Firetide’s Mesh Network is Key Element of Video Surveillance System That Has Increased Community Safety
Los Gatos, Calif.- Firetide announced today that Mobile Enterprise Magazine has named the Bethlehem Police Department in Pennsylvania and its wireless mesh video surveillance system as the winner of the 2011 “Mobilizer Award” for the field service category. The Mobile Enterprise Magazine “Mobilizer Awards” honor the most effective and innovative mobile technology deployments of the year. Bethlehem Police Department utilizes a high-performance Firetide HotPort wireless mesh infrastructure for wireless connecting video surveillance cameras which was deployed by Let’s Think Wireless LLC. Use of video surveillance has provided a cost-effective way to increase police presence while improving public safety.
50 Bosch pan-tilt-zoom video cameras are installed around Bethlehem in parks, bridges, and high crime areas. The cameras are centrally monitored in real-time around the clock, and video is recorded as well. When suspicious activity is detected, police officers in the field can be immediately dispatched to the scene and can be provided with detailed information about events underway while they are in transit. This has reduced response times as well as improved officer safety.
Earlier this year in August, the surveillance cameras helped identify individuals involved in a string of armed robberies near Lehigh University, located in Bethlehem. The Bethlehem Police Department worked with Lehigh University Police to review camera footage which eventually led to identification, capture, and prosecution of the suspects.
“The city of Bethlehem was faced with shrinking public safety budgets and we wanted to continue to ensure a safe community for citizens and businesses,” said Jason Schiffer, Police Commissioner for the Bethlehem Police Department. “Since the deployment of our video surveillance system and the Firetide mesh network, we’ve seen a measurable drop in crime and an increase in apprehension of crime suspects in all locations where we have video monitoring. We can now be more proactive rather than just reactive in our approach to protecting the community by effectively using video surveillance as a force multiplier.
“Firetide is honored to have supported the city of Bethlehem in winning this prestigious recognition by Mobile Enterprise Magazine and its staff,” said Bo Larsson, CEO of Firetide. “This award validates the value of Bethlehem’s video surveillance initiative as well as highlights how an investment in the right technology can help public safety agencies achieve their goals and stay within budget.”
The Mobile Enterprise “Mobilizer Awards” honor the best deployments of mobile technology across more than a dozen vertical markets. The publication bases its award decisions on ease of deployment, innovation and business improvement. The winners were announced at the Mobile Enterprise Executive Summit, Nov. 8-10, 2011, at The Four Seasons, Palm Beach, FL. The 2011 Mobile Enterprise Mobilizer Awards can be found in the November/December 2011 issue of Mobile Enterprise Magazine.
About Firetide Inc.
Firetide is the leading provider of wireless broadband networks that enable concurrent video, voice and data applications for government, transportation and commercial customers. Firetide is unmatched in providing reliable, high-performance wireless infrastructure mesh and access technologies that are cost effective for hosting a wide range of fixed and mobile applications. Headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif. with availability worldwide, Firetide is a privately held company. For more information about the company check out www.firetide.com and follow us on Twitter.
Let’s Think Wireless LLC
Let’s Think Wireless (LTW) is a nationwide wireless systems integration company that provides turnkey infrastructure solutions for the design, installation and maintenance of broadband wireless networks. Specializing in secure, high-speed voice, video and data deployments including over 20 successful city-wide video deployments for Public Safety, LTW is a nationally recognized leader in its field. For more information about LTW, check out www.ltw.com, or contact Mickey Branson at mbranson@ltw.com.