June 2011


Features

Preparing for the Survey

By Matthew Conrad

In the not-too-distant past, preparing for a survey by The Joint Commission meant ensuring that not only the facility but also all policies, procedures and documentation were well-prepared and ready for scrutiny during one specific week every three years. Anyone who has worked in a hospital knows how stressful this was and how the survey process has changed in recent years.


Monumental Security

By Tim Neary

With a larger student population than any other university in North America and more than 200 facilities spread across three campuses, the University of Toronto is a vast and diverse institution, rich in history and culture. In addition to being internationally known and recognized for its research and teaching, the university is now a model of security, thanks to careful, coordinated planning and integrated technology.


Meeting All the Requirements

By Todd Alford

Comprising two interconnected threestory buildings, Silvercreek Premier Retirement Living overlooks the Cherokee Valley Golf Course in Olive Branch, Miss. Silvercreek has 98 luxury apartments and offers catered independent and assisted living opportunities. Because it is a retirement facility catering to a senior community, the design of the fire system posed some unique challenges for AlarmTec Systems of Memphis, Tenn., designer and installer of the fire system.


Coming of Age

By Ksenia Coffman

Wireless transmission for security is often used in outdoor settings where there is not existing wired infrastructure, or where it’s cost-prohibitive or impractical to implement wired solutions. Wireless networks also are ideal for temporary installations such as special events, fairs or rallies, as well as longer-term installations, such as construction sites.


Load-Balancing Security

By Warren Brown

Global enterprises and large, multi-site hospitals, universities and government agencies are increasingly facing a common challenge: how to bring all of their disparate buildings into an easy-to-manage enterprise security system. Most multi-site organizations have a variety of sites that range in size from small branch offices to large, multi-building campuses.


New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”