Electronic Security Systems Help Maintenance Teams Cover Large Areastest

By Dave Lubach, Associate Editor

March 2015

Installing an electronic security system in facilities helps managers cover large areas of their facilities as their staffs get smaller in numbers while their responsibilities rise.
Through the use of such components as card access systems, video recording, and burglar alarms as part of a system that operates electronically, managers are better equipped to deal with emergency situations in large facilities.

“The systems take away the staffing requirements to have someone go out and physically lock and unlock doors at all hours at different times of day and night,” White says. “In the event of an active shooter, (why) get someone out to secure the facility when they can do it with a couple clicks of a mouse?”

The systems also help employees learn to respond to such situations.

“The easier the systems can be set up so that a person does not have to spend a lot of time learning and educating on physical security, if these systems can take over these processes electronically, then it’s going to be a much better environment,” White says. “That person still has to have some type of knowledge about what to do and when to do it. For example, if there is an active shooter on a college campus or a university medical center, someone’s got to be able to activate the lockdown procedure instantly.”

Technology improvements in security systems show that manufacturers are responding to the needs of managers in their facilities to more efficiently guard against emergencies.

“When (managers) are reaching out to their vendor, they’re saying, ‘We need a solution for this,’” White says. “Those vendors need to be able to come back with solutions. If the vendors can bring in a product that saves the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in staffing cuts, then it can be beneficial.

“They understand the problems facilities are facing, and they’re trying to design solutions into their products and systems that address those. The product manufacturers out there can understand how complex it is for a facilities department or facilities operation of a campus to respond in a quick, timely matter during an emergency or some type of security event.”