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technology
in application
camera was mounted, and a tech-
nical person used the Milestone
Mobile client on a smartphone
to send images from that location
back to the command centre.
Made the marathon
a more secure event
Central Park West is one loca-
tion where a network would be
difficult to deploy if it weren't for
wireless capabilities. Glenn Taylor
reports that the Milestone open
platform's ability to support a
wide range of wireless devices gave
the deployment far greater reach.
He explained that most wireless
equipment requires a clear line of
sight a rare luxury in a setting
known for winding roads and
dense vegetation. Virsig overcame
that by installing wireless trans-
mitting devices at the tops of 140-
foot utility poles to receive signals
from the IP cameras that carried
the data to the servers, where the
images dramatically increased
the marathon's overall situational
awareness.
"The wireless mesh extended
the network out into areas where
you typically would not be able
to put a network," he says. "We
created a platform that everyone
was able to share in order to
make the marathon a safer, more
secure event." n
capabilities proved to be a criti-
cal part of his team's situational
awareness, supporting decision
making through views of the
finish line, walk-off areas, Central
Park and various points along the
marathon's course.
Being able to see runners as
they finished the race helped his
team identify those who needed
emergency room treatment and
what type of care to provide for
injuries that could be treated in
the tent. The sheer number of
people made it complicated to
keep track of what was going on as
runners cooled down on their way
to the area for reuniting with fam-
ily and friends. In addition, the
cool-down period is when trauma
is most likely to occur.
"The Milestone software
helped us integrate all the camera
feeds into one screen area we
could easily look at to see what
was happening across the area,"
Weiss said. "We used it to make
critical decisions throughout the
day."
The race commander used
his view of the five medical tents
to decide which tents were at
capacity and needed more medical
personnel and which tents were
able to receive additional people.
At one point the electricity went
out on one of the poles where a
with installation to transform the
multiple-node architecture into a
seamless unified system.
Open platform
creates flexibility
The open platform architecture of
the Milestone VMS made it possi-
ble to configure and deploy a net-
work with the depth and flexibility
to deliver reliable functionality to
more people in more places. The
Ipela engine of Sony's ultra-wide,
dynamic-range network cameras
provided the outputs, includ-
ing fixed models with on-board
video analytics, pan-tilt-zoom
and 360-degree views. These were
managed and displayed through
Milestone Xprotect Corporate
VMS developed for large-scale,
high-security deployments.
The Command Center had a
consolidated operational view in
a 55-screen Xprotect Smart Wall,
while roving staff could view video
on the move using the Milestone
Mobile client.
Glenn Taylor, Executive Direc-
tor, Virsig LLC, said: "Milestone's
open platform enabled us to pro-
vide a high-availability, high-per-
formance network with the high-
availability, high-performance
video management system."
Critical part of the
situational awareness
Dr. Stuart Weiss is the medical
director for the New York Road
Runners. On race day, his job was
to direct the tent near the finish
line that was fully staffed as an
emergency room. The goal was
to treat onsite as many runners
as possible requiring medical at-
tention, who could then be sent
home. Weiss said that the video
For thousands of runners push-
ing the limits of their physical
endurance, the finish line at the
TCS New York City Marathon
represented the achievement of a
lifetime. For those responsible for
safety, however, the very same fin-
ish line presented challenges. Tall
trees that line the curvy roads and
pathways in Central Park do not
provide a clear line of sight, and
often runners are hidden from the
view of medical and safety person-
nel responsible for responding to
emergencies.
With 50,530 finishers and an
estimated 2 million onlookers in
2014, the TCS New York City
Marathon was the world's largest
ever. Tata Consulting Services
(TCS) was the event's title sponsor
but the New York Road Runners
(NYRR) organised the event, as
they have for many years.
A seamless unified system
NYRR hired a strong team of
leading security industry partners.
Virsig LLC configured and
deployed a wireless network in
and around Central Park, includ-
ing the marathon's finish line.
The network consisted of the
latest Sony network surveillance
cameras, and ethernet transmit-
ters provided by network video
technologies (NVT). These com-
ponents were linked with Firetide
wireless mesh nodes that securely
transmitted video and voice data
to the Race Command Center
where a Milestone Xprotect Smart
Wall displayed 36 simultaneous
camera views. Milestone video
management software (VMS)
served as the platform for live
and recorded playback. Centen-
nial Security Integration assisted
NYCMarathonhighlights
thepowerofpartnerships
Milestone Systems Xprotect open platform video
management software (VMS) was at the core of the
collaborative effort between the 2014 New York City
Marathon team and many local agencies. The net-
worked solution integrated components from top
vendors of IP and wireless security systems equip-
ment, including remote and mobile technology that
resolved issues of critical overview for ensuring
safety at this huge event.
New York marathon keeping runners and onlookers safe.