Security Sales & Integration

November 2012

SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.

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COLLEGE CENTRALIZES ITS SECURITY degree, master degrees and bachelor degreed-type people. You've got to interact with them a bit diff erently." Alexander's business is one of 27 Security 101 offi ces. Each location is locally owned and operated by the owner as a franchisee of West Palm Beach, Fla.-headquartered Security 101, which will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2013. T e franchise model is intended to give end users the feel and personalized customer service of a small entrepreneurial shop along with the advantages of a trusted national company that has greater purchasing power and resources. DEALING WITH A DOOR DILEMMA CPCC's fi rst objective was to obtain nearly keyless control of exterior doors on all buildings on all campuses (infrequently used doors were passed over with plans to add them in future phases). Areas where core building functions are managed, such as IT, mechanical and electrical, were also to be secured, with ID badges carried by security, facilities and IT staff . Security 101 broke ground on the project in July 2011 and would achieve substantial completion by January 2012. Facing the challenges of installation while campus operations remained ongoing and also having to ensure connectivity among campus locations as far as 30 miles apart, the carefully coordinated job involved four full-time wirepullers running cable just ahead of the installers, building by building. Since the cabling process was faster than installing security devices, two crews consistently worked behind the wirepullers. "We absolutely had scheduling issues, " says Alexander. "You can't go drill on a door that's right next to a classroom, or may need to go through that classroom, to get where you're going from a cabling standpoint. We had to check in and check out keys, and also let security know where we were each day. With guys on ladders we always had safety issues. And being in an urban environment, we had to be careful where we left our equipment. " Scheduling and logistics were not the only issues that had to be contended with during the CPCC job. T e biggest nuisance was getting a wide range of door types and hardware as well as misaligned doors to accommodate electronic access control. T is largely unforeseen predicament not only led to delays for the integrator but also increased costs for the end user. "We found that a campus as old and large as ours has some physical features to the doors and buildings that cause issues, " says Dugan. "For example, doors didn't shut correctly or they were spaced in a way that didn't allow the electronics to work. T ere were delays and it was one of those things an IT shop wouldn't anticipate. We had to work with our facilities department to get these doors repaired." It also came as an unwelcome surprise to discover how the campus' varied door types — including single, double and sliding doors — required pursuing multiple vendors to repair or replace parts so as to meet electronic specifi cations. In some cases, older parts had to be tracked down. If not for the expertise of Security 101, whose services include locking door hardware installation that's often relegated to locksmiths, progress might have come to a standstill. "Aaron has a crew of guys who are very good with doors and very good with door repairs, " says Dugan "He was able to help us out, get us to the right terminology so we could speak to facilities about what we needed. So it worked out. " SOLUTION BASED ON CENTRALIZED CONTROL To date, CPCC's access control system includes AMAG Technology's Symmetry Enterprise V7 security management system (SMS), 225 Symmetry network single door controllers, a combination of 225 Symmetry and HID proximity access control card readers, ASSA ABLOY 9600 electric rim strikes, and Security Door Controls (SDC) electric latch retraction kits. "T e AMAG software and hardware provided the best solution in two ways," CPCC's robust network has been designed to be able to handle advanced security system functions including access control and video sur- veillance. Left, some of the solutions hundreds of Axis IP cameras; above, an example of some of the college's many emergency call stations. 52 / SECURITYSALES.COM / NOVEMBER 2012 says Alexander. "T e software allowed CPCC to put all their technology solutions — video, access control, burglar alarm and intercom — out to one platform that was very easy for the security offi cers to use, and extremely intuitive. From a hardware standpoint, installation was easy because we used the EN-1DBC edge devices. By running a simple Cat-5 cable to each door, and then running our cables

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