 The goal of North Hennepin Technical College is to provide a safe, accessible, and effective teaching and learning environment.
By Mali R. Schantz-Feld
“Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning. When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community.”
— President George W. Bush, April 17, 2007
 Parsons Electric installed a state-of-the-art security system designed to maximize student safety.
When a college campus makes the news these days, you hope it’s because of academic or community achievement. All too often, though, the report is not so positive, as bomb scares, shootings, and crime leave students, staff, teachers, and parents searching for answers.
The administration at North Hennepin Technical College (NHTC) is determined not to become a statistic. With campuses in Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie and customized training services in Plymouth, the goal of NHTC, Minnesota’s largest standalone technical college, is to provide a safe, accessible, and effective teaching and learning environment that supports sensitivity to diverse individuals and groups. With the help of Parsons Electric, NHTC is striving to meet that objective with its newly installed state-of-the-art security system designed to maximize the safety of its 8,247 students.
“Their system was approximately 15 years old,” says Tory Apps, Account Manager of Parsons Electric, “so the entire system needed to be removed and replaced.” To define Hennepin’s security needs, the college hired a consultant from the Homeland Security Agency in Dallas. The expert provided specifications for documentation so that Parsons and other companies could respond with appropriate bids. Parsons Electric also worked to define the client’s needs for a surveillance system. “We had to pinpoint exactly what they wanted to cover; whether they wanted to view the license plates or just an overview of the scene,” Apps says.
 Wireless cameras installed on poles are less costly because they negate the need for infrastructure changes.
“We decided on an IP-based system; it is easier to manage remotely and is the latest technology in security and surveillance,” Apps says. Wireless cameras installed on poles are less costly because they negate the need for infrastructure changes, such as running conduits and cutting up asphalt to install the proper wiring. The system features MicroTech “Hosts to Clients” for its point-to-point connection, Infinova cameras, Milestone software, and HP servers and hard drives. Nineteen PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras and eight fixed cameras were installed at Brooklyn Park, and 16 PTZ and five fixed cameras were installed at Eden Prairie to monitor exterior parking areas and buildings. Two of the cameras survey the interior. “They hired a new employee, Jacquie Chmielewski, to monitor and control the cameras,” Apps says.
The college decided on an IP-based system because it is easier to manage remotely and features the latest technology in security and surveillance.
Serving as the eyes of the security force, cameras are connected to a computer with software that allows the monitor to view certain doorways, corridors, backdoors, and driveways. “Because the IP system is in use, Jacquie can watch all the action from her desk,” Apps says.
Both schools are tied into the system through a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) point-to-point connection. Information is stored on two HP hard drives with four terabytes of space for each site. To install the system, a temporary test site was set up at the Parsons Electric office to program all of the IP addresses for cameras and in-house clients. The system was then transferred to NHTC. It took the IT staff three weeks to set up the in-house lab while working with the field staff.
Serving as the eyes of the security force, cameras are connected to a computer with software that allows the monitor to view certain doorways, corridors, backdoors, and driveways.
 North Hennepin Technical College hired a consultant from the Homeland Security Agency in Dallas to evaluate their security needs.
The cameras provide an official record of crime and accidents. If someone falls in the parking lot or a crime is being committed, the live PTZ cameras can zoom in and identify the situation so the proper authorities can be notified. Recordings can also be replayed and enlarged to help identify the subject, and all of the information can be burned off of the live video with watermarks for identification. “Watermarks are like the serial numbers on the dollar bill,” Apps says. “Using them, we can identify a particular part of the video for legal or administrative purposes.” Parsons Electric also provided software training to educate campus personnel on the new equipment.
“These cameras are very necessary on any campus for the safety of the students and the staff,” Apps says. “Parsons provided a high-end and high-tech solution at a cost-effective price.” North Hennepin Technical College and Parsons trust that the security additions
will keep only positive news coming out of
the campuses.
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