Security: Fire and Life Safety Systems

By Paul Piccolomini

There was a time when security at work was easily defined and simple to execute. The guard at the door and the non-duplicable key were all most government departments needed to feel protected.

It is a different world today and security has changed drastically over the last few years. Uncertainty in travelling, employee volatility and anxiety over foreign affairs have all combined to make government agencies much more conscientious about their security infrastructure.

While the basic components of a security system—such as video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection and central monitoring—are not new, the growing functionality and integration of these various pieces are what drive modern security specifications these days. And the basic "keep out/let in" definition of security is now only the tip of the iceberg.

Through detailed event management platforms, security systems have become integrated into companies' business infrastructure. They must therefore encompass life safety precautions—for example, by restricting access to potentially dangerous areas, requiring supervision in classified areas and adhering to set occupancy numbers (i.e. when there are either too many or not enough people in a given area) for safety precautions.

Today's information technology (IT) departments are heavily involved in security system decisions, since many security controllers operate on the existing corporate infrastructure. To gain acceptance by IT managers, who demand interoperability, these devices generally need to meet the following minimum requirements:

32-bit bus and central processing unit (CPU) architecture.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) support.
Flash memory for firmware.
Support for a large, local cardholder database—up to 500,000 entries
Support for a large number of readers—up to 16—and hundreds of input/output (I/O) alarm points.
Asynchronous communications to cut down on network traffic.

Critical area security

Government agencies are full of situations where special security measures are required in critical areas. Consider, for example, the case of a government organization that requires its security department to enforce restrictions dictating that personnel who enter a specified sensitive area must always be supervised.

Newer features within an access control system can provide this functionality through area and personnel configurations. An employee with the proper clearances would present his/her badge to an access control reader, which would automatically display a message indicating the need for a "supervisor" badge. Only upon successful presentation of the appropriate badge would access be granted, ensuring classified areas are properly protected.

This functionality enables security personnel not only to restrict access to appropriate staff, but also to generate reports and, subsequently, an audit of who entered the room, when they entered and exited the room and who was present to supervise. Today, such journals of history are not only on paper—they are integrated databases that can be queried at a later date and can include video clips that actually show the personnel associated with past events. Photos stored in an integrated access control system can be easily compared with such video footage to quickly determine if cardholders are carrying the proper badge or credential.

Another example of critical area security arises when elements in certain areas need to be protected from elements in other areas. For instance, several laboratories in the U.S. have been investigating ways to enforce strict rules requiring technicians to decontaminate before passing from one active lab to another.

They have found the capability for this requirement exists within the access control system. When assigning access privileges to personnel, records can be configured to require when a person has used a badge to access one lab, he/she is denied access to any other lab within the area until a pre-determined amount of time has passed—i.e. long enough for the substances he/she may be working with to become inert.

This "area lockout" functionality provides a layer of protection for employees and for the public in general. It can be as visible as desired. For instance, an alarm might sound when a violation occurs or, alternatively, a simple notation might be made on the security monitoring station for discrete action.

Many government organizations are required by health and safety regulations to be aware of occupancy levels in their facilities, because of evacuation concerns. To create an effective evacuation plan, security personnel need to know how many people are in certain areas within a building. Imposing occupancy restrictions, as configured in the security system, provides this level of control.

For example, a room can be configured to allow only five people to occupy it at one time. If a sixth person tries to gain access, a message will be displayed on the access control reader, indicating the room has reached its maximum occupancy level. Only when one person has presented his/her badge to exit the room will another be granted access.

Occupancy restrictions satisfy other health and safety concerns, as well. For instance, if maintenance is being performed in certain areas of a government facility, a two-man or multi-person rule may need to be enforced, to ensure potentially hazardous operations can be monitored. The type of personnel—such as supervisors or specialists—accounted for in the multi-person rule can also be controlled and monitored.

While evacuation and occupancy concerns represent the extreme end of security plans, there are other equally important duress situations that can also be addressed by today's security systems.

Card reader visibility

An access card reader is an important part of the security infrastructure—and often the only visible component, which makes it an ideal medium to handle situations of duress.

In parking garages, stairwells and other potentially vulnerable areas, card readers can provide a link to assistance when a person is presented with a hostile situation. When a duress command (typically *9 or 999) is entered on the reader keypad, an alarm can sound, a security phone can be dialed or other configurable events can be set in motion. There are dozens of possibilities.

Tight integration with video can allow the keypads' duress alarm to move a camera and turn on lights, thereby both countering and documenting an event.

The card reader can be used to arm or disarm entire sections or zones of a facility in the event of an emergency. Authorized personnel simply enter a specific code on the keypad. Doors can lock or unlock, cell phones can be called, etc.

The card reader can even be used to monitor the progress of a pre-configured guard tour. Many secured facilities rely on guards to make the rounds at pre-determined times. For every point on the tour, the guard must present his/her badge or enter a keypad number. Readers can be used as tour stops and will notify the system operator if the guard is late or misses a stop.

Integration with other systems

It is not enough for a security system to have effective access control. To take advantage of a streamlined system, government organization needs measures that will seamlessly integrate and "talk" with its other existing applications, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, burglar alarms, intercoms and video surveillance equipment.

Consider, for example, the rapid emergence of smart cards and biometrics in the government workplace. In many organizations, employees are now required to carry smart cards that store their fingerprints or other biometric information. When used with an access control system, the biometric element offers greatly enhanced security. Not only must the smart card carry the appropriate access privileges, but the biometric template stored on the card must also match the actual biological element (i.e. a finger) presented to the reader.

This type of application can also be useful in extreme cases. A fingerprint database representing known threats to national security can be stored at government organizations. The smart card then becomes a preventative measure, with the system looking for matches to the suspect database.

In an "open system," every major component, interface and communication protocol is designed according to industry standards, allowing easy integration between systems and components. In such a configuration, many applications can be checked directly from the security system's monitoring station.

It is this level of integration that sets today's government security systems apart from those of years past.

Paul Piccolomini is the vice-president and general manager of Software House.

Originally Published:
July/August 2003, Government Purchasing Guide