Milestone Partner Solutions Assist The Disability Community, Ensure Voting Integrity

The City of Houston’s Metropolitan Multi-Service Center (MMSC) at West Gray is on a mission to be a pioneer in providing meaningful opportunities for citizens to fully participate in accessible sports, recreation, and wellness activities.

With a capacity of 350 people, the MMSC has become an anchor site for the disability community in the Houston area. According to the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, residents with disabilities in Houston make up about 10% of the total population, which equates to approximately 216,000 people.

Real-time alerts for falls and safety situations

“The Metropolitan MMSC is the hub of Houston’s disability community, and their security is of the utmost importance,” said Angel Ponce, Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.

Thanks to Milestone and their technology partners who have come together to help us"

Angel Ponce adds, “Having real-time alerts for falls and safety situations requiring immediate assistance is crucial in providing public service and ensuring quality of life for Houston’s citizens. Thanks to Milestone and their technology partners who have come together to help us with our security project, we have now enhanced our ability to keep eyes and ears on our facility at all times.”

Wisenet and P Series AI-enabled cameras

Data-driven video management technology from Milestone Systems was selected along with Wisenet and P Series AI-enabled cameras from Hanwha Vision to provide 24/7 video monitoring of the facility and its extensive property, including the playground, tennis courts, and other wheelchair-accessible areas.

The Milestone XProtect open platform VMS supports more than 13,000 different security devices from hundreds of pioneering manufacturers. Technology partners include providers of network video cameras, storage equipment, access control, alarm and detection systems, video analytics, emergency call boxes, and much more.

One central workstation

The audio alerts staff to patron calls of distress and provides evidence during security events

SoundSecure provided 20 omnidirectional microphones that can pick up sound from approximately 12 feet in all directions. Combined with video input, the audio alerts staff to patron calls of distress and provides evidence during security events. The front desk staff can easily monitor camera views and audio throughout the facility and property using one central workstation from Dell Technologies.

“The system can identify if somebody yells out for help,” said Jack C. Hanagriff, former Program Manager at the City of Houston's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, adding "This system looks and listens for anomalies that are out of the norm and then alerts the front desk. We are attempting to train the technology to attend to itself."

Addressing election security requirements

In addition, as a polling location for local, state, and federal elections in Harris County, the MMSC is used during both the early voting period and on election day. Opening approximately two weeks before official election days in May and November, the center accommodates up to 8,000 voters per voting year as an early voting site.

According to a report from the Harris County Election Security Task Force, five incidents, including voter intimidation, the use of sound amplification devices within 1,000 feet of the polling location, and a request for help with traffic and pedestrian control occurred at MMSC during the 2020 presidential election early voting period and on election day. A total of 77 incidents were reported among all 122 early voting and 806 election-day polling locations.

Threats and security vulnerabilities

MMSC was required by the FEMA to conduct a risk assessment to identify threats

As one of the largest voting sites in Harris County, the MMSC was required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a risk assessment to identify threats and security vulnerabilities, and develop an action plan to mitigate risks.

Additionally, in 2020 another regional need was identified by the Homeland Security Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. This specified that grant recipients must address election security within at least two grant-funded projects: one addressing cybersecurity and one focused on soft targets.

“We addressed the FEMA and Department of Homeland Security requirements by creating a site assessment for voting sites throughout the region, but then we went one step further by recommending security technology based on the assessment findings,” said Hanagriff.

Acre EndpointDefender integration 

To meet cybersecurity requirements, the team installed an Acre Comnet technologies (formerly Razberi) recording server, which provides high-throughput video recording for 24/7 surveillance and storage. Acre CameraDefense provides antivirus and malware protection without compromising VMS performance. Plus, Acre EndpointDefender integration delivers automated cybersecurity and device hardening for the network cameras.

Acre CameraDefense feeds antivirus and malware shield without compromising VMS performance

A situational awareness platform from Haystax was deployed, allowing city officials to share data across jurisdictions, including law enforcement, fire department personnel, emergency managers, special events personnel, analysts, and more.

The system provides a visual map interface allowing safety professionals to easily see police, fire, emergency medical service calls, road hazards, and more key resources in the area.

Implementing the latest technology

Before the security upgrade, MMSC relied strictly on staff rounds to make sure areas were clear and people were safe. With more than seven acres to cover, it was impossible to solely rely on human interaction to check the premises.

"Our trusted security partners have helped support our city's expanding infrastructure and allowed us to keep the public safe in ever-changing times by implementing the latest technology seamlessly," said Hanagriff. "We are proud to have set the standard for implementing security best practices."