Sawmill Gets Cutting-Edge Security Treatment 

Bealing explains that the two main functions required of the system at Red Stag Timber dictated how the install would move. “We need secure but flexible access control, and to monitor our fire detection systems and other alarms across the site.”

“We started with the access and went through one door, or gate, at a time. It was a simple matter of changing the readers and reader expanders and adding controls.”

Nutech Security did the hardware install, and Bealing followed behind with the programming. “I learned quickly as the system is quite easy to program, and it meant we got things done a lot quicker, so it's a good partnership”, he says.

Following this, was the replacement of the alarm monitoring and updating the reporting systems – a simple job thanks to Protege GX. Despite the complexities of working on a large, live site, Bealing says, “The entire process was completed in under two years without ever causing any stoppages or issues.”

In large-scale industrial environments, it’s crucial that security always knows exactly who is on site. ICT tSec readers with keypads help enable this with visitors in the middle of the night who use a PIN to get in and out – such as a husband or wife who drops off dinner for a nightshift worker.

“As you can imagine, about half of our tSec readers are outside in the sun and rain – in all sorts of environments. I haven't had a failure yet, which is great,” says Bealing.

“We also use Protege GX to secure mobile plant on site. Using access levels tied to training and inductions, I can control the key lockers where the harness and key for a vehicle are stored. And I add reminders and an expiry to the access level for the appropriate time to meet health and safety requirements.”

When asked to compare Protege to his previous security experience, Bealing raves, “The thing I like most about the new ICT system is its robustness. The server has proved to be extremely reliable; it just keeps on going and going. Nothing ever goes wrong in the middle of the night like it used to.”

“In Protege, the reporting is very, very flexible,” Bealing explains. “I get notified if someone goes somewhere they are not supposed to go with email-on-event, and I’ve also automated daily reports emails. As a large company with a lot of staff, the Red Stag management require regular reporting. These are all different in style, but I can find a report to match each request.”

Being easy to remotely manage is another real positive,” says Bealing. “The guards use the Protege Mobile App all the time for opening gates, or to provide access for people that turn up without a card. And I can log in from anywhere in the world and do what I need to do.”

Red Stag takes full advantage of ICT’s use of open technology to integrate with multiple systems. Bealing says bringing Hanwha Vision cameras into Protege GX using the Wisenet Wave Service has many uses including viewing a camera at a gate, or door-forced alert.

“If you need to check the history, if there's a camera assigned to that door it brings up the video for a quick and easy way of finding out what went wrong. These pop-ups are also handy for guards to instantly see an event like a gate that’s open too long. And, in fact, it can help to actually catch a perpetrator in the act.”

Looking to the future, Bealing explains how they have taken this a step further and now also integrate their VMS with Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR). “This gives us the benefit of better security and improved access. Only registered trucks can enter, and Protege GX makes it just easy to manage credentials for ALPR as physical cards.”

Nutech has been at the forefront of the security industry since 1985. Their highly trained and licensed security professionals bring a wealth of expertise to every project. Well versed in Protege GX, they continuously adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of clients in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.