STS camera system to be tested in Iraq

General Barry McCaffrey came to Morgan County recently to see a demonstration of the movable CAM surveillance system being produced by STS International in Berkeley Springs.

McCaffrey, a retired U. S. Army general, is now a consultant and frequent TV commentator about war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a West Point classmate of Ted Morgan, president of STS.

The surveillance camera and monitoring system is being developed at the STS "Area 13" test site at Greenwood. The system can detect motion along borders and across long stretches of land, up to two kilometers, in both day and night, while wireless video monitoring can be done at another location with a small staff.

The CAM (Camera Assisted Monitoring) System has been under development for four years and now costs about $1 million-per-unit to produce.

One of the systems is about to be sent to Iraq where it will be used by a unit of soldiers to enhance their security.

"For Ted Morgan and I, this is personal," said McCaffrey, referring to the fact that both have sons now serving in Iraq.

"The system saves lives. It reduces the number of people within harm's way," McCaffrey said. "It's an exciting period in STS history."

STS has about 100 employees at three locations in Morgan County and in Falls Church, Virginia and St. Petersburg, Florida.