Newark Central School District in New York has expanded its use of Genetec Security Center across seven buildings, bringing video surveillance, access control, emergency communications and sensors into a unified security environment. Genetec announced the deployment, which was carried out with systems integrator Convergint.
The district serves approximately 1,800 students and nearly 600 staff. Its security infrastructure had developed over time, leaving administrators to manage multiple technologies separately. The expanded deployment is intended to give personnel a more consolidated view of activity across the buildings and support a coordinated response when incidents occur.
“It was a multi-year project, but we can confidently say it was worth it. With the help of Convergint and Genetec, we’ve improved our processes and have a clearer picture of what’s happening across our district. Our students and staff feel safer, and our community has greater confidence in what we’re doing to keep it that way.”
That assessment came from Mike Ishler, Co-Director of Technology at NCSD. The district expanded its existing Security Center installation rather than replacing its camera infrastructure. Genetec said upgrades were introduced in phases, allowing NCSD to extend its security capabilities while managing costs.
Systems brought into one platform
NCSD now manages a combination of security and environmental technologies through Security Center. The deployment includes:
- More than 400 cameras for video surveillance
- 200 doors and 500 cardholders for access management
- 30 vape sensors
- Several automatic license plate recognition, or ALPR, cameras
- Emergency communications and other sensors connected to the platform
According to Genetec, automated alerts can provide designated personnel with linked video when an incident occurs. Centralized monitoring and lockdown procedures are also being used to coordinate emergency response across the district’s buildings. The arrangement is designed to let staff assess an alert using associated video rather than treating each security system as a separate source of information.
Access administration and sensor alerts
The district has also connected Security Center with Microsoft Active Directory. That integration automatically assigns building access according to employee roles, reducing manual administrative work and helping keep permissions current as staff responsibilities change.
Genetec said the platform is also being used to respond to vape-sensor alerts. When a sensor is triggered, Security Center can connect the alert with relevant video, giving designated personnel additional information for assessing the event. The district’s ALPR cameras are part of the same broader operating environment, alongside its access and video systems.
For integrators working in education and other multi-building environments, the project illustrates a phased approach to platform consolidation: an organization can retain existing cameras while adding integrations and upgrading operations over time. In NCSD’s case, the deployment covers video, doors, identity-based permissions, emergency procedures and sensor data within the district’s expanded Security Center installation.
| Deployment area | Reported scale or function |
|---|---|
| Video surveillance | More than 400 cameras |
| Access control | 200 doors and 500 cardholders |
| Environmental monitoring | 30 vape sensors |
| Vehicle monitoring | Several ALPR cameras |
| Platform | Genetec Security Center across seven buildings |
