Monitor/Operator to Camera Ratio

[sexydadee 0]

Is there a rule that specifies the ratio between the number of cameras and a monitor/operator?

 

i.e. for every 16 cameras, there should be one operator, so for 32 cameras, there should be 2 operators.

 

Thanks

Edited January 17, 2011 by Guest

[Soundy 1]

This question makes no sense. Ratio of what? Number of cameras? Distance from cameras? Type of cameras?

[SEANHAWG 1]

I think he means ratio of operators to cameras. Assuming that he means there is going to be a person who's job is to just monitor the cameras.

 

Which is really an open ended answer. If you have a dude who just looks at cameras all day, then I am sure he could handle 32 cameras if its just for theft puposes. It just really depends on alot of factors. How high risk is the area, what are you monitoring and for what reason, is the sole job of the monitoring person just to look at the cameras, etc.

[Soundy 1]

And if that's the question... then whether there are "rules" would depend a lot as well... on the location, on the industry, etc. Some industries (casinos, for example) may have their own rules; most probably don't.

[Guest]

And if that's the question... then whether there are "rules" would depend a lot as well... on the location, on the industry, etc. Some industries (casinos, for example) may have their own rules; most probably don't.

 

Agreed, there are no rules as such as there are too many variables.

 

Studies have shown that with a display of 4 quads (ie 16 cameras) attention tends to begin to lapse after as little as 20 minutes.

 

This is why regular changes of duties (perhaps after an hour or two) are required in a control room are normally planned.

 

These days it is considered that a video wall is mainly for the wow factor and the number of cameras presented to an operator at any one time should be limited to no more than 8 with a spot monitor.

 

It does of course depend on the environment, training, speed of incident and level of detail the operator is expected to look for.

 

Regards

 

Ilker

[sexydadee 0]

Thank you very much for the replies. This saves me a lot of time explaining the "why's" to the client. The project is a residential area only and the cameras are only focused in the basement parking and on the lift lobbies. Theres a total of 145 cameras and I planned on putting up 3nos. 19" and one 42" for the monitors. But Im thinking this might be too much already. What do you think?

[Dirk_D 0]

Theres a total of 145 cameras and I planned on putting up 3nos. 19" and one 42" for the monitors. But Im thinking this might be too much already. What do you think?

 

I think you're right. 145 pictures on those screens will be tiny.

 

Sounds like one of the Video Analytic experts needs to chime in. GV has some pretty cool software that might help make the situation manageable.

 

What would the operator be expected to observe & how will they react? What are they looking for? This doesn't sound like a gated community but more like a multi-use (retail/residential) neighborhood.

[sexydadee 0]

what i meant was the 3 nos 19'' and 1 42'' might already be too much for the 145 cameras? since 145 will be too much to monitor, its only a multi use complex, so monitoring each and every camera is pointless, or am i underestimating the importance of constant monitoring?

 

Thanks

[rory 0]

You might be better off with alarm video only based on detection by the DVR. Many DVRs have some kind of CMS software so when you setup the alarm video and arm it, when there is motion detected by the DVR it will popup that channel for X amount of seconds .. then it goes away, and it does this with all the channels, can have them set to different windows also, or monitors, and even record to the PC. This would require a separate computer though. Im even doing this with the budget Dahua 4 channels now. I dont even have a working hard drive in my personal Dahua DVR, i just have it recording it over the network based on detection from the DVR. Low light could be an issue though as its based on Motion detection video on the DVR.

 

But either way I would do more like 1 operator for 9 or 16 camera view ... then have the less important cameras in a larger multiview which can still be brought up larger on that other monitor. I think they already have some guidelines for this out of the UK .. theyve been doing this a long time I find watching 4 cameras at a time tasking though .. in that something can go undetected so easily while looking at one of the other cameras .. For alarm video only then you can cut right down on the number of operators and dont have to worry about missing something because they were looking at another camera.