Copper is in demand, easy to sell and often stored in open, unmanned areas. So how does a company like Northwest Florida utility Gulf Power protect their copper wire? With a combination of professional security guards, night vision cameras and fence sensors.
Copper wire is often stored on spools in yards surrounded by fences. Because of the expense and difficulty of patroling such wide open areas, thieves can cut through fencing at night and haul away spools of wire unnoticed.
To combat such attacks, Gulf Power installed fence sensors that can detect when someone is climbing or cutting into a perimeter fence. The sensors send a signal to PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras that can turn and focus on the source of the disturbance. The cameras use thermal imaging technology in order to provide a high contrast picture, even in darkness.
Finally, the images from the cameras are sent directly to security monitors so that guards can see and respond to the intrusion.
Copper wire theft costs American businesses around $1 billion every year. With their efficient blend of detection technology and professional response, Gulf Power is poised to cut those losses.
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