Founded in 1968, Edinburgh’s Telford College offers further education and training to more than 4,000 students a day.
Originally based across four sites in the city, a recent £70m construction has replaced the former campuses with a single purpose-built complex. ADT was the security installer. The installer reports that the system needed to control access to the campus, enable manned security to monitor, pinpoint and respond to any incidents across the 110-acre site and allow early warning and evacuation of all or isolated parts of the building in the case of a fire.
What’s installed
Installed was CCTV, intruder alarm, access control, fire detection, public address / voice alarm (PA/VA), plus disabled toilet and refuge alarm communications to support the security guards on site. The hub of the system is a PC in the main control room which monitors and controls all of the security equipment. This allows all security functions from areas of the college to be controlled from a central point and to be accessed remotely where necessary, for example locking an unlocked door. At previous sites, Telford College had security staff based at all four sites. Guards monitored incidents by manually operating CCTV cameras. None of the security systems were integrated, meaning related incidents (such as break-ins and fires) were not easy to identify.
The new system features a number of benefits, the installer says, including: the freedom to enable manned security to leave the control room to patrol the site and provide a visible deterrent, whilst making it possible for them to be kept fully aware of the security status of the site; and the ability to alert security staff to fire alarms when on patrol through a pager and check the location of an incident via a series of control panels around the site.
What they say
Ken Davenport, Facilities Manager of Edinburgh’s Telford College, said: "The college has only taken possession of the new building in the last few weeks and we are looking forward to working with the new systems. Our initial impressions are that the PC at the front end of the system is an extremely useful feature. This provides a single point in the control room from where all the security systems can be easily monitored, through a very user-friendly graphical interface."
The systems: CCTV
Some 40 SpeedDome and static cameras are around the campus, using technology that records onto digital storage at 6.25 frames per second, resulting in images suitable for providing evidence in court. Cameras are programmed to monitor for suspicious activity, zooming in where necessary, which allows the manned security to leave the control room and patrol the campus.
Access
An access control system has been installed, allowing students and staff to enter the campus using proximity reader cards. These cards can also be used for other purposes, such as car park entry or for dispensing cash in canteens.
Intruder
A Galaxy intruder alarm was tailored to page the manned security if an alarm is triggered, allowing the manned security guards to leave the control room and patrol the campus.
Fire
Fire detection systems have been installed, including VESDA aspirating smoke detection to provide early warning. There are four control panels across the campus, allowing patrolling guards to walk to the nearest control panel and respond to any situations without having to return to the main control room. The PA/VA and refuge alarm communication systems are also ready to use in case of emergency.
