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Locksmith Colorado Springs

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Martin Franks
Locksmith Colorado Springs

In the mid-1900's, the Chula Vista, California, grade school (K-6) district, now comprising 40 approximately schools, decided to modernize its older facilities, which dated back to the 1950s. Out went frayed electrical systems, dated plumbing, and ragged carpeting; in came colour television , new furniture, fiber optics, and other new infrastructure. One aspect of the buildings remained distinctly low tech however; mechanical locks.

This standard lock-and-key system caused concern because in many cases the first keying still existed, and therefore the administration had lost track of keys over the years. The addition of computer equipment, large-screen televisions, and other valuable technology at the refurbished schools made the difficulty all the more critical. "We wanted to be ready to have control," says Chris Mages, Chula Vista's facility construction safety support manager.

In addition, Mages and his team of Locksmith Colorado Springs wanted to scale back the time required to redo locking systems, re-keying a whole school is time consuming, Mages says.

Locksmith Colorado Springs

Locksmith Services

Locksmith Colorado Springs checked out InstaKey Lock Corporation, Denver, Colorado, which promised the power to re-key and re-pin locks without hardware changes and offered comprehensive records management via special software.

To further assess the system, Mages asked for an indication and that they agreed to check the system out on three schools that were being upgraded at the time. InstaKey provided the acceptable lock cores plus a passkey for all doors within the schools, also as two individual keys for all teachers: one to their specific classrooms and another that might open restricted common rooms, like faculty lounges, rest rooms, and work rooms. Chula Vista Locksmith Colorado Springs installed the cores.

The company also provided management software, which was installed on a PC. Key control is vested in Mages' office. His staff members distribute keys and keep track of them using the software, which tracks all lock hardware and cut and uncut keys via a singular serial number and user name.

Locksmith Colorado Springs says that the graphical interface allows easy tracking of keys, schools, users, access permissions, and other criteria. for instance , Locksmith Colorado Springs can pull up any door in any school and quickly determine what percentage corresponding keys are assigned and to whom, when, then forth.

When a replacement key's needed, a faculty administrator calls Locksmith Colorado Springs and submits an invitation . After checking the order, Mages passes it on to his Locksmith Colorado Springs . The software identifies the sort of key and cut needed and communicates that information to the Locksmith Colorado Springs . (As a licensed user , Mages keeps a secure supply of uncut key blanks.)

A locksmith's job, however, doesn't "close" until he or she records the key's serial number, recipient, and date within the system. The software will indicate that the work remains open until that information is entered, and Mages regularly checks the status of those orders for anomalies. He also inventories blank keys by serial number. This process prevents keys from being cut and not recorded.

Unauthorized key reproduction is impossible, says Mages, because InstaKey's key milling process is exclusive . "Another distributor can't provide this key blank," Locksmith Colorado Springs says. In other words, the local Locksmith Colorado Springs won't have the blank required to chop the key.
The three-school trial, which began in June 2000, went well, says Mages. As a result, InstaKey was added to a different three schools that were being newly constructed-in December 2000, March 2001, and September 2001. Two previously modernized schools also converted to InstaKey because Locksmith Colorado Springs of key problems there.

Despite the widely positive experience Mages has had, a couple of snags have cropped up. for instance , at first, reports weren't customized the way Mages wanted them. He wanted to ascertain keys in sequential order and to possess all master keys show up during a specific field. But the specified features didn't exist at the time. An upgrade has since solved those issues.

Customer support has been superb, says Mages. In one case, the whole key system for one school-which included the set of all cores for each door within the school and therefore the corresponding keys-got lost within the mail, InstaKey re-pined the system, a time-consuming process, and had it to Chula Vista in two or three days.

Chula Vista's educational center-home of support staff like maintenance and accounting-is within the process of putting in InstaKey also . additionally , five more schools are going to be modernized this summer, along side the remaining six within subsequent five years approximately , and every one will receive InstaKey. Mages and his staff will retrofit already modernized facilities that lack the system. Newly constructed schools also will incorporate InstaKey.

Locksmith Colorado Springs says that the system has simplified tracking of misplaced items and has thus increased personal responsibility among school staff. Faculty approval of the new system has been high also , Locksmith Colorado Springs.

Most important, the Locksmith Colorado Springs product has restored the district's sense of key control during a system where keys are plentiful. With 150 doors per school, controlling keys is "a big deal," says Mages. Now, for the eight schools that have already got the system, he says, "I know for a fact where every passkey is…and I skills many keys are out there." and that is the key to good access control.

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Martin Franks
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