Among the factors to consider, he said, is that high-definition video demands more storage—up to two-and-a-half times the current capacity—and state-of-the-art systems consume more power to read and write high-def data. Donald Campbell, president of Indianapolis-based vendor
partner and consultant Oscar Telecom, said hanging on to an old system not only deprives a district of the features and reliability of new technology, but also introduces the risk that video won’t be there when it’s needed most. He indicated some districts with older systems are willing to tolerate a certain number of failures. “Ten, one incident escalates when a parent gets in front of a TV camera and says, ‘Tey told me they don’t have any video,’” Campbell said. “Nowadays, (video surveillance) needs to be there and it needs to be running. It’s a mitigation issue.”
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE Campbell said he encourages district officials to view video
surveillance in a fresh light. “Te take that many people have on camera systems is that it’s a capital investment. It’s not seen as a safety issue or a recurring cost,” he explained. “Tey look at a $250,000 fleet upgrade as a flat expense, rather than a mitigation that eliminates a future liability claim, improving staff efficiency by resolving student and driver issues much quicker, or that it reduces maintenance costs.” Some fleet managers could benefit from a different perspective, too.
Many have the expectation that a video system should last as long as a bus is in service, but Campbell contends that’s just not practical. “Tey say, ‘I’m buying a bus that will last 12 years. Will the camera last 12 years?’ It won’t,” he advised, adding that video should be considered a serviced item, just like tires and everything else on the bus. “What piece of technology do you have that lasts 10 to 12 years? Even if it does, you wouldn’t want to rely on an eight- year-old laptop.”
Rather than thinking in terms of overall cost, Campbell said school officials should analyze cost per mile, student and seat. Craig Raridon, school bus division territory manager with
Omaha-based REI, said the purchase of a system is more than a one-off proposition. “Tey don’t work forever. It’s electronics on a school bus,” he said. Raridon also agreed that video surveillance is an investment in future mitigation.
“I could go on and on about liability, but it comes down to this question: ‘If you had a lawsuit, wouldn’t you want to have the best video to protect your assets, staff and drivers?’” he asked. His answer to the question about when a district should
upgrade its equipment? “It depends.” Raridon said school districts that routinely have a high incident rate on buses might decide there’s added value in having the latest clearest video with zoom- in capability from a large number of angles.
“Cost is always a factor for districts, so it also depends on the
budget,” Raridon explained. “Another one is fear of change. We’re talking about putting computer systems on moving buses. Tat requires an investment of money, time and energy. You have to know how to use the software, how the hardware works, what the
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