Page 44 - Security Today, October 2018
P. 44

Government Security
license plate or boat registration numbers, while low-light thermal cameras allow operators to view night images.
Ground and fence sensors can be integrated with the video system to trigger and direct cameras to view an alarm site for verification of events and recording images for later investigation. Another se- curity layer, video analytics, is used for detecting movement within a camera’s field of view. The software-based tools continuously monitor video, even if a security guard has stepped away from the console.
Blue-light topped emergency towers and wall stations allow distressed employees in parking lots or on walkways to get into immediate contact with security officers for help or to report sus- picious activities. They can even be used to assist visitors needing help with directions.
Entry Security
Security needs to know more about a visitor’s intentions as they reach a building entry. That’s easier to accomplish when there’s only one public entry. Fencing, landscaping and signage help direct people to the proper door.
Although glass doors are popular in many government buildings, they don’t offer the same level of protection provided by a solid-core wood or metal door. In all cases, doors need to be locked throughout the day using an electromechanical lock.
Video intercoms let security officers see and talk with visitors before remotely unlocking a door. Military recruitment centers are good examples. After a gunman shot and killed five military person- nel at a Tennessee recruitment center in 2015, the Army Corp of En- gineers was charged with increasing the centers’ security. Many are located in strip mall storefronts. The doors are now kept locked with video intercoms used to let visitors in. One-button units are used for single service branch offices. Multi-tenant entry stations are installed when two or more branches share a facility.
Access control systems are ideal for use at employee entries. A key pad and assigned PINs allow employees to quickly enter. Cards and readers are another choice—but proximity cards are the better choice as aging magstripe technology is easier to clone. Mobile credentialing has become a viable choice, particularly for larger government enter- prise facilities. The use of smartphones adds another layer of identity authentication with a biometric or PIN required to unlock the device. There’s no place for mechanical locks and keys, which easily can be lost, stolen or copied and key management in a government facility with hundreds of employees and nearly as many doors is a nightmare.
All government employees should wear a photo ID badge at all times to identify them. Color-coded badges can indicate what area an employee is approved to access.
Visitors should present a government-issued ID to run through a visitor management system. The system will record who entered and at what time, as well as comparing the person’s name against crimi- nal and local watch list databases. Once cleared for entry, the system takes a picture of the visitor and creates a temporary ID badge with a clearly noted expiration date.
Interior Security
It is also best to keep interiors doors locked. That’s especially true of areas where executives or other potential high-target employees work. For example, many courthouses install video intercoms in hall-
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ways leading to judges’ chambers. Each judge and a receptionist have desk stations to monitor entry requests.
Prisons use audio intercoms as a safety precaution along prisoner transport hallways. Call stations have a button for immediate com- munications with the security operations center. A second button ac- tivates an alarm and moves PTZ surveillance cameras to record at the site. Each door has a system on both sides. The key is to ensure guards are never more than 20 feet from an intercom.
Intercoms and/or access control readers are often placed outside records rooms, evidence storage, laboratories and areas storing or dispensing pharmaceuticals. These and other areas requiring higher levels of security often add biometric readers using fingerprint and iris scans to ensure identity authentication.
Surveillance cameras are vital in hallways, stairwells and door- ways. Municipal operators of stadiums and arenas often choose 4K cameras for their ability to provide highly detailed video. Also, fewer 4K units are required to cover large areas as compared to analog or standard HD cameras.
Government agencies are looking more often to real-time inci- dent management systems that monitor the data from the access con- trol and video systems. Users define alarm situations, such as a fight in a stadium or a door improperly left open. Matches result in an alarm in the security operations center or on smartphones carried by patrolling guards.
Each of these elements—video, access, sensors and analytical data—needs to be integrated and centralized in one location. The integrated SOC is the day-to-day heart of security and safety opera- tions. Every aspect of the security effort is collected and reviewed here. That’s why it’s important to have someone with decision-making capabilities onsite at all times.
Emergencies
Their size, responsibilities and locations make government agencies prime targets for terrorists or other criminals. Emergencies can hap- pen at any time. That is why it’s important to plan ahead—not to sim- ply react in the middle of a crisis. Plans need to be put into writing and shared with all agency employees. Each should have a role during a crisis. Then, the plan needs to be practiced frequently.
Clear communications are vital during any manmade or natural emergency. Intercoms can be used to provide vital data throughout buildings, while speakers allow them to reach people outdoors. Com- puter-based emergency communications systems can share informa- tion via email with employees not at work and, if appropriate, be used to notify local law enforcement of any situations.
This is not an all-inclusive look at the tools available for govern- ment security use but does show how different systems and plans can integrate to create a stronger solution. And with the term “gov- ernment” being so broad, it’s easy to see why there’s no one-size- fits-all plan.
That is a good reason for engaging a systems integrator experi- enced at working with large-scale and/or sensitive government facili- ties. With a full security plan in place, it’s possible to ensure the con- tinued operation of vital services provided by local, state and federal agencies.
Paul Hefty is a technical sales and support engineer at Aiphone. GOVERNMENT SECURITY OCTOBER 2018


































































































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