It’s All About The Heat! Check Out Our Thermal Imaging Video!

Post written by Penny Jackson, Marketing and Sales Specialist at Kenton Brothers.

I wrote a few weeks ago about our presentations with the FLIR Mobile Training Unit. I thought the examples of how FLIR thermal imaging works were really compelling and I couldn’t help but recall an Arnold Schwarzenegger film from the 80s.  Imagine having that terrifying monster, Predator, on YOUR side when it comes to security.

If Arnold can’t outrun and outgun the thermal vision of the Predator, it should be safe to say that no criminal would be able to outrun and outgun the FLIR thermal imaging cameras.

The great thing is that you don’t have to be some sort of mutant freak to be able to see in the dark. FLIR also has individual portable cameras like the one on the right that can be used by security personnel and law enforcement to track perpetrators on foot.

Recently I was reviewing some of the video we captured during our time in the FLIR Mobile Training Unit and I was excited to see how telling the footage was. Check out the video below. We caught geese (among other things) over a mile away that were swimming across the Missouri River.

I was really intrigued by how the bugs zipping and flying around showed their heat signature on the FLIR cameras and even how I was able identify and describe the clothing of people that appeared in the video as well. Traditional video surveillance cameras simply don’t give you that added value.

To learn more about thermal imaging options for your business, give us a call at 816-842-3700.

Video Cameras For Security: It’s All About The Megapixels, Baby!

How does a megapixel camera stack up against a traditional analog video camera?

Have you ever watched video on the news that was captured by a bank or convenience store camera of a thief? Did you notice the how horrible the image quality was? Were you able to see facial features or other identifying factors?

We’re guessing your answers are YES, YES, and A BIG WHOPPING NO!

When you zoom using traditional analog cameras, the picture gets distorted and rarely are you able to identify thieves, vandals or trespassers. So what’s the point of having a security camera that doesn’t really provide security? That’s where megapixel cameras come in.

The security industry is seeing tremendous growth in technology and megapixel cameras are a huge part of that growth. Using current technology, a megapixel camera can record information to IP-based video hosting software or network. This allows for images to be digitally zoomed AFTER recording and the higher megapixel image quality allows for a clearer image in order to physically identify the perpetrator.

Want to see for yourself? Check out our video HERE to see how different a zoomed image looks on a traditional analog (VGA) camera compared to three different digital megapixel cameras.

So which would you rather have securing your place of business? The choice is clear. If you want to be able to identify perpetrators by facial features, or read a license plate number on a car, you’ve got to kiss analog goodbye and upgrade to a higher megapixel video camera.

To have a personal assessment of your current security, or to have a Kenton Brothers associate perform a VGA vs. Megapixel camera demonstration at your property, contact us today at 816-842-3700 or info@kentonbrothers.com

Kenton Brothers, FLIR, Thermal Imaging Cameras, NBC Action News, Bayer CropScience, Prairie Village Police Department…Oh My!

Kenton Brothers and FLIR recently partnered to bring the FLIR Mobile Training Unit to Kansas City. The mobile showroom has been parked in four places around Kansas City over the last few days so clients could view the FLIR Thermal Imaging cameras and demo the cameras in the field.

FLIR Thermal Imaging cameras work in full light or pitch black conditions because the cameras actually pick up and recognize heat from surrounding objects. Since everything has a different heat signature, it is easy to see the outline of a person, car, bird, deer, etc. using the FLIR cameras.

This is one of the coolest products the security industry has to offer and it’s absolutely amazing to see how far technology has come. You can even create a thermal fence using the FLIR Thermal Imaging cameras to protect the perimeter of an area or building.

During the visit, the FLIR Mobile Training Unit was parked at Kentucky Trail Elementary School in Belton on the morning of Monday, June 27th and then moved over to Heritage Trail West on the riverfront in Kansas City, MO for an afternoon session.  Tuesday morning, the FLIR RV arrived at Bayer Crop Science and then headed to the Prairie Village Police Department parking lot in Prairie Village, KS that afternoon.

To see more info on the FLIR Mobile Training unit or to learn more about how the FLIR thermal imaging systems work, visit their site here or call Kenton Brothers at 816-842-3700.

Also, see below for pictures and an NBCActionNews.com story featuring our very own Ted Lischer!

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Cell Phone Lockers In School? What Do You Think?

Post written by Penny Jackson.

 

Quick Facts

 

86% of 12-17 year olds say their schools ban cell phones

65% of teens at “no phone” schools bring their cell phone to school every day

64% of teens with cell phones admit to texting in class

(Sources:  Pew Research Center, Wilkes University, Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, 2009)

These days nearly every student in high school and middle school has a cell phone. Teachers and school administrators have seen a surge in cell phone distractions in their classrooms, such as phones ringing and students texting during class.

My son is headed to high school next fall. I’m well aware of the fact that his cell phone may be a distraction in class. Since he is involved in sports and other after school activities, I tend to use his cell phone as a security blanket. I know if he is ever stuck at school late for a meeting or event, he can call to let me know if he needs a ride or keep me posted if there is a reason he won’t be home at the regular time.

As a parent, I would have a hard time taking his phone away from him.  I’m torn between allowing him to carry his cell phone at school vs. the chance that he may abuse those privileges or his phone may become a distraction during class time.

I’ve spoken to some school administrators in the KC Metro area to get an idea of what their biggest concerns are regarding student cell phone usage. I’ve heard that a common problem is parents texting students during the day (which I can honestly say I’ve never done) and cell phones being stolen out of gym bags or backpacks left unattended. Another concern came up during the recent tornado warnings in the KC area this month. Parents and other family members were texting students during the warnings to make sure they were safe, which sometimes caused panic among students.

One administrator told me about rules and policies set in place regarding cell phones and the usage of those phones to capture photos. Cell phones are not allowed in restrooms but I wonder how the school staff is able to effectively reinforce that policy when students carry their phones in their pockets, backpacks, and purses. So how can schools minimize the cell phone distraction in the classroom and prevent students from using cell phones for unapproved activities?

CELL PHONE LOCKERS

Cell phone lockers are a secure option that can offer customized formats and a secure location for personal cell phones to be stored during school hours. The lockers can be located at the entrance of the school and each student is assigned a locker to ensure the cell phones are not used during school. This also prevents students keeping cell phones inside of their traditional lockers, which are accessible between classes and during breaks.

Administrators have the option of requiring students to provide their own locks, but there is also an option for the lockers to include dial locks in which school administrators can assign the combination. With this option, each student could have a corresponding cell phone locker with the same lock combination as their traditional locker.

If youd like to learn more about eliminating the distraction of cell phones to improve the school environment, contact us today to see how secure cell phone storage lockers can work for you.

Kenton Brothers Inc. Systems for Security

816-842-3700

www.kentonbrothers.com

Kenton Brothers Shows Off SecureMyStuff At The 2011 Commercial Real Estate Expo of KC!

Ted Lischer and Penny Jackson of Kenton Brothers attended the 2011 Commercial Real Estate Expo of Kansas City on Wednesday, May 11. The Expo focuses on solutions for commercial property management and commercial real estate.

The event was held in the Sprint Festival Plaza at Union Station in downtown Kansas City. There were over 100 exhibitors and over 500 attendees. There were even a few attendees and exhibitors dressed up like characters from Monopoly, which was the theme of this year’s expo.

When asked about the success of this year’s show, Susan Moore of BOMA KC and General Manager at Colliers International said:

“As I was walking around the comments I heard from the various vendors:

Best Show Ever.

They couldn’t believe how many visitors there were early in the afternoon.

It seemed like the visitors came in, in groves.

I loved it that several of the vendors got into the theme of the show and Dave [Grosdeck] does such a great job in organizing the event which is why it is so successful with the help of his dedicated committee members”.

When we arrived to set up our booth for the event, the crowd was already filtering in, and by the 2pm start time, attendees were shoulder to shoulder throughout the event space. Our booth featured live demos of our new hosted video security sister company, SecureMyStuff.

To see these live video demos for yourself, click here and follow the brief instructions. With hosted services being available through any internet connection, our staff is able to show live demos from anywhere through a laptop, iPad or smart phone.

In addition, we were able to chat with a lot of our existing customers that have been doing business with us for years. Property managers and commercial real estate professionals have relied on Kenton Brothers for years to be the lock and key experts for their facilities, as well as the experts in newer security technologies like access control and video security systems.

Overall, the Expo was a great event for all involved and we were proud to be a small part of helping make this year’s event such a success.