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health checks that advise users when a camera or system is malfunctioning; securely transferring video to an attorney, court official or law enforcement agency through propriety software; and improved storage options and video access. An advantage to swapping out an entire system at once includes eliminating incompatible equipment, which Gary Clevenger, assistant director of transportation at Metropoli- tan School District of Washington Township in Indianapo- lis, refers to as a “Frankenstein mix.” Multiple vendors can be reduced to a single vendor. “We have to be good stewards of public dollars,” he said.
“Te problem with video systems is you’re between a rock and a hard place. I can roll with old units that I know are prone to failure and take a gamble that something won’t happen on a bus that requires video—or I can spend money I don’t have and equip those buses with the right technology. He added that, in a perfect world, he could install a state- of-the-art video system in every district bus. “But it typically boils down to money,” said Clevenger, who encourages peers to network through conferences and other avenues to identify grants and other funding sources. In his quest to secure better video technology, Port St. Lucie’s
Carter aided his cause by enlisting the district’s risk management department. “We have been able to use cameras so many times to exonerate driver and bus aides,” he noted. He also recommends checking with nearby districts that have upgraded systems, as he did, before making a decision.
POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS While many old systems are still cranking away, the
reasonable expectation for system life is approximately six years, according to experts. “It’s technology,” noted Rob Scott, vice president of 24/7 Security, Inc. “It’s like every- thing else; it doesn’t live forever.” At a certain point, holding onto an old video surveil- lance system is “throwing good money after bad,” Scott added. Tat’s especially true, he said, for any district that is attempting to maintain analog systems, which still require personnel to pull hardware from vehicles to download video of on-bus incidents. But even older digital systems should be considered obsolete. “You’ve got to weigh the cost of repair versus replace- ment. A new digital system can be half the price of a system purchased 10 years ago, and it will have far more technol- ogy. It just does more,” Scott said. “Tere’s greater value in new technology than trying to hold on to an old system.” But, he cautioned that fleet managers can run into trou-
ble when they don’t ask enough questions upfront, and only consider low pricing and a single, clear camera image. Scott’s advice? “Test the whole system. Don’t just look at the quality of the picture and the price and say, ‘Tat’s really great,’” he responded. “Testing the whole system goes to how well it is going to perform over weeks and months. Ask what it takes to go from incident to final review.”
42 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2018
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