What is a Mobile CCTV Tower?

The security industry has long relied on traditional methods to deter and detect crime. Whether this be through the deployment of physical security guards, mobile patrols, or the use of perimeter fencing to secure a boundary.

Digital CCTV emerged in the early 2000s, quickly becoming the leading form of detection technology adopted worldwide. CCTV has since evolved further, with the introduction of modern technologies like AI analytics.

Mobile CCTV towers are one of the most versatile methods of CCTV deployment, offering many advantages to a traditional CCTV setup. As the risk profiles across sectors like construction, vacant property, energy, and utilities have grown, the CCTV tower has become an effective, rapidly deployed solution.

What are mobile CCTV towers? How do they work, why should you adopt them on your project, how can you identify the right solution, and does the Safer POD® family contain mobile CCTV towers? This guide will cover all of this and more.

A mobile CCTV tower is a self-contained security solution featuring a CCTV camera configuration that is typically elevated on a mast. Mobile CCTV towers have variously been referred to within the security industry as simply a CCTV tower, PID, security drone, or security tower.

Mobile CCTV towers are deployed to both deter and detect criminal activity within an environment. This could include intrusion, theft, vandalism, or anti-social behaviour, among others.

While originally found on construction sites, mobile CCTV towers can now commonly be found protecting environments across industries. In the retail sector, mobile CCTV towers are deployed to deter shoplifting, loitering, fly tipping, or anti-social behaviour in car parks. In some cases, public bodies like the police have used mobile CCTV towers within communities to tackle crimes like violence against women and girls.

Mobile CCTV towers have become a popular option for short-term deployments that do not require a permanent CCTV infrastructure. This is due to their highly portable, rapidly deployable design and specification. Temporary sites or projects are common within the construction, critical national infrastructure, rail, utilities, and vacant property sectors.

A mobile CCTV tower is typically fitted with an array of cameras on the mast, some of which may offer advanced pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ), or thermal detection capabilities. A loudspeaker or sounder will usually be present to act as a public address system. This system produces a pre-recorded siren when a hostile presence is detected or broadcasts a live intervention as a method of active deterrence.

Mobile CCTV towers work by creating a strong, active, visual presence on the perimeter or interior of a project. This presence, commonly assisted with a flashing visual strobe, bright light, or loudspeaker message, alerts a potential intruder to the fact that they are being watched. This encourages the end of illegal or suspicious behaviours.

Deterrence is both immediate and hard to ignore, making potential offenders think twice. This active deterrent factor is not found in traditional CCTV outside of signage. This has made mobile CCTV towers a desirable alternative.

Upon the capture of an incident on site, the mobile CCTV tower alerts a control room containing monitoring staff. The monitoring team are tasked with assessing what the device has detected and determining if the incident is genuine, the threat level involved, and the scale of the police/security response required. As threats can strike at any moment, the monitoring team will work from a 24/7 control room with solutions under constant review.

Rapid deployment

Mobile CCTV towers do not require fixed cabling and often work without mains power. Also, with manual handling compliance, these self-contained units can be installed in a timely and efficient manner. Deployment routinely takes less than an hour, with minimal disruption to ongoing activity on your premises. Mobile CCTV towers can also be re-deployed in the middle of a project as requirements change or if new high-risk locations emerge within the environment.

Sustainable efficiency

With the use of battery power, mobile CCTV towers can run autonomously, storing energy during the day and lowering emissions, noise pollution, and fuel running costs for generators. This is enhanced by the solar capability carried by some options, and methanol fuel cell options that create zero emissions besides heat and water.

All-in-one security solution

Mobile CCTV towers are self-contained with no need for additional external power or communications infrastructure. With an all-in-one build, a mobile CCTV tower can be powered and controlled autonomously with minimal remote oversight or engineering requirements.

Off-grid power options like solar, battery, or methanol fuel cells remove the need for continuous maintenance. When combined with cellular communication or satellite internet, mobile CCTV towers can deliver rapid protection to a project.

Traditional CCTV systems, guarding, and mobile patrols cannot always provide this feasibility in the wake of an incident that requires an immediate solution to scale up security for peace of mind.

Enhanced coverage and detection capabilities

With a camera setup fixed to a telescopic mast, cameras can be elevated or lowered according to the scale of the project and detection range required. This customisable field of view is useful in locations that are subject to change over time, like construction sites. Bypassing obstacles can further result in 360° visibility over the project.

Mobile CCTV towers can feature cameras that detect in 1080p up to 4K, with varying configurations delivering bespoke protection including thermal and night vision detection.

AI analytics

Mobile CCTV towers often make use of artificial intelligence (AI) analytics within camera configurations. An AI analytical layer can distinguish not just the difference between humans, vehicles, and animals, but the specific nature of the offence taking place. It can also report detailed information regarding the parties involved.

Rather than an incident report stating, “an individual has been spotted”, AI analytics packages may report demographic or appearance-based information alongside a description of the act that took place.

A scalable ecosystem

A temporary CCTV tower can be scaled and configured according to the needs of a particular project. This has major advantages over traditional CCTV. Synchronisation can be achieved between each tower to form a wider ecosystem.

Additional devices can also be integrated into each solution. Examples include sensors to manage fire and flood threats, or manual call points that can be used in the event of a medical emergency on site.

Remote access

Some security providers can provide 24/7 access to a platform on which site managers or individuals can control devices and view live images. Remote access via platforms built for mobile and desktop can provide you with more control over the solutions deployed on site, and notifications can ensure you are instantly alerted with full site monitoring.

The Safer POD® family contains site security solutions, including mobile CCTV towers. The Safer POD® S3, S4/X4, and S7 solutions, can all be considered examples. This is due to the presence of a mast equipped with CCTV cameras, which is used in addition to a 360° motion detection ‘photo-on-demand' (PhOD) configuration.

This separates our CCTV towers from other perimeter intrusion detection (PID) devices in the Safer POD® family, such as the Safer POD® S1/X1, that is equipped with a PhOD configuration alone.

The Safer POD® S3 is the most compact mobile CCTV tower offered by Safer Group, standing at 2.4m tall with mast adapter fully extended. The tallest in the range is the Safer POD® S7 which stands 5.7m fully deployed.

Between both devices in the family sits the Safer POD® S4/X4. This award-winning rapid deployment mobile CCTV tower stands at 3.6m, is UKCA/CE certified, and comes equipped with an optional array of scenario led detection technologies. With 3x bi-spectrum cameras at the core, up to 100m thermal detection is combined with additional optional PTZ cameras with AI analytics or low-level ANPR. This customisation can alter the performance of the Safer POD® S4 mobile CCTV tower to suit a variety of use cases.

Pre-programmed or live broadcast-quality audio challenges combine with twin high output 105 dB sounders and strobes to further enhance deterrence. The Safer POD® X4 model takes the deterrent effect even further, equipped with dynamic luminance to signal that the site is actively monitored. Dynamic luminance delivers a stronger intensity of strobing lights to deter criminal activity and alert the wider public.

The Safer POD® S4/X4 mobile CCTV tower adopts dual 4G/5G unsteered roaming SIMs. With optional Starlink satellite communications, connectivity in remote and urban locations is guaranteed. With a 7-day battery backup, 580 watts of solar power as standard, and methanol fuel cell produce no emissions or running noise; the Safer POD® S4/X4 can provide security autonomy and sustainability compliance.

Comprising an all-in-one security package with rapid deployment and scalability, hiring a mobile CCTV tower for remote, urban, or temporary site security is the first step to protecting assets, employees, and the community at large.

While proactive risk mitigation is always a priority, the need for an urgent security solution in the wake of an incident cannot be avoided. In either case, our team collaborate with you to determine the risk factors faced, before advising on the solutions that are best equipped to tackle them.

If you need temporary site security or are interested in deploying a mobile CCTV tower like those found in the Safer POD range, contact us today to discuss the right solution for your project with our specialists.