Computers Nationwide and Hikvision Partner to Enhance Park Security in Wisconsin

PTZ Cameras enable wider viewing and elimination of blind spots in the park

Sun Prairie Dream Park hosts an exciting kids’ play area located in the suburbs of Madison, WI, which offers families a beautiful and fun outdoor experience that’s accessible to anyone in the Sun Prairie area. It’s run as a non-profit organization maintained by a board of volunteers called the “Friends of Firemen’s Park” who work with the local community to maintain the facilities.

The playground is a great location for children to enjoy the outdoors, stay active, and make new friends. Sun Prairie Dream Park’s purpose is to maintain a secure family environment for everyone to enjoy. While the non-profit was grateful for the security cameras previously installed by a volunteer, the system had several blind spots and pain points that prevented comprehensive monitoring and safety. Pain points of the existing security system included:

Security cameras that could not be accessed remotely, making live view impossible
Camera equipment that was dated and in need of nearly constant maintenance and repair
A security system that had an egregious blind spot that park-goers knew about and were actively exploiting

Hikvision IP cameras provided a versatile solution with high performance recording in all types of weather. Keep reading to learn more about how this fascinating solution came together.

Finding the Right Security Partner

The Sun Prairie Dream Park organization leaders spent several years looking for a solution to their security problems to no avail. And, as a non-profit, President Rebecca Ketelsen and the Board of Trustees had a tight budget that prevented them from finding the right partner at the right price to upgrade the security system.

Things changed when local security integrators Computers Nationwide (CN) partnered with Hikvision business development representative, Jerry De Francisco, to donate cameras at a reduced installation cost to help the park achieve their goal of enhancing security and eliminating blind spots. A Computers Nationwide business development representative, Mike Gottschall, led the team on this project and did an outstanding job—even going above and beyond for the cause.

“As a Dream Park, we were working on a really tight budget. Everything that we have to pay for, we need to fundraise for. Mike at Computers Nationwide was so incredibly awesome at being patient with us, making sure we understood where we could and could not cut corners in order to have a high quality security system. He also coordinated with organizations that would be willing to donate cameras,” shared Ketelsen.

The Computers Nationwide team conducted a site visit to get a clear picture of the specific obstacles and challenges needed to upgrade the park’s security system. One of the first things Mike pointed out was simply the need for more cameras. “Our initial proposal was to replace all of the cameras, but that was too expensive. So I reached out to one of our vendors to see if we could get additional cameras donated.”

Instead of leaving Sun Prairie without a solution, Mike connected with representative De Francisco from Hikvision, a global leader in security camera technology. De Francisco’s response: “Hikvision has a variety of extra cameras and equipment. What do you say we offer this to the Dream Park?”

Hikvision Steps into the Picture

At certain points in the fiscal year, there are small quantities of Hikvision equipment leftover. It could be unused cameras from a job or parts that weren’t sold in time. Instead of letting that equipment go to waste, Hikvision allowed Jerry De Francisco and his team to donate this extra equipment to the community. Whether it’s a school, a church, or a park, where there’s a need, Jerry and his team are eager to help.

“My motto for this area is that we’re not going to leave anybody hanging. We treat everybody with the same respect and take the initiative to meet their needs,” said De Francisco. “Security is something you can’t ever have too much of. And nowadays,” he added, “you want your security system to be more proactive than reactive.”

Mastering the System Installation for Enhanced Security

Installing the new system came with several significant challenges. The first issue—and a complex one—was the lack of a physical structure with electrical wiring available to mount a camera close enough to a critical blind spot. Ketelsen was able to arrange installation of a pole, complete with electricity, which created a strategic mounting location.

Computers Nationwide then installed nano-stations that provided internet connectivity, a necessary element for the live feed. Additionally, Hikvision’s De Francisco provided a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera that enables zooming in on distant objects as well as precise maneuvering to monitor key locations. This camera was extremely helpful in eliminating several blind spots in the park.

With the support of Hikvision and a partnership with the local Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie Dream Park was able to accomplish their goal of upgrading to a high quality security solution needed to assure safety.

Ketelsen expressed her gratitude for the team: “I really appreciated the customer service. Mike at Computers Nationwide was always checking in with me to make sure that I understood what was going on, when they were going to be [on-site], and if we needed anything else. It was overall a very good experience! I can’t think of any other company that would have done this for us. I highly recommend Computers Nationwide to other organizations and non-profits like ours!”

The project took more than a year and a half to complete, and was finished successfully thanks to the partnership between the integrator and manufacturer.

Read the original story on the Computers Nationwide website at this link.

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Computers Nationwide and Hikvision Partner to Enhance Park Security in Wisconsin

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