Page 35 - Campus Security & Life Safety, March/April 2020

“Manual revolving doors can also help mitigate violence and crime because they support public access during open hours and can support controlled access at other times.”
By Glen Tracy
nesses: the exterior door, which often is a public entrance during the day. If front desk personnel see trouble outside (distress, fights, weap- ons, protests), they need a quick and effective way to stop it from coming inside and harming others. Exterior entrances must also be lockable to restrict access outside operating hours.
Typically, architects specify manual revolving doors for new con- struction because they save space and energy while elevating the prestige of a building. They are “always open” to pedestrians and “always closed” to the outside elements, creating comfortable and draft-free building interiors.
Manual revolving doors can also help mitigate violence and crime because they support public access during open hours and can sup- port controlled access at other times. With the right options, manual revolving doors can stop unwanted intruders, buying time to get security staff or law enforcement to deal with a dangerous situation.
Security Feature Options
The following options can be added to manual revolving doors to provide additional security functionality:
Emergency security lockdown. In the event of an immediate secu- rity threat outside the entrance (protests, drunk and disorderly con- duct, etc.), staff can electrically lock the door wings immediately, regardless of position, at the push of a remotely-located button, keep- ing danger from entering through the front doors.
Remote locking. In the old days, you had to walk up to a door and push a pin manually into the floor itself to lock a revolving door. Today, staff can remotely push a button to lock door wings for the night, or, an access control system can lock the door wings automati- cally. If anyone is still in transit in a compartment during the lock command, the door lets them through and then slows down and stops with the wings pointed at the end posts in the “x” position and locks for the night. Once locked, internal guard staff can unlock it remotely when there is a visitor and they are “approved” via commu- nication on an intercom system.
Access control integration. Secure afterhours access is possible via an access control device mounted on the outside of the door. Upon valid authorization, usually by means of an access card reader, the door wings will unlock and the user can push to enter the facility. Once all compartments are clear, the door slows down rotation, posi- tions itself and relocks.
Thinking of these three features, consider a library or museum: public visitors can enter during the day under the supervision of reception staff or guards. At 9 p.m., the door locks and denies entry to anyone but students who have access credentials. At any time, day or night, if anything threatening occurs outside the entrance, inside staff can immediately lock the doors to keep trouble out and call for help.
While incidents pile up in the news, security professionals must consider all the options available today. Manual revolving doors in existing buildings or new construction are worth a second look as part of a complete physical security plan.
Glen Tracy is the vice president of sales, Architectural Revolving Doors, Boon Edam Inc.
ual revolving doors are often used at all of these building types.
The Potential Liability
When considering security at a main entrance it is worth mentioning the impact and liability from crime. The tangible impacts of violent crime include bad press, a loss of productivity, potential property damage, and worse, death. An often-overlooked tangible impact is liability: the potential for lawsuits from victims or victim’s families involved in the incident. According to reviewjournal.com, after the United States’ largest mass shooting to date in Las Vegas, 450 injured people filed lawsuits claiming negligence by multiple parties.
There are also intangible impacts, which can have a profound and lasting impact on staff or occupants. These intangibles include physi- cal pain and suffering, and feelings of anxiety, stress, and insecurity as everyone wonders what could happen tomorrow.
The Manual Revolving Door for Public Entrances
In the crime scenarios mentioned earlier, there are common weak-
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