AST Oct/Nov Digital Magazine 8 | Page 66

Three Ways Turnstiles Can Reduce Active Shooter Risk
Volume 8
Oct / Nov 2016 Edition

Three Ways Turnstiles Can Reduce Active Shooter Risk

Guest Editorial by Mike McGovern , Regional Sales Manager , Automatic Systems
Turnstiles Can Reduce Active Shooter Risk
Active Shooter Incident Planning and Risk Abatement are among the most discussed topics lately in the news and in our security professional circles – largely due to the all-too-frequent deadly incidents in our lives and work as security professionals . A properly designed and implemented entrance control system - usually involving some form of pedestrian entrance control such as optical turnstiles , mechanical turnstiles , or portals – can have a major role in the deterrence of such an occurrence . It seems that at least once every month another shooting incident is being reported somewhere , in the USA , Canada , anywhere in the world . No commercial , public , private , or government entity is immune from the threat , and we know that security leaders , government leaders , and others are continuously looking for ways to better prepare for the unthinkable event . As security professionals , we know that much thought and preparation must go into both preventing and responding to these incidents in ways that reduce harm and save lives . In his article “ Active Shooters are Meticulous Planners - Are You ?”, John P . Torres of Guidepost Solutions makes an excellent case supporting the need for thorough detailed planning for such incidents . Meanwhile we at Automatic Systems have carefully studied the role that a properly planned and executed entrance control design / implementation strategy can play in helping to deter the possibility of such an incident . We know that thorough and correct preparation for an active shooter incident can help in two ways : 1 . Deterring a would-be shooter , and 2 . Responding effectively , to minimize impact in case the unthinkable occurs under our watch In this article we focus primarily on the deterrence rather than response , although there is an important role that an entrance control plays with regards to emergency egress – getting our folks out of a building smoothly and efficiently in case of emergency . According to the FBI , statistics show that most active shooter incidents happen at locations where there is minimal impediment to attack – where very little exists in the way of hardware or visible means of entrance control . These soft targets have limited security measures to protect the public . Evidence suggests that the largest proportion occur in workplaces where no visible entrance control system is in place . With the rapid increase in active shooter incidents , security design professionals are exploring ways to provide safety while complying with the business mission . Optical turnstiles with swinging glass or retracting glass barriers , mechanical turnstiles , and portals , offer an enhanced level of security against active shooter incidents , especially when combined with security doors , surveillance video , security officers and access control systems .
Optical turnstiles with barriers for example are 66