Locked Wheels

Business success drove the Australia-based mechanical repair specialist Florida Automotive to a large new facility. With expensive equipment and client assets on site 24 hours per day, and the new workshop positioned in a quiet industrial area, the automotive repairer put a new, state-of-the-art security system in place. For the installation, they chose an innovative solution from Hikvision.

Florida Automotive in Melbourne’s Craigieburn satellite suburb is a Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, or VACC, certified automobile services business. With many years of experience, the repairer has become well-known in North Melbourne for their high quality work on all makes and models of vehicles. The business had grown in recent times requiring the move to new and bigger premises located in an industrial area of Craigieburn, which gave them the space needed to work on multiple vehicles at once, and store clients’ cars overnight for diagnoses and repairs. Nevertheless, as it is a pretty quiet area, especially at night, the company recognized the need for an upgraded and advanced security system to protect a range of expensive, specialty equipment while providing high-level vehicle services.

The owner of Florida Automotive, Nilanga Lakshan Kirulapana, began to look for a comprehensive security system that would protect his premises and the assets within it, and help the company maintain compliance with regulations and security insurance guidelines. The system had to be reliable, accurate and cost-effective, while having the capability to act automatically in the event of a security incident, and ward off potential intruders. “As we grew, so did the assets we had on-site. Our new facility required greater security, but we also needed a better way to control and monitor that system. With Hikvision and our trusted security partners, we have designed the ideal solution for our needs,” said Nilanga.

Security at the Perimeter, Access Points, and Inside
Nilanga deployed a sophisticated, converged solution built around Hikvision cameras, NVR, indoor stations, and centralized management software. Ten 4K-resolution Acusense Live Guard cameras (DS-2CD2386G2-ISU/SL) were installed around the property, providing complete 360-degree coverage of the perimeter. These are coupled with Smart Event technology (intrusion detection and line crossing) which triggers a built-in siren and strobe light in the event of someone crossing into a specific area once the system is turned on. Three 4K EasyIP 3.0 cameras (DS-2CD2385G1-I) were installed at the entry and exit points of the premises, providing continual monitoring of anyone entering and exiting the building. Three super wide-angle fixed bullet network cameras (DS-2CD2T45G0P-I) were installed internally for their ability to capture a 180-degree range of movement.

The 32-channel network video recorder (DS-9632NI-I8) provides Florida Automotive with a minimum of two months’ recording. RAID6 acts as a backup, in the unlikely event of a hard drive failure. The intercom door station (DS-KD8003-IME1) was deployed at the main gate, capturing a wide field of view as individuals and vehicles approach. It also provides remote control to the main gate of the repair shop for after-hours access. Two-way audio is set up at the front gate as well, allowing for easy communication between the reception or manager’s office, and whoever happens to be at the gate. A KH8 series indoor station (DS-KH8520-WTE1) was deployed in the reception area (front desk) to control access to the main gate.

All the security devices are linked to the Hikvision Hik-Connect software, ­giving the business owner the flexibility to view, arm, and disarm everything in the security system with a single touch. Two control points for the security system were also created, one at the reception area, which combines with the front gate system for easy and convenient operation, and another in the manager’s office, which includes four 50-inch monitors for crystal clear monitoring.

Peace of Mind
With the total solution from Hikvision, Florida Automotive now has a large warehouse space fully monitored both inside and at the perimeter. The entire security system can be controlled from the app on a phone or tablet. The staff receive automated alerts pushed to the application in the event of any intrusion. The accuracy of the alerts is ensured by the Live Guard solution, which has been calibrated by Hikvision’s representative to avoid unnecessary activation. “We are very happy with our system design and infrastructure, especially the fact that we are able to check and control the system remotely. This means that we are able to avoid most false alarms by checking the live view and activating it from wherever we happen to be,” said Florida Automotive’s Nilanga. “It is quite a relief that such a large area containing expensive customer vehicles is adequately safeguarded, and we are fully compliant with security regulations and insurance guidelines.”