Protecting all assets throughout a city can be summed up in three words: identify, authenticate and control.
City government assets of Madison, Wisconsin, are protected by a team of security and technology experts. Their responsibility includes everything from assigning rights to software use to securing buildings and people. After officials were unable to lock down a building during an emergency because of technical issues, Ken Ferguson, information specialist 3 and system administrator for Madison, knew he had to replace the system.
“My job is to protect all of the assets of City of Madison,” Ferguson says. “I assure access to buildings and secure people. Our inability to provide mission-critical lockdown support told me we needed to get a better system in place quickly.”
Madison has a mix of new and older buildings. Some of the city’s oldest buildings are 60 years old and of complex construction. Buildings include engineering sites, five police districts, 14 fire stations and government facilities.
Ferguson was hesitant to replace existing technology without testing any new system. He conceived a pilot program in which he would secure IT cabinets that weren’t already behind locked doors. He reached out to Integral Building Systems, a security integrator in Madison that had been working with the city on a cabling project, for recommendations.
“Initially, we installed dormakaba’s CA150 control panels, which are part of the company’s Keyscan Access Control Systems,” says Kevin Judd, cofounder and vice president of Integral Building Systems. “The panels can lock down the cabinets so that only IT can access. The relationship just grew from there.”
“Pure chaos results if wiring closets are not secured,” Ferguson says. “I tested the new system on them with the intention that it would become the backbone for the network. That initial test has grown to over 300 panels and over 1,500 doors. It’s a major success story for us.”
Keyscan electronic access control systems deliver a broad spectrum of innovative solutions that combine convenience with performance to provide controlled access for all openings. The identify level is the capability to perform electronic identification of all persons moving within a controlled building environment. The authentication level is the software technology to confirm identification of an individual and compare with set permissions assigned to that individual. The control level grants or denies access based on successful identification and authentication levels. The system provides integration options with other dormakaba product portfolios as well as third-party partnerships for better connectivity and performance.
After Ferguson chose Keyscan, he set up a support system within each agency of Madison’s city government. He and Judd trained key individuals to run the system and provide basic troubleshooting. They then initiated widespread implementation.
“I chose Keyscan for several reasons,” Ferguson says. “First and foremost, I knew it was secure. I also knew that even though the product is easy to learn, I had local support. I also liked that I could create schedules for access, which is especially important when it comes to providing access for first responders and the many areas within their buildings that have special access requirements.”
“Keyscan Aurora has all the functionality you need,” Judd adds. “It’s extremely intuitive, and the menus are easy to get through.”
Both Ferguson and Judd cite Keyscan’s versatility and training from dormakaba as significant product benefits.
“[dormakaba] is always growing and making enhancements to Keyscan and Aurora,” Ferguson says. “They took our wish list and developed the things we needed.”
As each city department implemented Keyscan, Ferguson and Judd realized that each had different preferences about what to use as credentials. As a result, keypads, fobs and ID badges are all in use.
For more information, visit dormakaba.com.
