This paper proposes to use video sensor nodes to provide an efficient intrusion detection system. We use a scheduling mechanism that takes into account the criticality of the surveillance application and present a performance study of various cover set construction strategies that take into account cameras with heterogeneous angle of view and those with very small angle of view. We show by simulation how a dynamic criticality management scheme can provide fast event detection for mission-critical surveillance applications by increasing the network lifetime and providing low stealth time of intrusions.