Editor’sNote: While we prefer to bring you installation profiles as a passiveparticipant, the Odawa Casino is a unique opportunity to give you anexclusive behind-the-scenes vantage point. The author was intimatelyinvolved in planning and executing the sophisticated video solution atthe recently opened gaming resort in northern Michigan and is able toprovide our readers with a true “insider”perspective. Heis describing events that he helped shape, and the only way to do thatis by telling the story in the first person.
Most consultants, integrators and other professionals involvedwithlarge-scale security projects tend to develop a sixth sense. We learnto pinpoint problems in the early going and then formulate thenecessary adjustments to be successful.
This added sensitivity is important to us, as it occasionallyhelpsus identify those projects that are doomed from the start. Since thesurvival of your business is often dependent on the success of yourprojects, it is important to recognize and embrace your “gutinstinct.”
Far more uncommon is the project that incites a gut feelingfrom theget-go that success is inevitable. Indeed, it is rare to find a jobthat has the necessary backing from upper management, openness to newtechnology, and a well-defined process for project planning,procurement and rapid problem resolution.
The video surveillance installation at Odawa Casino, locatednearthe waters of Lake Michigan in Petoskey, Mich., was such a project. Thedesign included two control rooms and auxiliary monitoring locations,encompassing a new casino, parking structure, special events area and aremote waste water treatment plant. All of it secured with fullintegration between video, access control and other gaming systems.While I’d like to say I was pleasantly surprised, all of usinvolved with this project genuinely knew it would succeed from thestart.
Success Begins With Adoption of ‘QualificationsSelection’ Process
In large part, the project’s expected triumphwas due tothe tribe’s embracement of the Qualifications-Based Selection(QBS) process, according to Kevin Kane, an owner’srepresentativefor the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB), whichoperates the gaming resort.
“This is a nationwide program that is based onprequalifyingvendors, interviewing where necessary and then negotiatingfees,”Kane says. “This allowed us to select vendors with a proventrackrecord and the skills needed for us to succeed, while still meeting ourcost and budgetary objectives. In fact, the entire project finished notonly on time, which is not uncommon for casino projects, but underbudget, which is certainly the exception.”
Prior to designing the solution, and even before the projectgot offthe ground, the surveillance focus group was tasked with craftingsystem requirements to a rough order of magnitude and setting thebudget. This group — consisting of the tribe’s CFO,generalmanager, regulatory director, surveillance manager, surveillance leadtechnician and owners’ representatives — had ageneral ideaof what they needed the system to perform. They desired a wall of videomonitors that would display numerous cameras simultaneously, plusoperator stations free of distractions and enough room to workeffectively and comfortably.
“We are thankful to be working for a tribe that hasvision andwanted to make sure that our part of the puzzle fit into theirpicture,” says Vince Cook, regulatory director for LTBB.
Tribe Prepares for GamingFuture Informed by Past Experiences
The members of LTBB were no strangers to analog anddigitalvideo. Prior to the Odawa Casino project they owned and operated thenearby Victories Casino with its 16 gaming tables and 1,100 slotmachines, plus restaurants, a bar and other amenities. The tribe hadalready upgraded its analog recording solution to a NiceVision Pro 200Series DVR system. The old facility also had a Pelco matrix switch andmore than 300 cameras from various manufacturers, both fixed andpan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) models.
“Our system had grown through evolution,” explainsLTBB’s surveillance manager Tom Gould. “We knewthat thenew facility would allow us to make a fresh start, both from atechnical and an operational perspective, and we were looking forwardto applying what we have learned over the years.”
One of the things they had learned was they did not want to goitalone; a consultant would be essential to the new project. The newfacility — with about 50,000–square feet of gamingfloorspace — would be much bigger, including 1,500 slots, 30tables, aspecial events area, more amenities and considerable room for growth.The camera coverage would also be greatly enhanced, with roughly 800cameras, more operators and a great deal more technology to manage theoperation. As part of the product and vendor selection process, thetribe first needed to find the right consultant to guide them.
“We wanted someone who could look at our needs andexpectations and guide us in making choices,” explains Kane.Oneexample: the existing system had a video wall, consisting of a bank ofmonitors, all individually controlled through the matrix switchingsystem. While this allowed for real-time video refresh on each screen,it would not provide much operational flexibility, was expensive toimplement (a much larger matrix switch would have been required), andwould have consumed substantial space in the room.
The final design included front projection of video images fedthrough the digital side of the system, thereby reducing cost andadding the ability to dynamically resize images as needed, depending onwhat transpired in the facility at the time. “The decision toputvideo quality on the desk rather than on the wall was the right one forour application, but we probably wouldn’t have come up withthaton our own,” Kane says.
Potential Consultants Solicited by ‘Request forQualifications’
Once the project had received all of the necessaryapprovals, a”Request for Qualifications” document was sent outto anumber of prospective vendors. To save time and maximize participation,the document was sent to consultants, manufacturers and integrators. Itclearly stated the needed qualifications for each group. As aconsulting firm, for example, we had to certify we did not”manufacture, furnish or install such systems and‘our firmdoes not’ have any affiliation with any surveillanceequipmentmanufacturers or surveillance integrators.”
Similar restrictions were placed on other trades, whilequestionswere designed to reveal as much as possible without requiringrespondents to jump through hoops, as can often be the case (see side bar).
I was impressed with the initial interview, as were many oftheother consultants and vendors selected for different areas of theproject. The focus was on building a team based on capabilities andexperience, not the strength of a PowerPoint™ presentation.Kaneinstructed me (and other vendors) to keep it short and to the point,and to “leave the marketing folks at home.”
Installation Begins toTake Shape; Integration Capability an Emphasis
Once I was on board, we reviewed the design process todate. Inthe head-end area, we left raised computer flooring in the rack roomand extended it to the adjacent technician’s shop. This wouldallow us to move the technician to another location in the future, ifneeded, and expand the rack room. We eliminated the raised floor in thesurveillance room, and instead opted for two-foot-wide trenches runningfrom the rack room to the operator and supervisor consoles. The Winstedconsole we selected features an integral cable management system thatwe used for console wiring, which also offered some costsavings.
Expansion was a critical factor as well. It is not uncommonforcasinos to grow and expand far beyond their initial footprint and wewanted to be prepared. The initial system design called for roughly 800inputs, so we sized the racking and infrastructure to support more thanthree times that number, or 2,500 cameras.
Our firm calculates HVAC and power requirements as part ofthedesign process, so we provided this in two phases — initialsystem size and expanded size. It was decided to size the UPS systemfor the expanded capacity, but only purchase batteries for the firstphase. This eliminated the high cost of purchasing more batterycapacity than was initially required, since batteries are aconsumable.
We also provided two areas for video review outside of thecommandcenter. Access to the monitor room was to be extremely restricted, sofunctions that would normally be done in the room at a supervisorconsole were moved to remote monitoring consoles. One was located in acommon area of the surveillance suite, while the second was placed in aconference room. This allowed both semi-private and private viewing, asaccess to the surveillance suite is limited as well.
Most casinos divide video monitoring into two areas: theheavilyregulated surveillance department tasked with monitoring the gamingfloor and any money handling areas (including the passage of money intoand out of the facility). The security department monitors all otherareas including roadways and parking lots. A second command center wasdesigned for security, but it was considerably different from thesurveillance console in that it could accommodate more rack mountedsecurity equipment as needed for future growth.
The two monitoring consoles and third security console serveda dualrole. If there was ever a system failure or condition that made thesurveillance room uninhabitable, the operators could simply move to oneof the other consoles to resume their duties.
To accomplish this, we designed the system as a single largesystemthat was partitioned in such a way to limit access based on passwordsand job functionality. In this manner, the security operator would nothave access to call-up or control a gaming camera, but a surveillanceoperator, with access to all cameras, could send a gaming camera to amonitor in security. This allows a person with more restrictive systemaccess to view an important image they wouldn’t normally beableto see.
On the software side, we focused on integration capabilities.Weprovided for full integration between access control and CCTV (fairlystandard in high-end installations), but also provided forcommunication between a variety of subsystems such as slot datasystems, cash registers, casino marketing cards and slot cash vouchersystems. Also included was audio recording from a variety of sourcesand in selected areas as required by tribal and National Indian GamingCommission (NIGC) regulations.
“Working with a consultant [throughout the designprocess]really opened our eyes to the different technologies available tous,” says Cook. “We had previously focusedprimarily oncoverage and video quality, and there were things like automatic cameracall up on alarms that we just hadn’t thought of. Addingthesefeatures and capabilities has put us light years ahead of where we werebefore, and our being a part of the design process, from start tofinish, has been a huge help.”
Video, Access ControlVendors Ease Expansion, Offer Flexibility
Once the design parameters were fleshed out, it becameimportantto select a manufacturer. Doing so would simplify the bidding processby allowing us to work with a manufacturer to fine-tune the systemdesign, and make it easier to compare bids since all integrators wouldbe bidding the same functionality and essentially the same equipment.LTBB chose to go with a single manufacturer for as much of the CCTVsystem as possible. This would allow the tribe to focus on integrationwith other systems without worrying about integration between thevarious CCTV sub-systems.
After careful consideration of a number of full-linesuppliers,Clovis-Calif.-based Pelco was awarded the contract. Thetribe’sexperiences with Pelco equipment had been extremely positive. Thedecision offered the advantage to reuse some of the Pelco equipment(such as matrix switch cages, keyboards and p/t/z domes) for expansionof the system at Odawa when the Victories Casino closed. Otherequipment, including fixed cameras and the NiceVision recording system,was broken up into a series of smaller systems and utilized in othertribal properties where compatibility with the Odawa Casino systemwould not be a requirement.
The selection of an access control system was given carefulconsideration as well. That it had to integrate well with the Pelcosystem was a given, but there were other opportunities for blendedoperation. Access to other databases such as time and attendance, andeven cafeteria meal purchases, were added to the specification wishlist, as were hybrid cards with both proximity functionality andprinted bar codes to support legacy systems. Ultimately, Rochester,N.Y.-based Lenel was chosen as the access control manufacturer becauseof its flexibility and willingness to support all levels ofintegration.
Integrators Selected onFamiliarity With Equipment, Customer Service
Two separate integrators were selected for the project, inpartbecause of the timing of the system purchases. First up was the CCTVintegrator, American Video and Security (AVS). Based in Black Creek,Wis., AVS focuses on gaming and has done a lot of work with otherNative American casinos. The company is very familiar with Pelcosystems and had recently finished a gaming project for the NorthernLights Casino in Carter, Wis.
One aspect that impressed LTBB about AVS was its long-termplan forcustomer satisfaction. As part of its proposal, AVS agreed to hire andtrain a local technician who would work on the project through theinstallation and remain on duty at AVS expense for a full year.”We’re a small company with big customers, and wefeel thatgoing the extra mile on service and support makes us stand out in acompetitive bid situation,” comments Rick Verbsky, presidentofAVS.
Access control was to be handled by Grand Rapids, Mich.-basedSecurAlarm Systems Inc. Gloria Lubben, executive vice president ofSecurAlarm, worked closely with us through the design process andprovided many enhancements to the system design based on their pastexperiences. “We are used to customers who require a greatdealof flexibility,” Lubben says. “This project allowedus topresent a variety of different options and truly customize the systemaround the specific project requirements.”
Point-to-Point SystemRequires More Cable, But Advantages Rule
One requirement of the system design was the recognitionof thefact that expansion was a given. While the head-end was appropriatelysized for growth, we felt it important to allow for the addition ofmore field devices without the need to constantly pull more cable.Casinos typically use analog video for live camera call-up to avoidlatency, with an integrated encoder/server-based digital recordingsystem for storage and retrieval of events. Since this requiredpoint-to-point wiring of cameras (instead of a networkedconfiguration), we designed a UTP-based system utilizing equipmentprovided by Nitek of Rolling Meadows, Ill.
This was one of a few exceptions to the “onemanufacturer” rule, and was largely due to the DIPswitch-baseddistance compensation design used on the Nitek hubs. With DIP switches,a failed hub or module can be quickly swapped out for another one bysimply matching up the switches. Units that use potentiometers tend torequire more extensive setup and drift over time, whileself-calibrating units never stop calibrating and can degrade the imageas they compensate for changes in the image that fool them intothinking the cable distance has changed. We also selected hubs withdual outputs, allowing us to route the video signal to both the matrixswitch and the digital video encoder without the use of a separatedistribution amplifier.
While a point-to-point system requires more cable than anetworkedsystem, it has other advantages that, in some applications, make itmore cost-effective and flexible. For one, we did not have to worryabout the cable distance limits inherent in Internet protocol(IP)-based video systems, and the use of 4-pair Cat-5e cable to eachcamera location allows three additional cameras to be added per cable(two if the camera is a p/t/z model, which use a pair of wire fordata).
Cameras were routed to one of two rack rooms on the casinolevel ordirectly back to the rack room, whichever was closer. An extensivepatching system based on “66 block” styleinterconnectionterminals and 25-pair Cat-5 cables allows for reconfiguration ofcameras in much the same manner a telephone system uses.
Separate power cables were used instead of conductors on theCat-5ecables to preserve the spare pairs for video expansion and allow thepossibility that future cameras might draw more current than the Cat-5ecable could support. While this flies in the face of convention—electronics equipment tends to get more efficient, not less —wehad some concerns that future cameras might incorporate features suchas higher resolution imagers, internal hard drives and video analytics.Therefore, we wanted to be prepared.
Camera selection is also a challenge in casinos. We werehelpedsomewhat by the fact that Pelco carries essentially two different linesof p/t/z dome cameras. The Spectra IV Series is well suited to lowerlight areas of the casino floor, where the wide dynamic range featurecompensates for huge differences in lighting, be it flashing slotmachine to shadows around the base of each machine. The wide range ofoptical magnification (35x) allows cameras to track people throughoutthe casino and image stabilization is a big help in certain areas aswell.
At the other end of the spectrum was the Spectra Mini. Thesecameras are not much bigger than fixed domes and feature 10x zoomlenses. Our firm had used them successfully in the close quarters of acruise ship casino and we specified them here in areas with lowerceilings where high magnification and low light response were not afactor. This allowed us to minimize the aesthetic impact of the domesin certain areas without compromising performance.
Changing Nature ofIndustry Evidenced During Installation
Throughout the installation process, the challenge of adjusting, movingand modifying cameras to accommodate varying lighting issues and otherdécor concerns was ongoing. While Dave Lucas of AVSexperimentedwith different positions, angles and lenses, his brother, Jim, handledthe software configuration and adjustments to the Pelco Endura digitalvideo system and 9780 matrix switch.
As cameras were brought online, each was titled on the matrixandadjusted for frame rate, resolution and storage time on the digitalsystem. Operators training on the system prior to opening saw thecamera count grow and were amazed at how good the video quality was,compared to what had been state-of-the-art just a few years ago.
As the casino construction progressed, no tradesman orconstructionworker could so much as adjust their clothing without the watchful eyeof surveillance upon them. While this was supplemented by formaltraining sessions, the real-time experience gained during constructionwas a tremendous help in acclimating people to the system.
One unforeseen problem with the cameras speaks to thechanging nature of our industry.
At one time, cameras were all synchronized to the 60Hz powerlinefrequency. By utilizing a camera’s vertical phasing (or”V-Phase”) feature, integrators were able to matchup allcameras in the system, eliminating the picture”roll” whenswitching from camera to camera. In practice, cameras were rarelyV-Phased, and customers rarely noticed a roll, but there was no harm incontinuing this proud tradition. However, projects that fully utilizeonline UPS power systems sometimes have slight timing problems and donot deliver precisely 60Hz power. This causes the video images oncertain cameras to orbit the screen, moving in a barely noticeableclockwise rotation.
The operators at Odawa noticed it immediately, however,proving thatthe quality of the tools we were providing for them was well deserved.While we were able to have the UPS calibrated to eliminate the problem,we went to internal sync on all the cameras to prevent this problemfrom recurring if the UPS ever drifts. Based on our experiences, wewill be calling for internal sync on future projects as a precautionand have recommended to manufacturers that they reconsider theirdefault setting.
Team Approach and a KeenEye for Problem-Solving Ensure Success
As the casino progressed through construction and aflawlessopening, there were the usual number of challenges, but none jumped outas opportunities for “lessons learned.” With adecisionprocess in place that allows for rapid, informed decisions, amanufacturer that is ready to jump in and help as needed, and twoexperienced integrators on the job, this project was a testament to thesuccess of the team approach.
But the final measure of performance is ultimately customersatisfaction. “In this case,” explains Kane,”we hada client who had suffered from unfulfilled expectations on previousprojects. Through our planning, processes, and attention to detail, wewere able to exceed their expectations. We created a showcase andraised the bar for future projects.”
I’m sure I speak for the entire team when I say I’mlooking forward to the next one.
Redundancy Relied on for Fail-Safe Protection
The critical nature of the video surveillance solution at theOdawaCasino in Petoskey, Mich., made safeguards essential. As muchredundancy as possible was built into the system. In addition to theitems mentioned in the case study article beginning on page 70, such asdual output UTP hubs that feed digital and analog systems separately,there were many areas where redundancy ruled. These include:
Camera powersupplies— No two adjacent cameras are fed from the same multidroppowersupply. This ensures that a power supply failure, however unlikely,will not shut down an entire area, and is a design requirement weadopted for all of our projects based on work we do for the USPS.
Digital data redundancy— In addition to the server-based redundancy offered byredundantarrays of independent disks (RAID)-5 hard drive configuration, weprovided a spare set of Pelco Endura encoders and servers. If a serveror encoder fails, the analog matrix switch will automatically switchthe cameras to a spare encoder, server and RAID. This also allows forserver maintenance without the loss of data.
Hardwareredundancy —All servers have dual redundant power supplies, and each power supplyis fed from a different circuit breaker. A spare CPU is included withthe Pelco 9780 matrix switch to take over in case of failure.
Master evidenceserver— All video clips that are pulled out of the overwriterotationare saved on a master evidence server located in the rack room. Asecond master evidence server, also featuring RAID-5 redundancy, islocated in a separate building and backs up clips stored on the masterevidence server every 15 minutes.
Dual response to alarm events— Door alarms are handled by the access control panelsthroughthe access control server, which is connected to the matrix switchthrough a high level data interface. A second alarm path is providedthrough alarm contact closures that are fed through an alarm interfaceon the matrix. In this manner, if communications ever fail between theaccess control panels and the central CPU, alarms will still go through.
Detailed Program Used to Select Vendors for CasinoProject
An integral component to selecting vendors for the OdawaCasinoproject was the submitting of prequalification data in compliance withthe nationwide Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) program.
Some of the questions were generic in nature, while othersdrilleddown into design philosophies and experience with other gaming andNative American projects. Questions included:
- Type of firm (surveillance equipment manufacturer,surveillance consultant or surveillance integrator)
- Background information about your firm and any otherpartners that would be involved
- Biographical information on the principals of the firm andthoseindividuals with your firm with whom we would be working with directly
- List the gaming licenses currently or previously held byyour firm and the reason, if any, of those licenses are not current
- Verify if your firm is a Little Traverse Bay Bands of OdawaIndians (LTBB) licensed contractor or if there is any issue in being aLTBB licensed contractor
- State the level of experience your firm has in working withalltribes and the current and past relationships with any Michigan tribe
- References of tribal organizations that you have providedservices; include the contact information for the appropriateindividuals
- List the digital surveillance systems your firm has inplace, including the size, location and contact information
- Address your firm’s approach and schedule byanswering howyou: develop cutting-edge technologies and virtual matrix systems;integrate existing digital surveillance systems to your digitalsurveillance systems; offer service and support during installation,startup and over the life of the system
- Other information you feel is pertinent to our selectionprocess
A confidentiality agreement was also required for the Odawaproject,and the format to be used in the response was not specified. Thisallowed LTBB to evaluate the care each prospective vendor took inpreparing its answers, proving that no matter how old you get, spellingstill counts!
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Casino System Leaves Nothing to Chance – Security Sales & Integration
Editor’sNote: While we prefer to bring you installation profiles as a passiveparticipant, the Odawa Casino is a unique opportunity to give you anexclusive behind-the-scenes vantage point. The author was intimatelyinvolved in planning and executing the sophisticated video solution atthe recently opened gaming resort in northern Michigan and is able toprovide our readers with a true “insider”perspective. Heis describing events that he helped shape, and the only way to do thatis by telling the story in the first person.
Most consultants, integrators and other professionals involvedwithlarge-scale security projects tend to develop a sixth sense. We learnto pinpoint problems in the early going and then formulate thenecessary adjustments to be successful.
This added sensitivity is important to us, as it occasionallyhelpsus identify those projects that are doomed from the start. Since thesurvival of your business is often dependent on the success of yourprojects, it is important to recognize and embrace your “gutinstinct.”
Far more uncommon is the project that incites a gut feelingfrom theget-go that success is inevitable. Indeed, it is rare to find a jobthat has the necessary backing from upper management, openness to newtechnology, and a well-defined process for project planning,procurement and rapid problem resolution.
The video surveillance installation at Odawa Casino, locatednearthe waters of Lake Michigan in Petoskey, Mich., was such a project. Thedesign included two control rooms and auxiliary monitoring locations,encompassing a new casino, parking structure, special events area and aremote waste water treatment plant. All of it secured with fullintegration between video, access control and other gaming systems.While I’d like to say I was pleasantly surprised, all of usinvolved with this project genuinely knew it would succeed from thestart.
Success Begins With Adoption of ‘QualificationsSelection’ Process
In large part, the project’s expected triumphwas due tothe tribe’s embracement of the Qualifications-Based Selection(QBS) process, according to Kevin Kane, an owner’srepresentativefor the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB), whichoperates the gaming resort.
“This is a nationwide program that is based onprequalifyingvendors, interviewing where necessary and then negotiatingfees,”Kane says. “This allowed us to select vendors with a proventrackrecord and the skills needed for us to succeed, while still meeting ourcost and budgetary objectives. In fact, the entire project finished notonly on time, which is not uncommon for casino projects, but underbudget, which is certainly the exception.”
Prior to designing the solution, and even before the projectgot offthe ground, the surveillance focus group was tasked with craftingsystem requirements to a rough order of magnitude and setting thebudget. This group — consisting of the tribe’s CFO,generalmanager, regulatory director, surveillance manager, surveillance leadtechnician and owners’ representatives — had ageneral ideaof what they needed the system to perform. They desired a wall of videomonitors that would display numerous cameras simultaneously, plusoperator stations free of distractions and enough room to workeffectively and comfortably.
“We are thankful to be working for a tribe that hasvision andwanted to make sure that our part of the puzzle fit into theirpicture,” says Vince Cook, regulatory director for LTBB.
Tribe Prepares for GamingFuture Informed by Past Experiences
The members of LTBB were no strangers to analog anddigitalvideo. Prior to the Odawa Casino project they owned and operated thenearby Victories Casino with its 16 gaming tables and 1,100 slotmachines, plus restaurants, a bar and other amenities. The tribe hadalready upgraded its analog recording solution to a NiceVision Pro 200Series DVR system. The old facility also had a Pelco matrix switch andmore than 300 cameras from various manufacturers, both fixed andpan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) models.
“Our system had grown through evolution,” explainsLTBB’s surveillance manager Tom Gould. “We knewthat thenew facility would allow us to make a fresh start, both from atechnical and an operational perspective, and we were looking forwardto applying what we have learned over the years.”
One of the things they had learned was they did not want to goitalone; a consultant would be essential to the new project. The newfacility — with about 50,000–square feet of gamingfloorspace — would be much bigger, including 1,500 slots, 30tables, aspecial events area, more amenities and considerable room for growth.The camera coverage would also be greatly enhanced, with roughly 800cameras, more operators and a great deal more technology to manage theoperation. As part of the product and vendor selection process, thetribe first needed to find the right consultant to guide them.
“We wanted someone who could look at our needs andexpectations and guide us in making choices,” explains Kane.Oneexample: the existing system had a video wall, consisting of a bank ofmonitors, all individually controlled through the matrix switchingsystem. While this allowed for real-time video refresh on each screen,it would not provide much operational flexibility, was expensive toimplement (a much larger matrix switch would have been required), andwould have consumed substantial space in the room.
The final design included front projection of video images fedthrough the digital side of the system, thereby reducing cost andadding the ability to dynamically resize images as needed, depending onwhat transpired in the facility at the time. “The decision toputvideo quality on the desk rather than on the wall was the right one forour application, but we probably wouldn’t have come up withthaton our own,” Kane says.
Potential Consultants Solicited by ‘Request forQualifications’
Once the project had received all of the necessaryapprovals, a”Request for Qualifications” document was sent outto anumber of prospective vendors. To save time and maximize participation,the document was sent to consultants, manufacturers and integrators. Itclearly stated the needed qualifications for each group. As aconsulting firm, for example, we had to certify we did not”manufacture, furnish or install such systems and‘our firmdoes not’ have any affiliation with any surveillanceequipmentmanufacturers or surveillance integrators.”
Similar restrictions were placed on other trades, whilequestionswere designed to reveal as much as possible without requiringrespondents to jump through hoops, as can often be the case (see side bar).
I was impressed with the initial interview, as were many oftheother consultants and vendors selected for different areas of theproject. The focus was on building a team based on capabilities andexperience, not the strength of a PowerPoint™ presentation.Kaneinstructed me (and other vendors) to keep it short and to the point,and to “leave the marketing folks at home.”
Installation Begins toTake Shape; Integration Capability an Emphasis
Once I was on board, we reviewed the design process todate. Inthe head-end area, we left raised computer flooring in the rack roomand extended it to the adjacent technician’s shop. This wouldallow us to move the technician to another location in the future, ifneeded, and expand the rack room. We eliminated the raised floor in thesurveillance room, and instead opted for two-foot-wide trenches runningfrom the rack room to the operator and supervisor consoles. The Winstedconsole we selected features an integral cable management system thatwe used for console wiring, which also offered some costsavings.
Expansion was a critical factor as well. It is not uncommonforcasinos to grow and expand far beyond their initial footprint and wewanted to be prepared. The initial system design called for roughly 800inputs, so we sized the racking and infrastructure to support more thanthree times that number, or 2,500 cameras.
Our firm calculates HVAC and power requirements as part ofthedesign process, so we provided this in two phases — initialsystem size and expanded size. It was decided to size the UPS systemfor the expanded capacity, but only purchase batteries for the firstphase. This eliminated the high cost of purchasing more batterycapacity than was initially required, since batteries are aconsumable.
We also provided two areas for video review outside of thecommandcenter. Access to the monitor room was to be extremely restricted, sofunctions that would normally be done in the room at a supervisorconsole were moved to remote monitoring consoles. One was located in acommon area of the surveillance suite, while the second was placed in aconference room. This allowed both semi-private and private viewing, asaccess to the surveillance suite is limited as well.
Most casinos divide video monitoring into two areas: theheavilyregulated surveillance department tasked with monitoring the gamingfloor and any money handling areas (including the passage of money intoand out of the facility). The security department monitors all otherareas including roadways and parking lots. A second command center wasdesigned for security, but it was considerably different from thesurveillance console in that it could accommodate more rack mountedsecurity equipment as needed for future growth.
The two monitoring consoles and third security console serveda dualrole. If there was ever a system failure or condition that made thesurveillance room uninhabitable, the operators could simply move to oneof the other consoles to resume their duties.
To accomplish this, we designed the system as a single largesystemthat was partitioned in such a way to limit access based on passwordsand job functionality. In this manner, the security operator would nothave access to call-up or control a gaming camera, but a surveillanceoperator, with access to all cameras, could send a gaming camera to amonitor in security. This allows a person with more restrictive systemaccess to view an important image they wouldn’t normally beableto see.
On the software side, we focused on integration capabilities.Weprovided for full integration between access control and CCTV (fairlystandard in high-end installations), but also provided forcommunication between a variety of subsystems such as slot datasystems, cash registers, casino marketing cards and slot cash vouchersystems. Also included was audio recording from a variety of sourcesand in selected areas as required by tribal and National Indian GamingCommission (NIGC) regulations.
“Working with a consultant [throughout the designprocess]really opened our eyes to the different technologies available tous,” says Cook. “We had previously focusedprimarily oncoverage and video quality, and there were things like automatic cameracall up on alarms that we just hadn’t thought of. Addingthesefeatures and capabilities has put us light years ahead of where we werebefore, and our being a part of the design process, from start tofinish, has been a huge help.”
Video, Access ControlVendors Ease Expansion, Offer Flexibility
Once the design parameters were fleshed out, it becameimportantto select a manufacturer. Doing so would simplify the bidding processby allowing us to work with a manufacturer to fine-tune the systemdesign, and make it easier to compare bids since all integrators wouldbe bidding the same functionality and essentially the same equipment.LTBB chose to go with a single manufacturer for as much of the CCTVsystem as possible. This would allow the tribe to focus on integrationwith other systems without worrying about integration between thevarious CCTV sub-systems.
After careful consideration of a number of full-linesuppliers,Clovis-Calif.-based Pelco was awarded the contract. Thetribe’sexperiences with Pelco equipment had been extremely positive. Thedecision offered the advantage to reuse some of the Pelco equipment(such as matrix switch cages, keyboards and p/t/z domes) for expansionof the system at Odawa when the Victories Casino closed. Otherequipment, including fixed cameras and the NiceVision recording system,was broken up into a series of smaller systems and utilized in othertribal properties where compatibility with the Odawa Casino systemwould not be a requirement.
The selection of an access control system was given carefulconsideration as well. That it had to integrate well with the Pelcosystem was a given, but there were other opportunities for blendedoperation. Access to other databases such as time and attendance, andeven cafeteria meal purchases, were added to the specification wishlist, as were hybrid cards with both proximity functionality andprinted bar codes to support legacy systems. Ultimately, Rochester,N.Y.-based Lenel was chosen as the access control manufacturer becauseof its flexibility and willingness to support all levels ofintegration.
Integrators Selected onFamiliarity With Equipment, Customer Service
Two separate integrators were selected for the project, inpartbecause of the timing of the system purchases. First up was the CCTVintegrator, American Video and Security (AVS). Based in Black Creek,Wis., AVS focuses on gaming and has done a lot of work with otherNative American casinos. The company is very familiar with Pelcosystems and had recently finished a gaming project for the NorthernLights Casino in Carter, Wis.
One aspect that impressed LTBB about AVS was its long-termplan forcustomer satisfaction. As part of its proposal, AVS agreed to hire andtrain a local technician who would work on the project through theinstallation and remain on duty at AVS expense for a full year.”We’re a small company with big customers, and wefeel thatgoing the extra mile on service and support makes us stand out in acompetitive bid situation,” comments Rick Verbsky, presidentofAVS.
Access control was to be handled by Grand Rapids, Mich.-basedSecurAlarm Systems Inc. Gloria Lubben, executive vice president ofSecurAlarm, worked closely with us through the design process andprovided many enhancements to the system design based on their pastexperiences. “We are used to customers who require a greatdealof flexibility,” Lubben says. “This project allowedus topresent a variety of different options and truly customize the systemaround the specific project requirements.”
Point-to-Point SystemRequires More Cable, But Advantages Rule
One requirement of the system design was the recognitionof thefact that expansion was a given. While the head-end was appropriatelysized for growth, we felt it important to allow for the addition ofmore field devices without the need to constantly pull more cable.Casinos typically use analog video for live camera call-up to avoidlatency, with an integrated encoder/server-based digital recordingsystem for storage and retrieval of events. Since this requiredpoint-to-point wiring of cameras (instead of a networkedconfiguration), we designed a UTP-based system utilizing equipmentprovided by Nitek of Rolling Meadows, Ill.
This was one of a few exceptions to the “onemanufacturer” rule, and was largely due to the DIPswitch-baseddistance compensation design used on the Nitek hubs. With DIP switches,a failed hub or module can be quickly swapped out for another one bysimply matching up the switches. Units that use potentiometers tend torequire more extensive setup and drift over time, whileself-calibrating units never stop calibrating and can degrade the imageas they compensate for changes in the image that fool them intothinking the cable distance has changed. We also selected hubs withdual outputs, allowing us to route the video signal to both the matrixswitch and the digital video encoder without the use of a separatedistribution amplifier.
While a point-to-point system requires more cable than anetworkedsystem, it has other advantages that, in some applications, make itmore cost-effective and flexible. For one, we did not have to worryabout the cable distance limits inherent in Internet protocol(IP)-based video systems, and the use of 4-pair Cat-5e cable to eachcamera location allows three additional cameras to be added per cable(two if the camera is a p/t/z model, which use a pair of wire fordata).
Cameras were routed to one of two rack rooms on the casinolevel ordirectly back to the rack room, whichever was closer. An extensivepatching system based on “66 block” styleinterconnectionterminals and 25-pair Cat-5 cables allows for reconfiguration ofcameras in much the same manner a telephone system uses.
Separate power cables were used instead of conductors on theCat-5ecables to preserve the spare pairs for video expansion and allow thepossibility that future cameras might draw more current than the Cat-5ecable could support. While this flies in the face of convention—electronics equipment tends to get more efficient, not less —wehad some concerns that future cameras might incorporate features suchas higher resolution imagers, internal hard drives and video analytics.Therefore, we wanted to be prepared.
Camera selection is also a challenge in casinos. We werehelpedsomewhat by the fact that Pelco carries essentially two different linesof p/t/z dome cameras. The Spectra IV Series is well suited to lowerlight areas of the casino floor, where the wide dynamic range featurecompensates for huge differences in lighting, be it flashing slotmachine to shadows around the base of each machine. The wide range ofoptical magnification (35x) allows cameras to track people throughoutthe casino and image stabilization is a big help in certain areas aswell.
At the other end of the spectrum was the Spectra Mini. Thesecameras are not much bigger than fixed domes and feature 10x zoomlenses. Our firm had used them successfully in the close quarters of acruise ship casino and we specified them here in areas with lowerceilings where high magnification and low light response were not afactor. This allowed us to minimize the aesthetic impact of the domesin certain areas without compromising performance.
Changing Nature ofIndustry Evidenced During Installation
Throughout the installation process, the challenge of adjusting, movingand modifying cameras to accommodate varying lighting issues and otherdécor concerns was ongoing. While Dave Lucas of AVSexperimentedwith different positions, angles and lenses, his brother, Jim, handledthe software configuration and adjustments to the Pelco Endura digitalvideo system and 9780 matrix switch.
As cameras were brought online, each was titled on the matrixandadjusted for frame rate, resolution and storage time on the digitalsystem. Operators training on the system prior to opening saw thecamera count grow and were amazed at how good the video quality was,compared to what had been state-of-the-art just a few years ago.
As the casino construction progressed, no tradesman orconstructionworker could so much as adjust their clothing without the watchful eyeof surveillance upon them. While this was supplemented by formaltraining sessions, the real-time experience gained during constructionwas a tremendous help in acclimating people to the system.
One unforeseen problem with the cameras speaks to thechanging nature of our industry.
At one time, cameras were all synchronized to the 60Hz powerlinefrequency. By utilizing a camera’s vertical phasing (or”V-Phase”) feature, integrators were able to matchup allcameras in the system, eliminating the picture”roll” whenswitching from camera to camera. In practice, cameras were rarelyV-Phased, and customers rarely noticed a roll, but there was no harm incontinuing this proud tradition. However, projects that fully utilizeonline UPS power systems sometimes have slight timing problems and donot deliver precisely 60Hz power. This causes the video images oncertain cameras to orbit the screen, moving in a barely noticeableclockwise rotation.
The operators at Odawa noticed it immediately, however,proving thatthe quality of the tools we were providing for them was well deserved.While we were able to have the UPS calibrated to eliminate the problem,we went to internal sync on all the cameras to prevent this problemfrom recurring if the UPS ever drifts. Based on our experiences, wewill be calling for internal sync on future projects as a precautionand have recommended to manufacturers that they reconsider theirdefault setting.
Team Approach and a KeenEye for Problem-Solving Ensure Success
As the casino progressed through construction and aflawlessopening, there were the usual number of challenges, but none jumped outas opportunities for “lessons learned.” With adecisionprocess in place that allows for rapid, informed decisions, amanufacturer that is ready to jump in and help as needed, and twoexperienced integrators on the job, this project was a testament to thesuccess of the team approach.
But the final measure of performance is ultimately customersatisfaction. “In this case,” explains Kane,”we hada client who had suffered from unfulfilled expectations on previousprojects. Through our planning, processes, and attention to detail, wewere able to exceed their expectations. We created a showcase andraised the bar for future projects.”
I’m sure I speak for the entire team when I say I’mlooking forward to the next one.
Redundancy Relied on for Fail-Safe Protection
The critical nature of the video surveillance solution at theOdawaCasino in Petoskey, Mich., made safeguards essential. As muchredundancy as possible was built into the system. In addition to theitems mentioned in the case study article beginning on page 70, such asdual output UTP hubs that feed digital and analog systems separately,there were many areas where redundancy ruled. These include:
Camera powersupplies— No two adjacent cameras are fed from the same multidroppowersupply. This ensures that a power supply failure, however unlikely,will not shut down an entire area, and is a design requirement weadopted for all of our projects based on work we do for the USPS.
Digital data redundancy— In addition to the server-based redundancy offered byredundantarrays of independent disks (RAID)-5 hard drive configuration, weprovided a spare set of Pelco Endura encoders and servers. If a serveror encoder fails, the analog matrix switch will automatically switchthe cameras to a spare encoder, server and RAID. This also allows forserver maintenance without the loss of data.
Hardwareredundancy —All servers have dual redundant power supplies, and each power supplyis fed from a different circuit breaker. A spare CPU is included withthe Pelco 9780 matrix switch to take over in case of failure.
Master evidenceserver— All video clips that are pulled out of the overwriterotationare saved on a master evidence server located in the rack room. Asecond master evidence server, also featuring RAID-5 redundancy, islocated in a separate building and backs up clips stored on the masterevidence server every 15 minutes.
Dual response to alarm events— Door alarms are handled by the access control panelsthroughthe access control server, which is connected to the matrix switchthrough a high level data interface. A second alarm path is providedthrough alarm contact closures that are fed through an alarm interfaceon the matrix. In this manner, if communications ever fail between theaccess control panels and the central CPU, alarms will still go through.
Detailed Program Used to Select Vendors for CasinoProject
An integral component to selecting vendors for the OdawaCasinoproject was the submitting of prequalification data in compliance withthe nationwide Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) program.
Some of the questions were generic in nature, while othersdrilleddown into design philosophies and experience with other gaming andNative American projects. Questions included:
A confidentiality agreement was also required for the Odawaproject,and the format to be used in the response was not specified. Thisallowed LTBB to evaluate the care each prospective vendor took inpreparing its answers, proving that no matter how old you get, spellingstill counts!
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