Helping Create Safe Communities & Neighbourhoods

By: Ron Taylor – Owner of Protec Security Systems

We’ve all seen him…we may even be him! There are enough keys hanging from his belt to ensure hip problems in later life and enough racket while walking to alert others within a five block radius that he is passing through. Each and every key has its vital role and must be available when needed…even if half of them haven’t been needed for months.

We’ve all seen one…we may even be in charge of one! A key box that when opened revels such a cluttered mess even Rain man could not count them all. Again, they are all of highest importance to the operation and must be in the box when needed…even if the keys you really need right now are somewhat elusive.

The worst case is this: you need a key now and yet it does not seem to be where it should be. Did I lose it myself? Did someone else take the key? You ask around but no one is admitting to having it. What to do? After all it is the master key to the warehouse. Of course you know what to do…re-key. Last time this happened it cost $3,800.00. That was only six months ago.

There is a solution! Key Systems Inc offers a range of key boxes with some unique and very clever features. First off, you may only open the door to the box by entering a unique PIN or by presenting an access control card. (If your organization already uses access control the card can work with the key box.) Second, once inside the box you will only be able to remove the key or keys you have been given access to. Of course the box logs when you open the door and also which key or keys you have removed. Once you return the keys that are also logged.

The boxes are networkable and report to a software program that can give an up to the moment inventory of all keys in the system and a report of who has the keys out and for how long. If a key has not been returned within a preset time period a flag can alert someone or even email the info.

The boxes come in sizes that include the “Swat Box”, a flush mounted box that pops open on an access grant and houses 1 or 2 keys or even an access card, up to a 96 key box. With that kind of range you could place the swat box at say, a mechanical room or storage room door and eliminate the need to carry that huge ring of keys everywhere. The key is where you need it when you need it! Or you could have a centralized box with 96 key positions. Each “key position” secures a tamperproof ring that contains one or more keys. You can group keys on a ring and release them all with proper access.

Because the boxes are networkable you can link as many as required and have them spread throughout a building, throughout many remote buildings or scattered around the world! All of this is controlled and reporting to the software. There are also some other neat features that may come in handy. Let’s say someone calls you on your Blackberry needing access to an area. Let’s say it is a special case that you are OK with. You can unlock the box and a required key from your Blackberry.

So there it is! You now have your keys under control and can rest easy knowing that you are saving money by not re-keying every time a key “vaporizes”. When you know where all keys are at any given time and are alerted if a key is “missing”, you know you finally have control of your security!

Protec Security Systems is a distributor for Key Systems Inc products.

protec01@telusplanet.net

www.keysystemsinc.com

Filed under Business Crime & Asset Protection, Odds & Ends