LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Lackland Security Forces unveiled a new surveillance and crowd control tool as the 37th Security Forces Squadron employed the mass mobile camera system for the first time during the Fourth of July celebrations on base.
According to Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pinkerton, 37th SFS, the system acts as a force multiplier that provides security forces with greater surveillance and crowd control capabilities.
"The Fourth of July was the premiere of the mass mobile (camera), if you will. We're using technology to reduce the number of men we need to do our job," said Sergeant Pinkerton.
One of the system's principal purposes is the surveillance of cordoned-off areas of the base. These cases may include areas isolated during natural disaster emergencies. According to Sergeant Pinkerton, the camera and speaker system can be used to inform personnel of any evacuations and monitor the area.
The system can help prevent the penetration of cordoned areas by unauthorized individuals. Officers are alerted if the camera operators spot intruders.
"We can dispatch security forces to intercept them before they reach the cordon," said Sergeant Pinkerton.
Crowd control during public events is the system's other major responsibility at Lackland. The mass mobile system allows security forces to effectively communicate important information to large groups of people. The system has four variable-direction speakers that can be heard up to a quarter mile away.
For Sergeant Pinkerton, the communication advantages provided by this aspect of the mass mobile system are clear.
"We can tell them what we want them to do versus sending five cops to control 5,000 people," he said.
The speakers' decibel level can be adjusted depending on the situation.
System operators also have the capacity to broadcast a variety of prerecorded and live messages through the speakers. Security forces personnel can also record their own messages on the system's computer for subsequent broadcast.
Personnel from the 37th SFS also received training on the use and monitoring of the mass mobile camera.
"The manufacturer gave us hands-on training," said Sgt. Phil Hallberg of the 37th SFS. He added that the entire instruction process took only 30 minutes.
For Sergeant Hallberg, the system also has benefits that maximize its efficiency in the field. These include solar panels that enable the system to charge its direct current batteries. The camera is highly waterproof, resistant to the elements and easy to transport.
"It comes down real quickly," said Sergeant Hallberg. "I can have it down in 20 minutes."
The 37th SFS hopes to qualify 6-12 Security Forces personnel to operate the system. Sergeant Pinkerton envisioned further instruction for officers with the mass mobile camera.
"Our intent for the unit is to have everybody trained," he said.