enforcement agencies provide the most complete protection to the port of Baltimore," said Chris Ruttle, CEO Vumii Imaging, Inc. "With superior performance and the ability to assess threats in low or no light scenarios as well as their effectiveness over water, Vumii's wide selection of camera offerings and technologies are ideal for the unique and critical security challenges of port environments."

About Vumii

Vumii Imaging, Inc designs and manufactures a broad portfolio of cameras and surveillance solutions in a wide variety of packages including thermal cores, OEM cameras, and multi-camera PTZ systems using thermal, visible and near-IR laser and LED illumination technologies. For more information, visit http://www.vumii.com.

Media Contact: Craig Beal
Vumii Imaging, Inc.
+1-578-4717
[email protected]

SOURCE Vumii Imaging, Inc.