Energy Services provider upgrades video surveillance systems
UGI Energy Services, LLC (UGIES) is an integrated energy company operating throughout the United States. The company upgraded to the Omnicast IP video surveillance system of Security Center to better secure utilities and energy sites.
The company
Formed in 1995 as a subsidiary of UGI Corporation, UGIES is an integrated energy company operating throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. UGIES markets, owns and operates a variety of electric generation assets in Pennsylvania as well as a variety of midstream assets that support the storage, transportation and delivery of natural gas.
The challenge
As a leading energy services provider, UGIES is focused on securing its assets and keeping local communities safe from potential threats. When a nation-wide federal plan was announced to better secure utilities and energy sites, UGIES jumped onboard. While they already had numerous security measures in place, they wanted to enhance the security of their sites with live video monitoring capabilities.
The solution
Enhanced response efficiency
The highly-granular user privileges in Omnicast facilitated the first-level alarm validation process, which heightens response efficiency for the energy services company.
Minimized false alarms
Operators receive an email notification with a video snapshot which they use to determine whether there is a false alarm or whether the situation needs to be escalated to another team.
"Not only has the video surveillance system increased our site coverage but it also acts as deterrent, preventing drivers from entering areas that are off limits."
Joel Russell, Manager LPG Operations/Instrumentation & Control, UGI Energy Services
Results
To date, Omnicast IP video surveillance has been installed by CSi at four UGIES propane sites in Pennsylvania. The largest site has 15 IP cameras which cover the exterior grounds, onsite equipment, propane storage and filling tanks, entry and exit gates and train tracks. The other sites have between two and five cameras each.
The IP video surveillance system has helped to enhance response efficiency and minimize false alarms. If something appears suspicious, the UGIES team can quickly log in to the Omnicast system to view live video, review archives and take necessary action. When motion is detected within a specific area of a camera's field of view or if someone crosses a tripwire, an alarm is triggered in the video system and sent to a monitoring agency for review.