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Keyless entry system to be installed at UA

Arizona Summer Wildcat

New system could save thousands when installed

The UA Facility Management plans to install a keyless entry system on all perimeter doors of university buildings.

A new CatCard based system will eliminate about 137,000 keys and increase security, said Joel Valdez, senior vice president for Business Affairs at the University of Arizona.

In the past, when keys were lost, the building would have to be re-keyed. When the keys to McKale Center were lost, it cost $17,000 to re-key the building, said Colleen Morgan, project manager.

The new system will use a central server to record who is accessing the buildings at all times.

Joe Maurer, the senior staff technician for Facility Management has been pushing for the implementation of the keyless entry for the past four years.

"Keyless access for perimeter doors increases security, loss prevention and reduces liability," said Maurer.

The server will be able to instantly delete a card's ability to access doors and track when a stolen card is used. The server will also be able to lock all doors, alleviating the need to have UAPD walk around to all the buildings spending several hours locking all the doors.

Internal doors in high security buildings will also have the entry system installed. The system will also be used for internal doors in high security buildings.

The UA is working in a partnership with Amer-X Security to install and run the system.

Funds needed to install and operate the CatCard system will come from the university's Building Renewal Funds.

The buildings with the highest security concerns will be upgraded first, Morgan said.

"We hope to have a priority list completed by August," said Morgan.

The total cost of the program will not be known until all the upgrades are completed.

She said the cost for each door is determined by what type of locks are needed and how the door is mounted.

Keyless systems are already used at Coronado and La Paz Residence Halls, though the new system will be more reliable, Morgan said.

Residence Life was hoping to install the system on all dorms this summer, but the program has been pushed back at least a year because of unexpected costs from relocating Christopher City residents.

The server that will be used to track the system was installed in 1996, and six UA buildings have already been upgraded.

The first six facilities that were upgraded were the University Animal Facility, the Cancer Center, the Mirror Casting Facility, the University Services Building, and the new UAPD building.

All new buildings, including the Integrated Learning Center and Student Union, will use the keyless system.

Richard Clark can be reached at city@wildcat.arizona.edu.