Secure and comfortable
Colorado district enhances safety, security and comfort with integrated system
TAC. Harrison School District Two (HSD2), situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just south of Colorado Springs, Colo., educates more than 11,000 students. In recent years, the district has paid greater attention to enhancing safety and security. In 2002, HSD2 passed a measure to upgrade its energy management and security systems in all 23 schools.
The district chose to install an Andover Continuum Facility Management System. In the first phase of the project, TAC partner Westover installed card readers on selected school perimeter doors, and HSD2 issued combination personnel badges/access cards to all staff members. The access cards also eliminated the costly and recurring rekeying of school locks. Next, every school was equipped with a digital video recording (DVR) unit. Cameras were purchased for all front lobbies, and surveillance for the exteriors and some interior areas was added in the middle and high schools. Older analog VCRs were upgraded to DVRs, and pan-tilt-zoom cameras were added in some secondary buildings.
Today, all perimeter school doors, with the exception of the main front lobby entrance, remain locked 24/7. Lobby entrances are unlocked during school hours, and a camera/DVR unit at each school records all activity. A monitor in the front office in each school enables the office staff to watch what is going on at all times.
The security system in each school is networked to the Central Administration Building, which monitors all the school facilities 24 hours a day. From here, Russ Coomes, coordinator of student services, can call up any of the district's 100 cameras and view streaming video instantly over the Ethernet network.
"The new digital video recording technology makes our jobs a lot easier," says Coomes. "We no longer have to hassle with changing out tapes constantly. The Integral DVR units are recording at every school building 24/7. The peace of mind that digital recording provides us allows us to focus on our primary goal, which is educating our students."
In addition to security management, HVAC control also is an important part of the system. Electrical demand limiting controls reduce peak kW demand and shave kWh usage. The HVAC and the security sub-systems run on the same network backbone, providing HSD2 a single, integrated facility-management solution. Having one software and hardware package simplifies training, service and day-to-day operations. Plus, with one centralized database, all alarms, both security and HVAC, come back into a single front-end workstation for easy access.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 159 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
A clear view
Clear panels offer privacy for patients, a view for students
SpacePlus LLC. Crafton College, situated about two hours outside Los Angeles, was looking for a solution for its paramedic simulation training center. The challenge was to provide interior sliding glass doors for four training areas used by paramedics, so that students could see into the area through clear glass, and at the same time frosted glass could provide privacy to the patients inside.
The college chose "Combo" panels that enable students in training to look in from atop the 5-foot-high frosted panels through clear glass.
The panels were installed within a nine-week lead time from the order placement date.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 160 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Timber sports floors
Action Floor Systems, LLC. A new brochure introduces the company's line of solid-maple hardwood sports floor systems. Included is information on Action Floating, Fixed and Fixed-Resilient systems, and detailed cross-section illustrations of selected floors. The company specializes in high-performance sports floors constructed of hard maple timber grown in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 150 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Energy recovery
Greenheck. The Model ERVe energy-recovery ventilator is designed for outdoor installations. It is weather-resistant and features a pitched roof and drainable base for better protection against water penetration. Other features include optimized blower performance for each housing size and multiple energy wheel options for selections based on horsepower, efficiency or recovered energy ratio (RER).
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 151 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
HVAC service
Atlas Sales & Rentals, Inc. Atlas offers its national account customers in the portable heating and cooling market a single point of contact for all service needs, regardless of the number of locations; customized energy-response plans; and the flexibility to accommodate customers' ordering systems, including Web-based programming for simplified order processing. Products offered include MovinCool spot coolers, and other portable equipment for cooling and heating applications.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 152 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Sports matting
Plastex Matting, Inc. Heronrib now is available in custom colors. Warm and comfortable, the safety matting has an embossed, slip-resistant surface with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives to ensure better hygiene for bare feet around swimming pools and in locker rooms.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 153 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Security certification
SimplexGrinnell. The company has passed the review of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to earn certification for its security, fire- and life-safety systems integration services under the SAFETY Act, a federal law that encourages the creation and sale of anti-terror products and services. Services that can be delivered under the act certification include fire alarm, fire sprinkler, fire suppression, integrated security, emergency communications, and special hazards systems and services.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 154 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Lighting access
U.S. Architectural Lighting. Scilux, a contemporary fixture for public areas and parking lots, features Instaleze, a new concept in tool-less access to the lamp and ballast compartment. With Instaleze, a series of electrical quick disconnects enables complete removal of the optical assembly for easy replacement or servicing of lamps and the ballast plate. The fixture can be wall- or pole-mounted as a single unit or in clusters. It is available in a range of light-distribution patterns to ensure safety in public areas and dark-sky compliance.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 155 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Folding fire doors
Cornell Iron Works, Inc. TranZform Accordion Folding Fire Doors are compliant for use in means-of-egress openings per the International Building Code. As per Evaluation Report ESR-2300, the doors provide an alternative equal to rated side-hinge swinging doors in means of egress openings such as elevator lobbies, horizontal exits and as opening protectives in fire-rated corridors. Units are built to order to fit openings up to 22 feet in height to a maximum of 1,600 square feet.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 156 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Green tables
BioFit Engineered Products. All four of the company's table lines have been awarded GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Indoor Air Quality and Children & Schools program certification for low VOC emissions. The lines include the 10-seat oval, AdapTable, Fold-N-Roll and BioFit table lines.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 157 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Hygienic hand dryer
Dyson. The Airblade hand dryer uses the Dyson Digital Motor that spins 1,350 times a second, enabling a high-velocity blade of air to remove moisture from hands in just 12 seconds. It uses up to 80 percent less energy drying hands than warm-air hand dryers, and forces air through a HEPA filter, removing more than 99.9 percent of bacteria from the air used to dry hands. The dryer uses infrared sensors to start and stop automatically.
Select the April 2009 issue RSN number 158 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
