GE Infrastructure - Security today announced that the 10,000-member Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., which also ministers via 500-plus media outlets, is using 15 fixed color cameras, an outdoor pan-tilt-zoom dome day/night camera, and a digital video multiplexer recorder (DVMR), all from GE, to monitor church grounds. Since implementing the security system in January, the church has already captured several thefts of church property and identified the suspects. It has also recovered $2,000 in stolen landscaping items and was able to save budget by eliminating a roving guard position.

"The main selling point of the GE digital recorder was the ability to install it over the computer network to allow multiple people to view the activity at the same time," said Gary Perlowin, a system specialist for Florida State Fire & Security, which installed the system. "The original project scope called for dedicated monitors in several offices. By putting the system on the local area network, however, the church saved considerable money by eliminating the monitors and cabling."

The goal of the installation was to provide video coverage to the most vulnerable areas of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Perlowin said. "The church is home to a very large private school that serves students from pre-school through 12th grade. Areas covered by the surveillance system include all doors leading into the main church facility, the pre-school areas, the main chapel, the book store, the game room and the fountain in the front of the building (children like to throw soap into the fountain to create a bubble bath)."

Church officials also wanted to be able to pop a CD-ROM into the CD read/write drive, burn a digital video of a particular incident, and provide it to authorities on a CD disk that can be played on any computer running Windows. With the DVMR, church officials can easily search for incidents by time, date, and motion. They've eliminated tedious videotape searches and done away with the need to change tapes every day.

The system is extremely easy to use, Perlowin reports, with training provided to a range of church personnel including administrators, administrative assistants, and the information technology department.

The church has a dedicated security room manned by one person who monitors the CCTV, access control and burglar alarm systems. Currently the CCTV system is not integrated with the church's access control system, but there are plans to upgrade the access control software in the near future to allow for integration with the CCTV system.

Because of the instant success of the CCTV system at catching thieves, Perlowin added, the church is also looking into adding another 16 cameras and another DVMR.

About GE Infrastructure - Security
GE Infrastructure - Security is a wholly owned subsidiary of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) focused on communication and information technologies for security, safety and lifestyle enhancements. GE Security has operations in more than 30 countries and is represented by some of the best-known brand names for intrusion and fire detection, access and building control, video surveillance, explosive and drug detection, key management and structured wiring. For more information about security products and solutions from GE, please visit www.GESecurity.com.