Thermal Cameras Securing a Residential Community

November 25, 2020

Residential Estate, Gauteng, South Africa

Scenario:

In the heart of Gauteng, South Africa, the Southdowns Residential Estate captures the very essence of the area’s natural beauty. The development spans approximately 200 hectares, including 750 residential sites, conservation corridors, and agriculture. Residents can use the wide-open spaces to walk, hike, cycle, or relax. Looking to protect the estate from possible intruders engaged in criminal activities, Southdowns implemented conventional security measures, such as electric fencing with zone indication of intrusion detection, roving guards, reactive vehicles, and a central control room. While these are still standard security measures, many estates find them insufficient to detect and prevent risks.

The perimeter of Southdowns is about 7.2km long, and the estate’s management needed a system that would provide instant visual verification, day or night, of any breach, as well as its cause and position. Moreover, the northern boundary has river frontage and dense vegetation; this type of landscape makes it challenging to maintain electric fencing. Southdowns homeowners felt strongly about not erecting additional lighting around the estate’s perimeter, as it is centered on the old Irene Dairy Farm and wished to preserve its aesthetic nature. Since the development is eco-friendly in nature, they wanted a green security solution that would provide:

24/7 intruder detection
Protection of a 7.2km perimeter including river frontage and dense vegetation
Instant visual verification of cause and position of any breach
Environmentally friendly solution with no projectors and low power consumption
Minimum number of poles

Solution

Around ten years ago, Opgal’s Sii thermal imaging solution was evaluated
and offered substantial advantages over competing products. Southdowns
Residential Estate was fitted with 20 Opgal thermal cameras with video motion detection (VMD) to monitor the perimeter. Today, the cameras are still operating. With Opgal’s South African partner, an upgrade plan to replace the older thermal cameras for the more modern Sii OP thermal cameras is progressing.

Southdowns achieved what they set out to accomplish – a virtual perimeter providing instant visual verification of any breeches 24 hours a day. Control room operators can view the entire estate boundary and make the necessary decisions on what responses need to be taken in case of a security risk. The perimeter security solution can now detect intruders on the darkest night and at distances up to 500m. This enables control room operators to make informed decisions and dispatch an armed response team to the correct area.

Today, Southdowns Residential Estate residents enjoy a higher sense of security with an eco-friendly solution while maintaining the estate’s tranquil atmosphere.