LOS GATOS, Calif., Nov. 7 2007 – Firetide Inc., a leading developer of wireless mesh networks, today announced that Yuma International Airport in Arizona, which serves the Southwest Desert Triangle cities of San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix, has deployed a Firetide mesh network to support an access control and surveillance system. The system enables airport personnel to remotely secure and manage gates and entry points, and monitor people and vehicles entering and exiting the airport. The deployment ensures airport compliance with security-related Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements.
TSA regulation Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1542 (49 CFR 1542) requires that all airports physically or electronically control all entry points. To comply with the regulation and improve operations and passenger safety, Yuma International Airport upgraded its aging CCTV security systems and deployed the Firetide mesh network across its 600-acre facility.
"The biggest challenge was the distance involved—there are two miles between the most remote airfield access point and the operations control center," said Brian Thompson, operations manager at Yuma International Airport. "Cost-effectiveness and ease of installation of the Firetide wireless system are huge benefits for busy airports that don't have time or money to spare."
A wired system would have required trenching the airport to lay fiber optic cable. The associated costs and disruption to airport operations—digging up miles of runways and taxiways—would have resulted in huge interference in the busy airport schedule. Those considerations, in addition to the extra time it would have taken to deploy an in-ground solution, made a wired system prohibitive.
"This is an important deployment for the security of Yuma International Airport and the safety of its employees and airline passengers," said Bo Larsson, chief executive officer of Firetide. "Whether it's a smaller airport hub like Yuma, or a major international airport, seaport, power plant, city center, or school campus, Firetide technology enables real-time wireless video surveillance to enhance security and safety, and greatly improve day-to-day operations."
To determine the best way of achieving the most cost-effective and highly secure access control system available, the operations team at Yuma International Airport turned to Tatus Systems in Las Vegas. Tatus Systems designs, engineers, manages and deploys security and fire systems—including intrusion detection, closed-circuit television and access control and data acquisition. "It was a no-brainer," said Terry McLendon of Tatus Systems. "Wireless is the way to go, and Firetide is the best solution. Firetide video and data qualities are the best on the market for remote video surveillance and access control applications."
Yuma International Airport personnel can now update access privileges remotely, without the need to physically drive to the gates. The new system also supports a surveillance camera system that allows Yuma to monitor the activities of people and vehicles entering and leaving the airport.
About Firetide: Firetide is the leading provider of mesh networks that enable concurrent video, voice, and data for municipal, public safety, and enterprise applications. Firetide HotPort mesh nodes and HotPoint access points provide a reliable high performance wireless infrastructure and access solution for video surveillance, Internet access, public safety networks, and temporary networks wherever rapid deployment, mobility, and ease of installation are required. Headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif., Firetide is a privately held company with worldwide product distribution. www.firetide.com.
