The Challenge
What needed to change.
Engineering firms responsible for the physical security design of a nuclear power plant needed a perimeter surveillance and intrusion detection system capable of withstanding rigorous NRC regulatory scrutiny. The complexity was significant:
- Disparate camera, radar, and access control systems from multiple vendors, each using different protocols and data formats
- NRC physical protection rules demanding low nuisance alarm rates and fully auditable system performance
- No single, unified operator interface to correlate alarms across the perimeter intrusion detection system
- Integration constrained to scheduled outage windows, with zero tolerance for gaps in perimeter coverage
The Fulcrum Approach
How we solved it.
Fulcrum partnered with the lead engineering firms to design and deliver the systems integration architecture connecting every perimeter security subsystem to a unified Command and Control platform.
- Translated the site's Physical Security Plan requirements into a detailed system integration architecture
- Developed interface control documents (ICDs) defining data exchange between camera, radar, fence-line intrusion detection, and access control subsystems
- Designed alarm correlation and sensor fusion logic in the C2 system, cross-referencing radar tracks, video analytics, and access control events
- Built a redundant, fail-safe network linking the Central and Secondary Alarm Stations, eliminating single points of failure
- Led factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) for each subsystem, validating detection performance and alarm response time
- Sequenced cutover activities around planned outage windows, maintaining continuous perimeter protection throughout
- Trained security operations personnel on the new C2 interface and supported regulatory compliance documentation
Impact Delivered
Results that matter.
Outcome
Unified real-time operator view across cameras, radar, and access control
Outcome
Zero gaps in perimeter coverage during cutover to the new system
Outcome
Reduced nuisance alarm rate with faster, more reliable threat assessment
Outcome
Successful NRC regulatory compliance demonstration
The plant gained a modernized, fully integrated perimeter security system that met regulatory requirements and strengthened operators' ability to detect, assess, and respond to threats in real time.