Snag hits O'Hare Airport camera network

May 2, 2006 2:56 PM

           

Cameras and electronic fences that secure Chicago's O'Hare Airport have been malfunctioning, leaving portions of the airport potentially vulnerable, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
A corrupted data file triggered the software problem impacting the 1,000-camera network that feeds video images to the O'Hare Communications Center in the basement of O'Hare's indoor parking garage.
The center is the airport equivalent of Chicago's 9-1-1 center, complete with dispatchers seated at video consoles. Cameras monitor all access control doors leading to secured, backstage areas of the airport and to the airfield, the newspaper reports.
Whenever a door alarm goes off, video is supposed to be sent automatically to a dispatcher's console, pinpointing the location of the breach.
The so-called "automatic trigger" feature was interrupted nearly two weeks ago, when the data file was corrupted, according to Andrew Velasquez, executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
"Instead of using the auto trigger, the operator simply has to dial up the video manually. That can be done instantaneously when the alarm goes off and the signal is sent. It's a simple point-and-click function," Velasquez said. "The video can still be viewed within seconds."
The software problem was repaired late last week, Velasquez said, adding, "Throughout this entire [period], the alarms and video were both healthy."
However, employees who work in the O'Hare Operations Center say the 15-year-old camera system is still malfunctioning -- and that the problem goes beyond the automatic trigger.
"There's a serious, airport-wide problem with the cameras," the Sun-Times quotes an anonymous source as saying.
For at least a week, dispatchers had no video on their consoles, according to an employee who works at the O'Hare Operations Center. Even after the temporary fix, the system is not working properly, the employee said.
The problem with the $18 million electronic fence that secures O'Hare's perimeter stems from Mayor Richard Daley's massive airport expansion project.
Although the fence was installed just three years ago, a 112-foot portion on the northwest side of the airport was removed last week and replaced with a 12-foot-high chain-link fence to make way for construction of a new runway, according to Aviation Department spokeswoman Wendy Abrams.
During the process of removing the fence, a contractor reportedly hit an electrical line, knocking out power to a much larger portion of the electronic fence, said a source familiar with the problem.
Read the complete version of the article at www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-hare24.html.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

SUBSCRIBE

Select an Issue April 1, 2008 March 1, 2008 February 1, 2008 January 1, 2008 December 1, 2007 November 1, 2007 October 1, 2007 September 1, 2007 August 1, 2007 July 1, 2007 June 1, 2007 IP Security Supplement May 1, 2007 April 1, 2007 March 1, 2007 February 1, 2007 January 1, 2007 School Security December 1, 2006 November 1, 2006 October 1, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 1, 2006 July 1, 2006 June 1, 2006 May 1, 2006 April 1, 2006 March 1, 2006 February 1, 2006 January 1, 2006 December 1, 2005 November 1, 2005 October 1, 2005 September 1, 2005 August 1, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 1, 2005 May 1, 2005 April 1, 2005 March 1, 2005 February 1, 2005 January 1, 2005 December 1, 2004 November 1, 2004 October 1, 2004 September 1, 2004 August 1, 2004 July 1, 2004 July 1, 2004 June 1, 2004 May 1, 2004 April 1, 2004 March 1, 2004 February 1, 2004 January 1, 2004 December 1, 2003 November 1, 2003 October 1, 2003 September 1, 2003 August 1, 2003 July 1, 2003 June 1, 2003 May 1, 2003 April 1, 2003 March 1, 2003 February 1, 2003 January 1, 2003 December 1, 2002 November 1, 2002 October 1, 2002 September 1, 2002 August 1, 2002 July 1, 2002 June 1, 2002 May 1, 2002 April 1, 2002 March 1, 2002 February 1, 2002 January 1, 2002 December 1, 2001 November 1, 2001 October 1, 2001 September 1, 2001 August 1, 2001 July 1, 2001 June 1, 2001 May 1, 2001 April 1, 2001 March 1, 2001 February 1, 2001 January 1, 2001 December 1, 2000 November 1, 2000 October 1, 2000 September 1, 2000 August 1, 2000 July 1, 2000 June 1, 2000 May 1, 2000 April 1, 2000 March 1, 2000 February 1, 2000 January 1, 2000 December 1, 1999 November 1, 1999 October 1, 1999 September 1, 1999 August 1, 1999 July 1, 1999 June 1, 1999 May 1, 1999 April 1, 1999 March 1, 1999 February 1, 1999 January 1, 1999 December 1, 1998 November 1, 1998 October 1, 1998 September 1, 1998 August 1, 1998 July 1, 1998 June 1, 1998 May 1, 1998 April 1, 1998 March 1, 1998 February 1, 1998 January 1, 1998 December 1, 1997 November 1, 1997 October 1, 1997 September 1, 1997 August 1, 1997 July 1, 1997 June 1, 1997 May 1, 1997 April 1, 1997 March 1, 1997 February 1, 1997 January 1, 1997

This month in Access Control

• Opening Up About Door Closers
• An Enterprise Approach
• The Framework For Open Systems
• On A Higher Plane
• More from April's issue