News

5 February 2007 , by Åsa Widegren
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Gävle Municipality has started an extensive project to raise the security in approximately 75 pre-school, day-care centres in the municipality. By routing all the security alarms over the city Wide Area Network (WAN), the reliability of alarm signals reaching the Alarm Response Centres (ARCs) has been improved. The new IP-based, alarm monitoring technology from Multicom Security passes alarm signals over a managed IP network and not over the public Internet. It also enables camera surveillance that deters crime, and allows pictures of the premises to be seen during an alarm situation.

“We wanted a more reliable transmission of our alarms and with IP-based services we also see other opportunities”, says Bengt Nyman, Facilities Manager at Gävle Municipality. “We can, for example, add camera surveillance to help reduce vandalism and graffiti on our facilities and buildings.”

In the first phase 22 day-care centres in the municipality will have IP monitored alarm systems installed. The plan for 2007 is to continue to upgrade the remaining day-care centres, bringing all of them up to the same high level of security protection. 

“An important part of our solution is that the alarm signals should still get to the ARCs even if the municipality network is temporarily down” says Anders Falk, Sales Director at Multicom Security. “In that case, our service has an automatic wireless and monitored back-up route over GPRS to the Alarm Response Centre. Our service is delivered over a managed IP network with encrypted signals and separated from the public Internet by firewalls so we can provide higher levels of availability, reliability and security for the alarm signals.” 

Gävle Municipality is already far ahead within the security area. During the 1990’s there were many fire alarms due to arson at day-care centres and schools in the municipality. Since then the security has been increased.

Currently, fire alarms are being installed with smoke detectors being placed in attics and heat detectors fitted to the external walls of the day-care centres. Heat sensitive cable gives early warning of a fire, allowing the fire brigade to quickly be on site to minimise the damage. A top priority are the high risk areas where the buildings have wooden facades.

Multicom IP is an advanced, monitored alarm transmission system, with fixed connection and wireless back-up options. It provides a platform for the growing range of IP-based, security hardware and software. By offering greater bandwidth for alarm services, it is possible to transmit images and sound in combination with the alarm. This could be used to provide a real-time view of the property, business premises or equipment being protected. When delivered over a broadband connection, the alarm signals are separate from the public Internet and protected with firewalls and encryption.