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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Upgrades Digital Surveillance System

New system synchronizes more than 400 cameras for enhanced security.

DALLAS -- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has received a $104 million commitment by the Transportation Security Administration to support security upgrades earmarked for DFW's four -- soon to be five -- terminals. The new technology surveillance system will greatly enhance DFW's ability to monitor all key entrances to terminals as well as the giant airport's perimeter, while greatly reducing the chances of a terminal evacuation. DFW, the world's third busiest airport serving nearly 54 million passengers, anticipates having the expanded system in operation by June 2004.

The new cameras will cover all fire exit doors at DFW, which are essential airport portals that can accidentally cause a security problem if a passenger attempts to exit in a nonemergency. New cameras will also be installed on the public and secure sides of the terminals, and will be part of the final security construction of International Terminal D, scheduled to open in 2005.

The NiceVision Digital Video and Audio Recording system from NICE Systems meets the airport's safety requirements without affecting the ultimate goal of efficiently moving large numbers of passengers. The system offers high video quality and a wide range of storage options, as well as the ability to monitor, record and analyze data from several hundred cameras simultaneously. The software's open architecture platform integrates with supplementary security and communication systems.

The new digitized surveillance system also allows DFW to not only record real-time video of hundreds of locations, but also allows the airport to archive and preserve images for security or safety investigations. Secure Net of Carrolton, Texas will begin upgrading the CCTV system immediately.
Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.