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Diesel Tank Farm Security System Project

A major U.S. railroad refuels locomotives at its diesel tank farm in the northern United States (exact location cannot be disclosed). The twin tanks that comprise this diesel tank farm hold approximately 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel each. While diesel fuel in and of itself is not particularly volatile, the addition of an accelerator renders it quite dangerous. Terrorists undoubtedly regard such quantities of fuel as target opportunities.

Installation of an rvspro™ digital video surveillance system enables rail authorities to effectively monitor the diesel tank farm. Multiple high resolution day/night cameras installed on utility poles set one at each corner of the tank farm create a virtual perimeter. Cameras are connected to a single rvspro™ digital video server located adjacent to the tank farm, with connectivity to the rail network infrastructure provided by an Ethernet connection.

The rule-based Praesidium® intelligent vision suite automatically deploys audio and visual alarms, processes live video feed and creates a digital video archive. The system is defined to simultaneously detect multiple events and to process each event in accordance with user-defined parameter settings. Authorized local operators can view the system on the company LAN on existing workstations. Operators simultaneously view and control cameras positioned throughout the tank farm by means of a customized, intuitive Graphic User Interface (GUI) allowing simultaneous viewing of live video, operation of PTZ cameras, and monitoring of the entire security system. Live streaming video, alarms, and archived video imagery are monitored and controlled via remote access from the rvspro™ digital video server installed in a nearby maintenance building. Video and alarms are also simultaneously transmitted to the rail company’s police communication center (PCC). Events are time stamped and stored for later retrieval. Stored video clips are fully searchable and can be annotated by the operator.

The system minimizes the capacity for diesel tank farm criminal activity. Railroad police, local law enforcement and other first-responders are thus able to counter criminal activity in a timely manner.