Editor’s Note: Here, Commercial Integrator’s editors highlight one of our 2026 Integration Award-winning projects. Securitas Technology earned top honors in the Best Electronic Security category for its work at the Palm Beach County Bridge Section. Read on to learn why our judges deemed this project the most impressive electronic security project of the year!
Palm Beach County’s Bridge Section earned top honors in the best electronic security project category for an intelligent video monitoring system deployed across its movable bridges. Securitas Technology teamed with Safeware and IQSIGHT to design a platform that combines visual analytics, alarm management and live communication to protect drivers, cyclists and pedestrians during bridge operations.
What Was the Challenge?
The Palm Beach County Bridge Section needed to improve safety at its movable bridges by better alerting vehicles and pedestrians during bridge operations. The section oversees eight bascule bridges along the Intracoastal Waterway and a swing bridge crossing the Rim Canal that encircles Lake Okeechobee, all within a county spanning 2,385 square miles and 408 square miles of surface water.
Existing precautions such as traffic and pedestrian gates, warning lights and signage worked, but the county wanted greater visual awareness and real-time alerts for its Bridgetenders. After evaluating lidar and infrared sensing technologies used at other Florida bridge sites, the county chose a video security-based approach.
Who Delivered the Solution?
Securitas Technology, Safeware and IQSIGHT delivered the solution as a specialized team assembled to meet the county’s monitoring, alerting and environmental durability requirements.
The Bridge Section engaged Safeware, a trusted vendor from previous county partnerships, to assist with system design and procurement.
Safeware’s national, state and regional cooperative contracts kept the acquisition process efficient and compliant, and its experience providing public safety and security solutions nationwide helped shape a platform built specifically for bridge operations.
What Does the System Do?
The system delivers a fully integrated, intelligent bridge monitoring platform that goes well beyond simple video verification. At its core, analytics provide actionable insights and automated decision support for operational efficiency and safety.
The video system integrates with a Radionix alarm panel for real-time event monitoring and system alerts, and with IP speakers that enable direct IP-to-IP communication for immediate on-site response and coordination.
That combination of visual analytics, alarm management and live communication lets staff proactively manage bridge access, monitor surrounding conditions and enforce safety protocols during routine and emergency scenarios.
What Cameras and Technology Were Used?
The county equipped three bridges with Bosch MIC 7100i pan-tilt-zoom cameras alongside fixed cameras, including the FLEXIDOME multi 7000i, FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i IR and DINION 7100i IR, delivering full coverage of the bridges and surrounding waterways. Bridge Section staff installed the supporting infrastructure and developed and fabricated specialized mounts for the MIC cameras. BVMS provides live and recorded video display within the Bridgetender’s workstation, while the Radionix alarm panel and integrated IP loudspeakers round out the platform.
“The quality of the product engineered by the county is top notch,” says Peter Van Kirk, North American director of government security solutions for Safeware.
Why Were the MIC Cameras Chosen?
The MIC cameras were chosen because they combine long-range coverage, precise pan-tilt-zoom maneuverability and extreme ruggedization. The solid metal housing with superior metallurgy and finish protects against corrosion and operates in 100% humidity, while metal intermeshing gears resist shock and vibration. Those qualities matter on movable bridges exposed to continuous vibration, salt air and heavy humidity.
“MIC cameras were selected not only for their superior coverage and smooth maneuverability, but because they are specifically engineered to deliver stable, high quality images in punishing environments, continuous vibration, salt air, and heavy humidity on movable bridges,” Van Kirk says. “This level of durability and performance under stress is exactly why, for this application, MIC cameras are in a class of their own.”
How Do the Analytics Work?
Edge-based video analytics continuously monitor activity and automatically alert Bridgetenders when vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians are detected within designated safety zones during bridge openings or closings. At the first completed site at SR-707, the camera system delivers comprehensive coverage with 37 distinct views encompassing the drawbridge, roadway approaches and adjacent waterway.
The system also issues notifications when motion is detected beneath the bridge, around the movable spans or on the waterway, strengthening situational awareness and operational safety. IQSIGHT’s professional services team configured BVMS and the video analytic alerts to fully support the specific requirements of Bridge Section staff.
How Does the System Protect Privacy and Control Access?
The system limits operator permissions and applies privacy masking to protect adjacent properties and prevent unauthorized changes. Bridgetenders can’t modify camera pan, tilt, zoom or preset position settings, which prevents changes to fields of view.
Privacy masking and privacy overlay functions obscure adjacent residential properties and other non-target areas to support compliance with privacy requirements.
Video recordings are retained for a minimum of 30 days and, subject to agency policy, are available to support law enforcement investigations related to vehicular incidents or unauthorized activities.
How Does the System Improve Operations?
The system improves operations by reducing on-site visits and automating safety-critical announcements. A dedicated surveillance camera continuously monitors the Bridgetender control panel during bridge operation, recording each step of the opening and closing sequence. Supervisors can remotely access that footage through the video security application to diagnose and resolve control panel issues, which accelerates restoration of bridge operations while cutting travel time and maintenance costs.
Integrated IP loudspeakers broadcast automated bilingual announcements during bridge openings, freeing Bridgetenders to focus on visual inspections and video feeds.
“The system functions and alerts through the entire bridge process, from the closing of the roadway to the reopening of the roadway,” says Tom Coppini, superintendent of the Bridge Section for Palm Beach County. “Automated announcements take that effort away from Bridgetenders so they can focus on the visual inspection prior to opening the bridge.”
How Does the Video Approach Compare to Lidar and Infrared?
The video system delivers broader functionality and operational benefits than the lidar and infrared systems installed on other bridges across the state. Beyond providing real-time visual confirmation of vehicles on the bridge, it monitors surrounding areas, including the adjacent waterway, which strengthens situational awareness and supports multiple county objectives. T
he platform also aids asset management by enabling remote monitoring of bridge conditions before, during and after major storm events. That capability lets the county quickly assess potential damage, protect personnel performing post-storm inspections and prioritize repair work on the most critical structural issues.
What’s Next for the Project?
The county plans to deploy similar video surveillance systems across all bridges the Bridge Section maintains. The system design developed for the first two bridges serves as a blueprint for camera coverage at the remaining sites, giving the county a repeatable model for consistent monitoring, alerting and durability.
That scalability positions Palm Beach County to extend the same award-winning safety and situational awareness across its entire movable bridge network.
