Newport Aquarium deploys Net2 to replace traditional locks and keys

In order to keep the animals, visitors and members of staff safe, Newport Aquarium wanted to replace the old security system with an easy-to-use and high-security access control solution. Sec-Tron, an experienced access control integrator, recommended Net 2, which is an advanced PC-based access control system that offers centralised administration.

Net2 is also designed to easily integrate with other access control systems such that site managers can enjoy more streamlined security for their building.

Solution requirements

With over 35 years of security industry experience under its beslt, Sec-Tron specialises in providing custom-designed access control solutions to commercial and industrial sites.

Tom Riegler, sales and project manager at Sec-Tron, explained: “The whole aquarium is surrounded by pipes and tanks, some of them full of chemicals. The client really needed access control at each area containing dangerous infrastructure to make sure only experienced employees could gain access and prohibiting any visitors from accessing those sensitive areas.”

The IT team at Newport Aquarium also wanted a system that makes use of access cards, allowing them to customise employee ID cards as access cards and increasing access convenience.

David Fortunato, senior regional IT manager at the Newport Aquarium, explained: “Most of our doors use locks and keys, while some have swipe card readers. There are a lot of doors and many employees who need to carry equipment up and down stairs, so looking for keys in front of a door isn’t ideal.”

Fortunato added: “We really wanted to have one system on our exterior and critical safety doors, and also make access convenient for our employees.”

System sourcing

When sourcing a security system, the Newport Aquarium needed durable hardware because of its unique environment.

Fortunato explained: “Even though the products are installed and secured in cases and locked rooms, being an aquarium means that we have heavy amounts of moisture and salt in the air. It can chew up the products.”

Another factor that needed consideration when designing the installation was the possibility of integrating Newport Aquarium’s existing wired infrastructure and security products with the new system.

Tom Riegler continued: “We conducted a Net2 product demonstration for Newport Aquarium’s IT team. We told them we could use all of the existing cabling, readers, door handles and panels. We said we could retrofit the existing hardware with the Net2 door controllers and make it a clean installation.”

Delivering access control

Riegler and his team at Sec-Tron installed Net2 at Newport Aquarium. He observed: “The expandability of the new system was the customer’s main concern. They also liked Net2’s pricing structure.”

The Net2 software can manage up to 1,000 doors and 50,000 users and requires no license fees, making it a cost-effective and scalable security solution.

The Newport Aquarium now uses employee ID cards as Net2’s access tokens. The employees scan their IDs at the staff entrance and go through physical screening to enter the aquarium. Once they are in the park, they need to present badges at each door in order to be given access for a certain number of hours, based on their role and duties.

David Fortunato said: “With our old lock-and-key doors, it was hard to keep track of keys. It’s one of the biggest benefits that Net2 has brought in that we could replace all of those keys with badges and just keep a few keys for emergency scenarios. It provides better tracking, higher security and greater convenience for our employees.”

Further, Fortunato explained how they maximise the features of Net2. “We use the timeline feature to tailor access hours and levels of each door. When it’s after the aquarium’s opening time, we lock the doors to prevent unauthorised access. Another feature we use quite frequently is the intruder alarm relay. If someone accidentally goes through our emergency exit, it will sound the horn through the relay and alert our staff to go and check and make sure no-one has gone to an area in which they are not supposed to be.”

Integral Net2 installation

Fortunato manages the security systems for three theme parks operated by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, the other two being Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay and Adventure Aquarium. The Newport Aquarium is its first Net2 installation. There are now plans to expand Net2 to cover security at other sites.

Fortunato explained: “We are completing the installation in phases. We started with 15 doors at the Newport Aquarium and now Net2’s fitted across 53 doors. We have a plan in place to put Net2 on every possible door as it’s just much more convenient and safer than keys. Everything is documented.”

*Further information is available online at www.paxton-access.com

**Watch the new Net2 video issued by Paxton