“The new system offers residents value for money as well as enhanced safety and security.”

Vicki Brownhill

Director of Housing at Midland Heart

Midland Heart’s ongoing drive to improve community safety for residents has been boosted thanks to a new, state-of-the-art IP video surveillance system that utilises approximately 900 Hanwha Vision Q series cameras alongside X series network video recorders (NVRs). The video system provides enhanced building coverage, higher-quality images and live monitoring to improve safety, security and resident peace-of-mind.

A new video system needed

After a highly competitive tender process, TIS was awarded a five-year contract worth more than £1 million in October 2023 to replace the existing analogue video surveillance system at over 75 sites across Midland Heart’s housing association portfolio. The project was executed in partnership with Advancis, TIS’s integration partner.

Properties that needed coverage ranged from small, multi-dwelling units, to high and low-rise purpose-built blocks, with multiple sites requiring upwards of 50 cameras. The system needed to cover communal areas such as entrances, exits, lift lobbies, circulation spaces and stairwells, along with monitoring car parks for real-time insights that could be delivered back to control room operators.

The solution

TIS, the independent life safety, security and communications systems integrator, designed and installed the new end-to-end IP video system using Hanwha Vision solutions, as well as providing an extended warranty period followed by service and maintenance.

The installation included approximately 900 Hanwha Vision Q series cameras, chosen for their exceptional image clarity, reliability, and adaptability across a variety of environments. Bullet, vandal-resistant dome and PTZ cameras have been utilised for this project, to give Midland Heart the flexibility needed to monitor buildings inside and outside, hallways, and car parks.

Enhanced security

Vicki Brownhill, Director of Housing at Midland Heart, said: “The new system offers residents value for money as well as enhanced safety and security. Midland Heart will benefit from the significantly reduced time required to operate the system and the streamlined, cost-effective approach to maintenance across such a large portfolio of buildings.”

The new video system has transformed how Midland Heart manages its security operations. The enhanced video quality and coverage has improved the ability to monitor activities across all sites, leading to quicker responses to security incidents and greater overall resident safety. Furthermore, operators in Midland Heart’s newly constructed control room can access any of the sites and cameras in real-time, or download recorded footage for potential evidence needs.

Streamlined and efficient

James Twigg, CEO at TIS described how the video system supports Midland Heart, stating, “Our engagement with Midland Heart is a perfect example of how innovative technology solutions can address complex challenges in community safety. The new video system not only enhances security but also brings efficiency and sustainability to Midland Heart’s operations, allowing them to provide a better service to their residents.”

John Lutz Boorman, Head of Product and Marketing at Hanwha Vision Europe stated, “Hanwha Vision’s collaboration with TIS, Advancis, and Midland Heart perfectly illustrates how advanced video surveillance systems can rapidly improve resident safety. With industry-leading image clarity, reliability, and an intuitive user interface, the Q series cameras and X series NVRs make it simple for operators to understand and respond to events across the Midland Heart portfolio.”