Page 92 - Security Today, May/June 2021

Access Control
"Every business and facility must confront three major workplace security issues – employee and visitor safety, securing assets and the protection of data and other valuable
Binformation."
uildings – they are the places where we live, work and play.
According to the Energy Informa- tion Administration, as of 2018 there were 5.9 million U.S. commercial
buildings and facilities with a total of 97 billion square feet. That’s an increase of 6% in number of buildings and 11% in square footage in just six years, compared to the department’s Com- mercial Buildings Energy Consumption Sur- vey (CBECS), last conducted in 2012.
Every building has a life of its own. As it ages, the building and its surroundings
change with the tenants, owners and build- ing requirements. Security and safety issues change, as well.
Every business and facility must confront three major workplace security issues – employee and visitor safety, securing assets, and the protection of data and other valuable information.
Those security issues require a robust physical security system to reduce the oppor- tunity for physical damage, robbery, theft, and other crimes.
The History of Building Security
It is important to understand the history of building security and the key role of inter- coms throughout each stage, in order to effec- tively mitigate risks and keep facilities safe.
Early office buildings often contained a bank, making them an attractive target for crime. One of the earliest building security strategies included a security guard who roamed the building, checking doors and performing other tasks. That security guard sent the message “I am here, and you are all safe.”
The desire for banks to have standalone locations, and the demand for retail stores, pushed bank locations out of office build- ings. Yet, security still existed, via elevator
operators, who were the eyes, ears, mouths, hands and arms of the building. They pro- vided security by their presence and knowl- edge of the building.
Weeks after World War II, the elevator (or lift) operators went on strike in New York City, and that paved the way for automatic elevators, which in turn, eliminated the need for elevator operators.
Emergency communications (via the intercom) was added to each automatic ele- vator, along with an emergency stop button. Users began to trust the automated elevator, knowing that help could be requested through an intercom call or alarm, and that they could be heard.
The Reception Desk
The next important evolution of building security was the introduction of reception and security desks, which still required a person to be present and to interact with visitors. The person(s) who sat at the desk became the building gatekeeper and the new “bank guard,” and they verified a person’s identity and their level of access.
Door control increasingly became impor- tant, and preliminary policies involved door locks and large keychains with dozens of keys. This addressed facility management,
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