Trouble-free football enjoyment

An exemplary all-round security solution implemented by euromicron in the ERDGAS Sportpark in Halle/Saale demonstrates what these systems can look like.  The stadium built in the city centre is used as the home ground for the League 3 football team Hallescher FC, but looking ahead to the future, the club wants an operating licence that also covers the 2nd Bundesliga. euromicron therefore aligned its solutions consistently to meet the DFB regulations for League 2 stadia.

Integrated security system for the Sportpark

The first project step involved setting up a futureproof network infrastructure which also included a data network with copper cabling, fibre optic routes and Wi-Fi access points.  euromicron placed the necessary safety systems such as fire and voice alarm system and CCTV on this infrastructure. Furthermore, central functional rooms at the stadium such as the control centres for security staff, the stadium announcer cubicle or administrative offices were networked using a sophisticated IT system. The fire alarm system at the Halle stadium is equipped with automatic fire alarms that can be individually operated and which are secured to prevent false alarms. Intelligent signalling technology enables all information to be collated in the fire control centre which houses the central operating equipment for smoke extraction and fire extinguishing equipment together with the alarm and loudspeaker system. The fire alarm system is also integrated in the voice alarm system, so that in the case of fire it generates automatic announcements over the public address system in defined areas.

For CCTV monitoring, a total of nine IP-dome cameras with a 360° pivot radius and zoom function are permanently installed in the stadium complex. These are complemented at each match by mobile cameras provided by the police. The cameras monitor the stands, the entrance and car park areas of the stadium, and recordings are analysed and stored using standard software in the security control centre. A graphic user interface that shows the stadium layout and camera positions furthermore enables individual cameras to be selected and separately controlled using the touchscreen.

A balancing act between noise control and speech intelligibility

The provision of the PA and voice alarm system represented a particular challenge. The aim here was to guarantee a high level of speech intelligibility on the spectator terraces while also complying with inner-city noise control regulations. This challenge was mastered by installing 28 400-watt high performance distortion-free loudspeakers designed for the maximum permitted noise level. In emergency situations the loudspeaker power can temporarily be quadrupled to 1600 watts. A touchscreen in the form of the stadium layout was also prepared here to enable individual announcements to be made in specific areas of the stadium. Spectator terraces, cubicle wings or entrances and exits can be selected here and the desired announcements made.

The complete safety and security solution is rounded off by a video screen that is approximately 6 x 5 metres in size, on which security staff information can be shown in addition to information about the match. The powerful LED video display guarantees a high contrast picture even in direct sunlight. The security systems installed by euromicron have now been tried and tested in some 70 league and cup matches, and proven to be successful in practical tests. However the fast and smooth project implementation was deemed to be at least equally impressive: “With euromicron you can build two stadia at the same time”, concluded Volkmar Göpfert, Project Manager for the general contractor GP Papenburg AG.