The Essential Guide to Securing Your Building

Everyone wants to feel secure in their homes, and many are willing to trade some freedom for that security. Vendors understand this and offer a wide range of solutions to keep residents safe while balancing physical security with fire safety.

Security systems have two primary aspects—preventing intruders from entering (access control) and monitoring for unwanted activity within the property.

Even if a building does a perfect job of keeping intruders out, there are often threats that originate from within the property. These threats may come from certain residents or guests that do not share the same values as the rest of the community.

The first step is securing the property’s perimeter. Intruders typically seek unnoticed entry points, so it’s essential to identify and secure areas that could be vulnerable. Securing the perimeter could be accomplished with walls, fences or thick shrubbery.

Once the perimeter is secured, an access point must be established to allow residents to freely enter their units. The more access points there are, the less secure the property will be. This is where a balance of freedom of movement and security must be met.

ACCESS CONTROL
An effective access control system is a must. This can range from a simple key system to more sophisticated options, such as an iris system or a fob system that logs every entry. An open door with 24-hour security desk is also an option.

The most secure buildings will restrict movement between floors. Access should only be granted on an as-needed basis. Residents will all be logged into a system and issued key fobs.

Each resident’s fob will only allow access to the floor they are residing on and any common areas they are authorized to be in. This system requires access control points in every area, including the elevators. Stairwell doors will be locked so that once a person enters the stairwell, they must descend to the bottom to get out.

GUEST ACCESS
Guest access is one of the biggest challenges for security when there isn’t a 24-hour security desk watching the door.

The typical access control system allows a guest to call a resident’s phone and be “buzzed in.” This system relies on residents to monitor and prevent unauthorized entry. If the elevators are locked, there will need to be an interface that allows elevators to transport guests to proper floors.

RESIDENT FIRE SAFETY
Any system designed to keep intruders out can also inadvertently trap people inside during an emergency. We’ve encountered countless properties with locks on recreation decks that require a key fob to exit. This may be great from a security perspective, but it is horrible for fire safety.

Any security system that limits the ability of residents to exit the building is not only unsafe, but it is also potentially illegal. Locked stairwell doors intended to limit floor access could trap people inside if the stairwell is blocked or filled with smoke.

Fire codes require stairwell doors that are locked for security reasons to automatically unlock when a fire alarm is activated. The locks must be fail-safe, meaning they are unlocked when power is removed from them. This requirement precludes the use of electric strike plates. This is a common mistake that security contractors make.

The two viable options for this are magnetic locks and electrically operated locksets. The lock on the door that leads outside of the building may remain locked to prevent reentry into the building.

The same is true for the recreation area. The door to the recreation area must allow free exit when the fire alarm is activated. This can also be done with a magnetic lock or electronic hardware. If the door isn’t a required fire-rated door, it can be released with an electric strike.

CAMERA SYSTEMS
Camera systems are effective for monitoring property activity, but only if there are personnel to watch the monitors in real time. Absent this, cameras only serve to provide a record of activity after an incident occurs.

It used to be commonly believed that cameras themselves acted as a deterrent to crime. That’s changed, as intruders now regularly ignore cameras or wear masks to disguise themselves. Cameras without live monitoring are not an effective deterrent to crime anymore.

An abundance of cameras on the market today provide high-quality images and sound recordings. Most require power wiring at a minimum, although there are some solar-charged battery cameras available.

If your building is relatively small and only requires a few cameras then a simple system will suffice.

However, most buildings will need something more sophisticated with wired cameras and local recording storage. These systems can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase and install.

PROPER PERMITTING
A common myth is that low-voltage systems don’t require a building permit. This is absolutely not true. All camera and security wiring requires a Honolulu City & County permit and must be installed by a licensed electrical contractor.

There are a few unlicensed contractors out there offering security and camera systems at a very low price, but don’t be fooled—they aren’t legal.

If your building is cited for having a security system that is not permitted, you may be forced to remove it or get a permit after the fact.

After-the-fact permitting is not always possible, as unlicensed installers often cut corners and violate codes, such as running security wiring in stairwells (which is prohibited).

FINAL THOUGHTS
There are many aspects to building security that must be accounted for in designing a security system.

It’s important to balance the amount of security required with the amount of freedom of movement that the residents are willing to give up in return.

There’s also a need for balance between the physical presence of security personnel with electronic surveillance and access control. And remember, permitting for all electronic systems is required.

It’s essential to consult a licensed electrical engineer with experience in security systems before diving into this complex yet vital aspect of building management.