End Users '20 under 40' 2016—Quentin Black

Quentin Black, 40

Security & public safety systems program manager, Department of Parks & Recreation

Prince Georges County, Md.

Over the last decade Quentin Black has led the Park Police division in developing the Enterprise Security and Public Safety Systems program that includes enterprise video systems management, credentialing, intrusion and access control systems, central station event monitoring, life safety, and public safety systems.

“We have a wide range of responsibilities, from splash pools to community centers to offices to a sports complex to a small minor league baseball stadium to the oldest continually operated airport in the country,” Black explained. “In addition, we have sites under construction and renovations with many more in the planning phase. And we are also working on the Trails Master Plan that will incorporate more security and public safety systems installations.”

Since Black started working for the department in 2005, “We have gone from a few dozen cameras and a few DVRs, to well over a 100 DVRs/NVRs and more than 2,500 cameras and counting. In addition to that, we had about 20 or so access control doors back in 2005, and now we have more than 500 access control doors and counting.”

The parks department is about to begin a $1 million, four-year security systems overhaul project. “I am looking at getting an all-encompassing system that will allow us to have multiple access control platforms and use one management software to oversee them, which helps us maintain and manage our identities across our agency as well,” Black noted.

Since most of the parks are closed after dark, “We use video analytics to help secure our parks and the perimeters of our facilities, which lets us know when someone pulls into our parking lot, and allows us to be proactive in identifying potential threats or issues at our facilities.”