Sands CISD chose Responsive Services International Corp. (RSI, Inc.), to implement a multi-faceted system tailored to meet the district's specified security needs.
As the superintendent of a small school district with a limited staff, Wayne Henderson has many responsibilities and is often moving around campus. When he is not in his office, he uses the
Milestone Mobile client on his smartphone, which gives him real-time video viewing, as well as options for video playback and export. The ability to link cameras and ISONAS access points within the XProtect platform allows Henderson to view and verify events and alarms as well as respond to them, thanks to the
Milestone Systems integration with ISONAS.
The Sands Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) in Ackerly, Texas, had previously been operating without a security system. There were no cameras to monitor the flow of students, teachers and others coming in and out of the buildings, and there was no access control system to secure school doors. With recent attacks at schools, security cameras were needed to ensure only authorized personnel were allowed on school property, for staff and student safety and to deter vandalism. The district is located in a rural area, but with easy access from a nearby State highway – with a response time of 15-20 minutes from law enforcement. Implementing a network-based, pure-IP access control and video system to keep the main campus and gym across the street secure at all times was prioritized during the school's renovation and technology upgrade project in 2015.
Sands CISD chose Responsive Services International Corp. (RSI, Inc.), to implement a multi-faceted system tailored to meet the district's specified security needs. The core of the solution included 36
MOBOTIX IP indoor and outdoor security cameras and nine ISONAS PowerNet IP Reader-Controllers integrated with Milestone XProtect video management software (VMS), and a
Milestone Husky M50 NVR.
Five-megapixel, 180 and 360 lenses on most of the Mobotix cameras enable the district to deploy fewer cameras yet maintain extensive coverage of the school cafeteria and all doorways, hallways, entryways and common areas. Both indoor and outdoor cameras record on motion detection only, as configured in the Milestone VMS to record video storage of at least 30 days. The cameras cover all areas around school buildings, bus transportation, gym parking lots and the football field.
As an added measure, the school district integrated their new VoIP telephony solution into the security system so when an individual hits the intercom key on the MOBOTIX door station at the front entrance, they appear in the Milestone interface displayed on the computer screen of an administrator, who can verify and authorize entry. This protocol keeps school personnel from getting locked out and ensures only approved visitors are let in.
This unique solution provides a seamless integration of the Milestone XProtect Smart Client and the ISONAS Crystal Matrix software, for a security solution with unified command and control. The XProtect Smart Client manages the live video display and camera recordings while the ISONAS system does the access control in the background.
Milestone and ISONAS Go Beyond Basic Features
RSI, Inc. set up the ISONAS Pure IP access control system to unlock and lock the main door for an hour at the beginning and end of the school day. Parents can drop off and pick up the children without waiting to be buzzed in since Sands CISD staff are in the entry areas. The back door is programmed to open at the end of a period to allow students to get to the agricultural building away from the main campus.
Sands administrators liked the ISONAS ID access cards and created custom ID badges with staff pictures that act as employee identification and access cards into the building.
Henderson was also able to create different access levels for school personnel. A small number of people have access to his office, and only coaches and specialty staff have access to the gym and auditorium.
Fast Return on Investment
In the first two months after the installation was completed, Sands CISD already realized considerable benefits from integrating the Milestone open platform IP VMS with Pure IP access control technology from ISONAS. The district has comprehensive camera coverage feeding into the Milestone VMS to verify and ensure that only students, staff and other authorized personnel are allowed on campus. The ISONAS access control system allows the district to control all doors and assign different priority levels to various Sands CISD staff. The integration with the Milestone XProtect Access module also lets Sands CISD efficiently and effectively monitor the campus and respond to potential incidents from a unified user interface.