Page 20 - Campus Security & Life Safety, November 2017

to those covering fire pulls so they couldn’t be accidentally pushed. HighCom ran into a tricky problem during system installation. Existing conduits between the main office and the school were nearly full of cable for the cameras and other IT connections. That left no room for cables from all classrooms to the intercom’s master station near the main office. Tearing out ceilings and walls to run new con-
duits would have added costs and delays.
Rosenbaum said HighCom solved the problem by running the
classroom cables to a room station control unit located in the school. From there, only one cable was needed to connect to the master sta- tion. The project stayed within budget and was completed within 15 days—including staff training.
The intercom system, with the addition of Aiphone speakers and horns, lets congregation staff share emergency messages throughout the facility, including the school play area, two patios, front entry, sanctuary, social hall and main lobby.
Eric Stone, Congregation Beth Jacob’s executive director at the time, said the new system met the goals set by the board of directors.
“Teachers, parents and congregation members have all responded very favorably to the system and entry procedures,” he said. “The mere
existence of the system increases their sense of security and well being. It’s very easy for people to understand the system and to grasp its importance without raising unnecessary fear.”
Stone said the door entry system is used daily, but the emergency features have been practiced only during training and drills. Previ- ously, those monthly drills required a congregation staff member to walk door-to-door to get classroom participation. The intercom sys- tem now allows simultaneous announcements.
Greg Sterling, the congregation’s past president and who still main- tains responsibility for facility buildings and grounds, said the added video and audio intercoms have provided the tools and related proce- dures for responding to an emergency. In addition, the investments made security a higher priority and integral part
of the congregation’s day-to-day tasks. “Emergency communications and procedures are now imbedded in our daily operations,” he
said.
Bruce Czerwinski serves as U.S. general sales manager for Aiphone Corp.
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