Inside the Toowoomba technology helping monitor Queensland during disaster

Smart cameras keeping a close eye on local communities have captured the recent flooding event like never before.

Qteq is the business behind the lens, with their intelligent sensor systems able to swiftly alert suburbs prone to the impacts of weather events.

Nathan Poy, Qteq COO, said the time-lapse video of water lapping the Grantham bridge shows just how quickly floods can escalate.

“The torrential rain was closely monitored by our purpose-built, rugged, flood monitoring systems which provide real time visual data analytics which are linked to automated alert notification systems like sirens and text messages,” said Mr Poy.

“The images captured by cameras embedded in the flood monitoring systems built and installed by Qteq reveal the sudden and dramatic rise in water levels caused by this extreme weather event.”

These images are also publicly available, giving locals unprecedented access to crucial information in real-time, so they’re able to make informed decisions in times of disaster.

“ As part of the wider community, it gives Qteq great professional satisfaction to contribute to the enhanced safety of local residents, our staff and our families,” said Mr Poy.

“We strongly believe in locals protecting locals.”

Adam Fitz-Henry, the Commercial Manager at Qteq, knows the value of date and commented that the more data out there, the better.

“The cameras continue to provide time critical situational awareness for emergency services, state and government agencies, local council and importantly the general public,” said Mr Fitz-Henry.

“As the leading provider of PTZ Camera solutions for Disaster Mitigation in Queensland and with over 150 cameras deployed across the state, we are committed to supporting communities in their hour of need.”

The first Smart Sentinel was installed in 2013 in rural Queensland, and since then the uptake of the standalone smart systems has grown significantly.

With cameras in parts of Queensland and Northern New South Wales, Qteq can provide visual data analytics which is currently used to protect more than three million people.

Lance MacManus, TSBE General Manager for Energy and Infrastructure, is very proud to be working with Qteq and hopes more government agencies and local councils will see the benefits of this technology in protecting local communities.

“Qteq is a local business assisting in supporting local councils to alert communities to the dangers early which is so important when every minute counts,” said Mr MacManus.

“It’s great to know this support and these systems are available in our own region.”

“This is a positive story to come out of our region during a difficult time showing the importance disaster mitigation and alert systems to ensure the most up to date information is available during disasters,” said Mr MacManus.