Retail
2026-09-18Ronald McDonald House Buffalo
Hanwha Vision Helps Ronald McDonald House Offer Families
All the Comforts of Home … Including a Modern Security System
Ronald McDonald House knows that families of children undergoing medical treatments have enough to think about. Security shouldn’t be on the list. Now, through a partnership with Hanwha Vision and Great Lakes Building Systems (GLBS), the global charity has upgraded the security system at one of its locations in the western New York area.
Ronald McDonald House local chapters give families a “home away from home,” close to the facility where their child is receiving treatment. Families have 24-hour access to bedrooms, meals, kitchens, and laundry facilities. This support extends to inside the hospital, with a “Ronald McDonald Family Room” giving families a comfortable space to take a break without ever being too far from their child's bedside.
The organization operates in 394 regions across more than 60 countries worldwide. Each site is different in its own way, but all share the same mission of supporting families and their children with whatever they need to make daily life a little easier – including the peace of mind that comes from knowing people are safe and protected.
Lisa Booz, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Buffalo, knows first-hand the importance of that sense of security. She joined the organization in 2024, after working for decades with pediatric patients, including time at a 13.5-acre camp dedicated to helping children with cancer where “we used the camera systems quite a lot just to keep an eye on what was going on,” she said.
In her current role, she oversees one Ronald McDonald House location, as well as a Ronald McDonald Family Lounge inside a local hospital, and hospitality carts at two area hospitals. Shortly after joining Ronald McDonald House, it was clear the house’s existing cameras were extremely outdated and “practically unusable.”
“We always want to make sure that our grounds are covered, and we feel confident we're offering a safer environment. Looking back, it’s easy to see just how vulnerable we were. It gives us tremendous peace of mind knowing that we can honestly give that same feeling to our families.”
- Lisa Booz, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Buffalo
“Within the first six months of my time here, three accidents occurred on the exterior of the facility,” Booz said. “The footage was of such poor quality that it was impossible to identify vehicles or retrieve usable recordings. I couldn't snip anything. It was hard to go back into the logs to find anything.”
Those incidents heightened the need for stronger security and raised the awareness of ongoing safety concerns. “We are a 24/7 facility, so we need to keep an eye on our residents, our supporters, and our staff 24/7 as well,” she said.
Booz worked with the GLBS team on a proposal for new cameras. They approached the Ronald McDonald House board with a plan to replace the surveillance equipment in phases to mitigate the project’s potentially significant costs, starting with the building’s exterior.
A Partnership That’s Personal
The surveillance upgrade was more than just another installation project. Everyone involved had a personal connection as part of the Ronald McDonald House family, including GLBS’ Sam DiVita and Hanwha Vision team member John Lupo. Both their families enjoyed the comforting experience of the Ronald McDonald House program while their sons were undergoing lengthy treatments at nearby hospitals.
The GLBS team and Lupo assembled a generous system package that allowed the full installation to be completed at once, including the WAVE server, cameras, and all licenses.
The total installation includes approximately 20 Hanwha Vision cameras, covering both interior and exterior areas. For exteriors, 360-degree cameras overcome blind spots previously caused by trees and outdoor objects, while more compact Q-series models are used for interior spaces.
“There were several areas that we just couldn’t monitor before,” said DiVita, Building Systems & Design at GLBS. “The 360s were the right fit for solving all their coverage challenges.”
He added that the cameras are configured to allow uninterrupted views of the entire house. “As soon as the view is obstructed from one camera, they can click to another camera and pick it right up again,” he said.
“There are plenty of areas that we don't have access to,” Booz added, "but with the placement and quality of our new cameras, we always have a good view of where our families are, especially in the most communal and most frequently used areas.”
The WAVE platform and its mobile app add the benefits of remote monitoring. Booz and her director of operations – “he’s pretty much obsessed with it!” – use the app on their phones and laptops daily. They can call up anything at any time and always be aware of activities on the grounds.
The system’s flexibility has clearly proven its value. Booz recalled one incident where they were able to identify a volunteer who was photographing children without permission, which is prohibited. The cameras also provide coverage of street-level incidents. One resident was driving away with their child and was cut off by another car and hit in front of the house. The cameras captured everything and led to a quick resolution. “We wouldn’t have been able to see any of that before,” Booz said.
The system is scalable, with room to add cameras to the additional buildings on the property.
But for now, Booz and her team are confident their goals have been met.
“We always want to make sure that our grounds are covered, and we feel confident we're offering a safer environment,” Booz said. “Looking back, it’s easy to see just how vulnerable we were. It gives us tremendous peace of mind knowing that we can honestly give that same feeling to our families.”
At a Glance
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