Protecting a multi-agency safety training center
Atlanta Public Safety Training Center layers campus security with Axis cameras, radar, and intercoms. Officers can view live camera feeds while on patrol, in classroom or training scenarios, or elsewhere on campus.
New training center for emergency responders
The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is a unique public/private partnership designed to bring multi-agency first responder training under one roof. On any given day, trainees and veterans from police, fire and rescue, emergency medical service (EMS), and other civilian co-responders could be attending classes in the academic building, participating in mock scenario training, working out in the fitness center, honing their skills on the shooting range, or enjoying the jogging and hiking trails within the 85-acre campus.
“It’s a collaborative environment where Atlanta’s police can train alongside firefighters, ambulance drivers, mental health professionals, and other community responders learning techniques on everything from crisis intervention and de-escalation to city codes and state laws,” shares Marshall Freeman, Chief Administrative Office for the Atlanta Police Department.
Amping up campus security
Originally envisioned as an open campus, targeted protests during project construction led the Atlanta Police Department (APD) to rethink security plans. “We typically put up a security system in every law enforcement space we have,” explains Freeman. “But in light of what was happening, we decided to implement additional measures to make sure we could keep the space safe.”
Today the campus is a closed environment, patrolled 24/7 by a cadre of police officers. The three gated entrances to the property are equipped with Axis network video intercoms for screening anyone wanting entry to the property. Embedded access control card readers allow authorized personnel to swipe their badges for entry, while the call buttons enable visitors to notify security that there’s someone waiting at the gate.
As an added layer of security, dozens of Axis cameras monitor the academic and leadership buildings, fire training facilities, mock city buildings and other structures. NextGen Security LLC, the system integrator, augmented video surveillance with Axis radar and other covert technology to deter unwelcome intruders.
Because the campus includes a rolling landscape, wide open space, and a tree canopy, the Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Police Department, and NextGen Security LLC worked closely with Axis to select the right mix of cameras. “Our goal was to be able to recognize faces at great distances, day or night,” says Freeman. “We want to do everything we can to keep bad actors at a good, safe distance, recognize their risk potential, and be able to mobilize resources to stop them before they can get on the property.”
In answer to that goal, NextGen Security LLC installed a blend of Axis dome, panoramic, PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom), thermal, and multi-sensor cameras across campus, some with infrared technology for better night vision. The cameras are managed through an Axon Fusus real-time operations platform that integrates feeds from the cameras and other data sources into a unified ecosystem. In addition to staff monitoring the cameras in the campus Security Operations Center (SOC), any police officer can access the livestream video on their cellphone or laptop.
“We have hundreds of officers on campus at any given time,” discloses Freeman. “Whether they’re here for an event, taking classes, or working out at the fitness centers, we expect them to pay attention to campus security and respond quickly if needed. So giving them access to the cameras so they can see what’s happening around them was really important for us.”
Axis technology helps us keep bad actors at a good, safe distance from the training center, recognize their risk potential, and mobilize resources to stop them before they can get on the property.
Being a good neighbor
Having so many constituents using the facility on any given day, the potential for traffic congestion is always a concern. “We’re bounded on one side by an industrial park and a residential neighborhood on the other,” shares Freeman. “We don’t want to be a burden to our neighbors, bogging down streets when buses are trying to get kids to school or people are trying to get to work.”
The cameras help the SOC monitor traffic flow for any backlog of vehicles. “If we see congestion, we can radio our personnel to come onto the property using a different entrance,” explains Freeman.
Neighborliness extends to adjacent jurisdictions as well. “If you’re a neighboring jurisdiction and you’re also using our platform, we can set up a mutual aid agreement so that we can see your cameras and you can see ours,” states Freeman. “This mutual aid factor has proven important to us on numerous occasions.”
The positive impact on recruitment and retention
Freeman notes that being able to train in a modern facility like the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center has had a significant impact on police force recruitment and retention. “Compared to a year ago, onboarding new recruits is up 70% and officer resignations have dropped by 13%,” reports Freeman.
The stark contrast between the new campus and its predecessors has greatly improved morale. Because of the advanced perimeter and interior security throughout the property, first responders can feel confident that they’re being well protected as they train to serve the community.
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