# Vision Detection Systems (VDS) > America's Deployable Security Infrastructure Company. VDS designs, manufactures, and monitors AI-powered deployable surveillance systems: we build the hardware, develop the AI VisionStream cloud platform, and operate our own 24/7 US-based Security Operations Center — one company, one contract, one invoice. Headquarters: 1101 Greenwood Rd, Pikesville, MD 21208, USA. Phone: (410) 401-1986. Hardware is built in the USA and NDAA Section 889 compliant. Quotes are tailored per site; there are no published unit prices. ## Mobile Surveillance Unit — key specifications - Mast: 22 ft telescopic · Solar: 900W bifacial · Battery: 11.7 kWh LiFePO4 - Cameras: 4K PTZ, multi-sensor 360° coverage · Connectivity: 4G LTE (no site internet) - Power: solar-autonomous, no site power or trenching; shore power supported - Deployment: under 20 minutes, one person · Coverage: up to 5 acres per unit - Compliance: NDAA Section 889 · Built in Pikesville, Maryland, USA - Monitoring: 24/7 in-house US SOC, human-verified alerts, live talk-down, police dispatch with live video - Machine-readable spec: https://visiondetectionsystems.com/specs/msu.json ## Frequently asked questions — Mobile Surveillance Unit ### Is a mobile security tower the same as a mobile surveillance unit? Yes — mobile security tower, mobile surveillance trailer, and mobile surveillance unit (MSU) all describe the same class of equipment: a trailer-mounted camera system with an elevating mast, autonomous power, and cellular connectivity. The VDS MSU adds AI detection, active deterrence, and optional 24/7 SOC monitoring on top of that base. ### How long does an MSU run without sun? The MSU pairs a 900W bifacial solar array with an 11.7 kWh LiFePO4 battery bank, sized to ride through multi-day overcast stretches under normal load. Shore power is also supported where grid access exists. Exact autonomy depends on latitude, season, and enabled features — the site assessment models it for your location. ### How fast can a mobile surveillance trailer be deployed? One person — typically the site foreman — levels the trailer, raises the 22 ft telescopic mast, and the system auto-registers to the VDS portal in under 20 minutes. Most customers go from initial quote to a live trailer on site within about a week. ### Does the MSU need internet or power at the site? No. Connectivity is 4G LTE cellular and power is solar with battery storage, so the unit operates fully off-grid. No trenching, no conduit, no electrician, and no site network access required. ### What happens when the cameras detect someone after hours? AI filters nuisance motion, and verified alerts route to the VDS Security Operations Center, where a live operator reviews the footage, intervenes with talk-down audio through the trailer's speakers, and dispatches police with live video when needed. Every incident is logged with an audit trail. ### Can I rent, lease, or buy a mobile surveillance unit? All three. Month-to-month and term subscriptions bundle hardware, AI analytics, monitoring, deployment, and maintenance into one rate; purchase programs transfer hardware title with a monitoring subscription on top. A deployment specialist quotes the model that fits your project length. ## Frequently asked questions — Pricing ### Is there a setup fee or installation cost? No. Deployment and initial configuration are included with every VDS subscription and purchase plan. We deliver the trailer, position it, aim cameras, and go live — all included. ### What's included in the monthly subscription? Everything: solar-autonomous hardware, AI VisionStream cloud platform, 24/7 SOC monitoring, audio deterrence, PD dispatch, maintenance, firmware updates, and a dedicated account manager. No hidden fees. ### Can I switch between lease and purchase? Yes. Lease-to-own options are available, and purchase customers can add monitoring subscriptions at any time. Your account manager can restructure terms as your needs change. ### What happens if hardware is damaged or fails? Subscription plans include full maintenance and replacement coverage. Purchase plans can add a maintenance contract. Remote diagnostics catch most issues before they affect coverage. ### Do you offer short-term or event rentals? Yes. Short-term deployments for events, seasonal sites, and project-based coverage are available. Minimum terms vary by unit type — ask your account manager for details. ### How does enterprise pricing work? Enterprise pricing is volume-based and customized to your program requirements — number of sites, deployment cadence, monitoring protocols, and compliance needs. Contact our enterprise team for a tailored proposal. ## Frequently asked questions — Construction sites ### How many cameras does a construction site need? The number depends on site acreage and perimeter complexity. A single VDS Mobile Surveillance Unit covers up to 5 acres with a 22 ft telescopic mast and multi-sensor 360-degree coverage. Sites between 5–15 acres typically require two units positioned at opposing corners. For larger sites or linear projects (highway, pipeline), units are staggered along the perimeter at 5-acre intervals. We provide a site coverage plan as part of every quote. ### Do construction site security cameras need to be wired? No. Solar-autonomous mobile surveillance trailers operate entirely off-grid — 900W bifacial solar array, onboard battery bank, and 4G LTE cellular connectivity. No trenching, no power hookup, no permits required. Wired systems make sense for permanent post-construction installations where infrastructure is in place, but for active construction sites with shifting risk zones, wireless solar-autonomous units are faster to deploy and easier to reposition as phases change. ### How quickly can a mobile surveillance trailer be deployed? From flat-bed delivery to active SOC monitoring: under 20 minutes. The unit arrives on a flat-bed trailer. One person — typically the site foreman — levels it, raises the telescopic mast, and the system auto-registers to the VDS portal. SOC monitoring begins the moment the mast is up. Most construction customers go from initial quote to a live trailer on site within 7 business days. ### Are construction site cameras covered by insurance? Surveillance systems can directly reduce insurance premiums and are often required by carriers for sites above certain contract values. VDS generates incident reports per SLA with immutable cloud audit logs — court-ready documentation that satisfies insurance claim requirements. Several customers have eliminated insurance claims entirely after deployment. Check your policy terms; most commercial construction policies have a security equipment clause. ### What happens when the SOC detects an intruder? The SOC operator verifies the alert against the site's defined rules (after-hours schedule, geofenced zones, approved personnel list). Verified intrusions trigger a live audio intervention through the trailer's 100dB amplified speakers. If the intrusion continues, the operator dispatches police with live video streaming directly to the responding unit. The full incident is logged, clipped, and delivered to the site's VDS portal with a written report. 73% of intrusions are resolved before PD arrives. ### Can the trailer be moved as the project phases shift? Yes. Relocation takes under 20 minutes with no reconfiguration required. The trailer tows behind a standard pickup. VDS handles redeployment logistics as part of ongoing service — the system auto-reconfigures to the new position when the mast goes back up. For phased projects, most customers reposition one to three times over the course of a build. ## How we measure Every published figure carries its qualifier ("customer-reported", "up to") and is defined at https://visiondetectionsystems.com/how-we-measure — what each number means, where it comes from, and why results vary. Savings are expressed only as percentage bands against a customer's own current spend; VDS publishes no unit prices. ## Featured blog guides - [NDAA Compliant Security Cameras: A Buyer's Compliance Guide for 2026](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/ndaa-compliant-security-cameras-buyers-guide): What NDAA Section 889 requires, which camera brands are prohibited, and what to ask any surveillance provider before signing. - [Mobile Surveillance Trailers for Law Enforcement](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/mobile-surveillance-trailers-law-enforcement): Deployment guide for agencies — capabilities, NDAA compliance, evidence standards, and key procurement questions. - [Mobile Surveillance Trailer for Sale or Lease: The Complete Buyer's Guide (2026)](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/mobile-surveillance-trailer-for-sale-buyers-guide): Buy, lease, or managed service — real costs, key specs, and the right procurement model. - [Warehouse Security Cameras and Remote Video Monitoring](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/warehouse-security-cameras-remote-video-monitoring): Camera placement, remote monitoring, and verified response workflows for distribution operations. - [Construction Site Security System: The Complete Planning Guide](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/construction-site-security-system-complete-guide): Phase-by-phase security planning from ground-break to closeout — theft prevention, monitoring protocols, evidence readiness. - [Organized Retail Crime: How Remote Video Monitoring Changes the Response](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/organized-retail-crime-remote-monitoring-response): How remote monitoring shifts retail security from recording incidents to preventing them — LPR, real-time escalation, evidence-ready footage. - [Data Center Construction Site Security: Stopping the Copper Theft Wave Hitting AI Builds](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/data-center-construction-site-security): Why hyperscale builds are 2026's most-targeted jobsites and how monitored mobile surveillance covers them from groundbreak to commissioning. - [EV Charging Station Security: How to Stop Charging Cable Theft and Vandalism](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/ev-charging-station-security): The cable-theft surge by the numbers and the layered defense for charging plazas — cut-resistant hardware plus monitored cameras and talk-down. - [Solar Farm Security Cameras: Protecting Panels, Copper, and Inverters at Remote Sites](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/solar-farm-security-cameras): Off-grid surveillance for utility-scale solar through construction and operations, where downtime losses dwarf stolen-material value. - [Vacant Property Security: Protecting Empty Buildings from Theft, Fire, and Squatters](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/vacant-property-security): Vacancy-clause risk, arson statistics, and no-infrastructure monitoring for empty buildings and paused sites. - [Cargo Theft Hit a Record $725 Million in 2025](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/cargo-theft-statistics-2026): What CargoNet's record 2025 numbers mean for yards, docks, and drop lots in 2026. - [Copper Theft in 2026: Record Prices, Organized Crews, and the Laws Catching Up](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/copper-theft-2026): The market, crime, and legislative picture behind the copper-theft wave — and why detection at the fence beats recovery. - [CORCA Passed the House: What the Federal Retail Crime Bill Means for Loss Prevention](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/corca-organized-retail-crime-act): The federal ORC bill explained for LP teams, and why evidence quality now matters more than ever. - [Can Thieves Jam Your Security Cameras?](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/wifi-jammer-security-cameras): The Wi-Fi jammer burglary wave and the architecture that stays resilient — cellular backhaul, edge recording, and monitored feed health. - [Property Crime Is Falling. Business Theft Losses Are Setting Records. Both Are True.](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/business-theft-statistics-2026): The 2026 data paradox — falling property crime, record organized theft against commercial targets — and what it means for site security. - [Cloud vs. On-Site Video Storage for Business Surveillance](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/cloud-vs-local-video-storage): Bandwidth, retention, chain of custody, and why remote sites end up hybrid. - [Business Security Camera Laws: Signage, Audio, Privacy, and What Changed for 2026](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/business-security-camera-laws): Operator compliance guide — audio consent, privacy zones, biometric and AI statutes, retention hygiene. - [Can Security Cameras Be Hacked? Cybersecurity Hardening for Video Systems](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/security-camera-cybersecurity): The real attack surface — defaults, firmware, flat networks — plus a hardening checklist and supply-chain vetting. - [Time-Lapse Construction Cameras vs. Security Cameras: Do You Need Both?](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/construction-time-lapse-cameras): Documentation and security are different jobs; dispute evidence is the bridge. - [AI Jobsite Safety Monitoring: PPE Detection, OSHA Documentation, and What Cameras Can Actually Do](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/ai-jobsite-safety-monitoring): A sober capability guide to AI safety analytics and monitored escalation. - [Illegal Dumping Cameras: How Cities and Property Owners Shut Down Dumping Hotspots](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/illegal-dumping-cameras): Relocatable cameras, plate capture, and talk-down as an enforcement playbook for municipalities. - [Apartment Complex Security Cameras: A Property Manager's Guide](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/apartment-complex-security-cameras): Parking lots, package theft, liability exposure, and the multifamily insurance squeeze. - [Residential Construction Site Security: How Homebuilders Stop Lumber and Appliance Theft](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/residential-construction-site-security): Scattered-lot subdivisions defeat fences; one relocatable trailer follows the active phase. - [Scrap Yard Security Cameras: Metal Theft, After-Hours Intruders, and Fire Detection](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/scrap-yard-security-cameras): Dual-mission monitoring for recycling facilities — theft deterrence plus early fire detection in a record fire year. - [Farm Equipment Theft Prevention: Securing Barns, Fuel, and Machinery on Remote Acreage](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/farm-equipment-theft-prevention): Verified video for no-power, no-internet acreage where sheriff response runs long. - [Substation Physical Security and NERC CIP-014: What Utilities Actually Have to Do](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/substation-physical-security): CIP-014 scope in plain language and proportionate protection for the distribution substations outside it. - [What Is Site Intelligence? When Jobsite Cameras Become More Than Security](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/what-is-site-intelligence): One AI camera platform doing four jobs — security, safety analytics, progress documentation, and dispute evidence. - [Event-Based Monitoring vs. Continuous Live Monitoring: Which Does Your Site Need?](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/event-based-vs-live-video-monitoring): How AI-triggered event review and continuous live monitoring differ in coverage, cost, and response. - [How to Choose a Video Monitoring Provider: Questions That Separate Real SOCs from Call Centers](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-video-monitoring-provider): The vetting questions that separate real 24/7 verified-response operations from alert-forwarding services. - [Public Works Yard Security: Protecting Municipal Fleets, Fuel, and Equipment After Hours](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/public-works-yard-security): Municipal yards concentrate trucks, fuel, and materials after hours; monitored cameras cover them without staffing. - [Critical Infrastructure Physical Security: A Practical Playbook for Site Operators](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/critical-infrastructure-physical-security): Threat data, CIP-014's narrow scope, and a layered deter-detect-verify-respond model for unregulated sites. - [Surveillance Trailer Uptime: What "Always On" Actually Requires](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/surveillance-trailer-uptime): The autonomy math behind solar surveillance trailers — panels, battery reserve, and winter derating. - [How Much Does Remote Video Monitoring Cost? A 2026 Market Guide](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/remote-video-monitoring-cost): The market cost factors — camera count, coverage hours, verification level — that set monitoring budgets. - [What Is Remote Guarding? How Live Monitoring Multiplies a Security Team](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/what-is-remote-guarding): How trained operators verify AI-flagged events and escalate confirmed incidents as a force multiplier for response teams. - [Construction Camera Software: What to Look For in a Jobsite Camera Platform](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/construction-camera-software): Timeline search, markup, sharing, and export — the software layer that decides whether jobsite footage gets used. - [Construction Webcams and Jobsite Live Streaming: One Camera, Three Jobs](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/construction-webcam-live-streaming): One live jobsite stream serving owner updates, marketing, and the permanent project record. - [Crane Cameras and Lift-Zone Visibility: Safety Monitoring for Vertical Construction](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/crane-cameras): Hook, jib, and site-wide camera views that give operators and lift directors eyes on the load path. - [Radar vs. Video Analytics vs. LiDAR: Choosing Perimeter Intrusion Detection Technology](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/perimeter-intrusion-detection-systems): How the major PIDS sensor technologies differ and how to pick a mix by geometry and consequence. - [Thermal Security Cameras: What They Solve, and When Optical Does the Job](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/thermal-security-cameras): Thermal is a specialist spec for long unlit sight lines; monitored optical cameras do the job for most sites. - [Video Surveillance as a Service: What VSaaS Means for Outdoor and Temporary Sites](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/video-surveillance-as-a-service): The managed-service model for site security — hardware, connectivity, monitoring, and maintenance in one subscription. - [Do Security Cameras Deter Crime? What the Research Actually Shows](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/do-security-cameras-deter-crime): The published evidence on camera deterrence, and why visibility plus verified response outperforms passive recording. - [Automated Gate Access: LPR, Credential Verification, and Remote Gate Operations for Yards](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/automated-gate-access-lpr): License-plate recognition automating routine gate traffic while exceptions escalate to human verification. - [Construction Site Fire Watch: How Cameras Extend NFPA 241 Fire Prevention Programs](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/construction-site-fire-watch): Monitored cameras covering the gaps between required fire watch rounds on hot-work and wood-frame projects. - [Security Cameras Without Internet or Power: Solar, Cellular, and Satellite Explained](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/security-cameras-without-internet): The full off-grid stack — solar power, LTE-first backhaul, satellite failover, and edge AI bandwidth math. - [School and Campus Security Cameras: Perimeters, Parking, and Construction Projects](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/school-campus-security-cameras): Property-protection coverage for campus perimeters, break periods, and school construction projects. - [Car Dealership Security Cameras: Protecting Inventory, Staff, and the Lot](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/car-dealership-security-cameras): Lot coverage, LPR at entry points, and remote monitoring for open-air vehicle inventory. - [Warehouse Security Cameras: What Distribution Centers Actually Need](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/blog/warehouse-security-cameras): Dock, yard, and interior coverage design for distribution centers and logistics facilities. ## Service areas VDS deploys nationwide from its Pikesville, Maryland plant and dealer network. Dedicated pages exist for these metros: - [Los Angeles, CA](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/los-angeles): Mobile surveillance trailers across Greater Los Angeles. - [Phoenix, AZ](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/phoenix): Mobile surveillance trailers across Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale. - [Philadelphia, PA](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/philadelphia): Mobile surveillance trailers across Philadelphia metro and Delaware Valley. - [Houston, TX](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/houston): Mobile surveillance trailers across Greater Houston. - [Baltimore, MD](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/baltimore): Mobile surveillance trailers across Greater Baltimore — VDS's home metro. - [Washington, DC](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/washington-dc): Mobile surveillance trailers across the DC metro area. - [Richmond, VA](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/richmond): Mobile surveillance trailers across Greater Richmond. - [Dallas, TX](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/dallas): Mobile surveillance trailers across Dallas–Fort Worth. - [Atlanta, GA](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/atlanta): Mobile surveillance trailers across Metro Atlanta. - [Tampa, FL](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/tampa): Mobile surveillance trailers across Tampa Bay. - [Orlando, FL](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/orlando): Mobile surveillance trailers across Greater Orlando. - [Miami, FL](https://visiondetectionsystems.com/locations/miami): Mobile surveillance trailers across South Florida.