Sundsvall Airport Invests in Security Management Platform to Enhance Staff Efficiency

While there is a security monitoring desk in the baggage makeup area, guards are rarely stationed there. Instead, the team relies on the Security Center Mobile App to oversee security as they move through the airport, handling their many responsibilities. If someone tries to access a restricted area, the unified platform automatically alerts guards on their phone. From the app, they can acknowledge alarms, view video and quickly determine if it’s a false alarm or something that requires their immediate attention.

According to Maria Sundin, Airport Security Manager at Sundsvall Timrå Airport, “At our airport, staff often move with our passengers, handling various tasks from check-in areas to security check-points through to gates. That’s why Security Center has been so critical to our team’s effectiveness. If an alarm comes up, they can quickly see what is happening using their phone, and respond. We are fully maximizing our resources to provide the best service to travellers.”

Meeting EU Regulations with an ­Intuitive Platform
The unified security platform’s ease of use has been a major advantage for the team at Sundsvall Timrå Airport. Guards get an overview of their security environment with Plan Manager, the map-based interface of Security Center. At a quick glance, they can locate devices, change cameras’ fields-of-view, monitor alarms and ensure devices are online.

Business Challenge
Big or small, all airports commit to providing the best service. It’s why regional airports like Sundsvall Timrå Airport on the north-eastern coast of Sweden always seek to optimize its team’s efficiency. The airport understands that when its staff can do more in less time, its 300,000 annual passengers will have a better and smoother experience from parking to gate.

Working with limited resources isn’t easy. On any given day, the same staff at Sundsvall Timrå Airport will manage security, handle baggage, clean the terminal, de-ice planes and more. Furthermore, compliance regulations mandated by the European Union required two full-time guards to patrol and watch over the critical parts of security restricted areas (CRSA).

That’s why Sundsvall Timrå Airport decided to investigate an alternative option offered by the EU – to implement more advanced security technologies that could automate intrusion alarms and extend monitoring capabilities to guards anywhere in the airport. The objective? To maximize resources and reduce costs. With the help of Nikolai Berglund, Owner at IP Security, a local system integration company specializing in airport security, Sundsvall put together a business case for unified security. The airport discovered that an advanced and open security platform capable of unifying video surveillance, intrusion detection and other systems could accommodate EU airport legislation and help the team save time valued at $120,000 USD ($1.2 million SEK) per year.
These efficiency savings were enough to convince Sundsvall Timrå Airport to move forward with Genetec Security Center, the unified security platform that combines video surveillance, access control and other security systems in one intuitive application.

Reaching New Levels of Efficiency
Today, the team at Sundsvall Timrå Airport is managing just under 20 cameras within the Omnicast video surveillance system of Security Center. The video system is unified with third-party video analytics and intrusion detection solutions, providing staff with complete visibility of the airport terminal, gates and perimeter.
“Security Center is a highly-advanced security solution, and it’s also very intuitive. Having the ability to bring our systems under one platform and automate alarms simplifies tasks and increases the efficiency of our personnel. Our team can confidently secure all critical areas in our airport, and meet the regulations required by the European Union,” said Sundin.

Flying Higher with Unified Security
Moving forward, Sundsvall Timrå Airport plans to continue expanding its platform. Priority number one is to upgrade an existing disparate access control solution to the Synergis access control system of Security Center. Adding more cameras and other device integrations such as body and baggage scanners will come next.
“We are very pleased with our investment in Security Center at Sundsvall Timrå Airport. We have so much more flexibility to add different solutions and expand the capabilities of our system within the unified platform. These capabilities help our team become more efficient, maximize resources and ultimately, save money. As a smaller regional airport, these are the results we need to keep moving our business forward,” concluded Sundin.