FiberPatrol Helps Foil Copper Theft At California Oil Refinery

LANGHORNE, PA (July 15, 2008) – An attempt to steal valuable copper tubing from a Los Angeles-area oil refinery was thwarted when the robbers set off an alarm on a FiberPatrol® perimeter intrusion detection system recently installed by Optellios, Inc., in partnership with Security Services & Technologies (SST). If successful, the robbery would have caused substantial material losses and compromised the plant's overall security.

Put into operation just over a month earlier, the FiberPatrol security system demonstrated its highly reliable, precision detection capabilities by alerting security personnel to a theft attempt in progress. Using cutting-edge fiber-optic sensing technology, the system was able to pinpoint the exact location of the perimeter breach.

The facility's video surveillance, installed and integrated by SST, provided a video verification of the threat. The CCTV system included Optellios video transmission equipment as well as the company's state-of-the-art command and control software, which automatically triggered security cameras to zero in on the intruders.

"We are pleased that our solution delivered exactly what we promised, and did so within weeks of being installed," said Jay Patel, CEO of Optellios. "Our record of copper theft prevention will lead to new business opportunities with this and other security-conscious customers," added Dr. Patel.

The latest incident was just one of several cases of FiberPatrol security systems detecting copper thieves and preventing property loss in recent months.

"Optellios offers unsurpassed capabilities and value proposition for commercial perimeter security. We see a lot of potential in using FiberPatrol sensors to combat copper theft," said Ryan Rieger, an SST account manager.

With copper prices reaching all time highs in commodity markets worldwide, copper theft has risen alarmingly across the U.S. Once a problem mainly for electrical utilities, it is spreading rapidly to other business sectors handling copper stock, including chemical and petrochemical plants.

SST is one of North America's premier system integrators. Its products and services encompass IP based access control, intrusion detection, digital video surveillance, monitoring, perimeter/fence protection, vehicle gate access, thermal imaging, intelligent video, and maritime security. For more information, visit www.1SST.com.
About Optellios Inc.

Optellios, Inc., a leading U.S.-based fiberoptic technology company, is a provider of advanced solutions for sensing, security, and communication. Its FiberPatrol® line of security products leverages company's pioneering patented fiberoptic sensor technologies to provide the most advanced and cost effective security solutions for military bases, airports, power plants, water treatment facilities, pipelines, secure data networks, and other critical infrastructures and high-value assets. For more information, visit www.optellios.com.