By Naomi Graychase

February 04, 2008

It couldn’t help the Pats offensive line protect its quarterback, but the WLAN deployed by the Phoenix Police Department did help to protect (and to serve) everyone else at the Super Bowl.

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Tom Brady may have gotten repeatedly mugged in yesterday’s surprising upset to the NY Giants, but thanks to a Firetide mesh network quietly deployed in the downtown area before the game, the Phoenix Police Department made sure no one else attending Super Bowl XLII did.

With more than 200,000 spectators, including visiting dignitaries and U.S. officials—not to mention high-profile celebrities, such as Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, and Gisele Bundchen—in Phoenix for the big event, the local PD decided to deploy a wireless video surveillance system to help keep tabs on the influx of visitors—and potential terrorists.

The secure wireless broadband network transported evidence-grade video from cameras in alleys and other hard-to-surveil places back to two operation centers.

“Our Firetide wireless video surveillance system considerably increases the Phoenix Police Department’s situational awareness, response time, and ability to protect the public,” said Chris Jensen, a detective in the city’s Drug Enforcement Bureau, in a press release issued today. “Before we had this system, an incident around the corner could easily escalate into a larger problem before it was even detected. With 360-degree cameras, trained operators are able see incidents as they occur. Our Firetide video network acts as a force multiplier.”

Altogether, the WLAN deployed for the Super Bowl included nearly 40 video surveillance cameras positioned in and around downtown Phoenix. Forty Firetide HotPort 6000 mesh nodes wirelessly connected the cameras to operations centers where state, local, and federal public safety agencies worked together to monitor the feeds. Firetide’s HotView Pro management software was used to control the network, which will remain up and running even though the Super Bowl has officially left town. Avrio Group designed the network and collaborated with the police department’s technical personnel on the installation.

Prior to Super Bowl XLII, police officers surveyed locations and isolated the points where cameras were to be installed. Since the Phoenix Police Department has used a Firetide wireless video surveillance network in the past to support covert operations and assist in numerous other investigations, the members of the force were able to quickly adjust to the new camera feeds without any extra training or preparation. The installation was done in a matter of weeks.

The Phoenix Police Department will continue to use the mesh network, including the cameras, for investigations and video surveillance of the Phoenix area.

Naomi Graychase is Managing Editor at Wi-FiPlanet.Originally published on .