Supporting safe and healthy sites through next-generation integrations

Whether securing a workplace, public facility, or school campus, security solutions play a major role in creating safe and secure environments for us to work, visit, or learn in. Yet there is much more to creating safe environments than providing access control and securing buildings – an intelligent, integrated security solution can also protect the health and safety of staff, students, and visitors on site.

Gallagher Command Centre has long supported sites to keep their people and assets safe with integrations designed to meet health and safety and operational requirements. Command Centre v8.70, released in May 2022, has stepped this up again with the introduction of a next-generation integration between Gallagher and HALO Smart Sensor – a comprehensive health and safety tool able to detect substances in the atmosphere, as well as light, pressure, temperature, humidity, and sound.

Gallagher is one of the first access control manufacturers to integrate with HALO Smart Sensors. The integration allows HALO events and alarms to be displayed, monitored, and reported on within Command Centre software, saving time and delivering better situational awareness by providing a single interface for all events and alarms.

Phil Murphy, Sales Manager for Gallagher, says this is an exciting integration that offers a number of significant benefits, particularly for schools and other educational facilities.

“Due to privacy reasons, previously security monitoring in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, or dorm rooms has not been possible, which has left these spaces vulnerable to incidents of bullying or aggression, or as locations for students to carry out activities like vaping.

“Our integration with the HALO Smart Sensor helps address these concerns. With the ability to detect changes in pitch associated with aggression, as well as detecting spoken keywords – such as a call for help – schools can now receive alerts of any fights or bullying in these areas.”

Not just of benefit to schools – this technology is also ideal for court rooms, hospitals, or any areas where the use of a camera or microphone would be inappropriate.

The vaping epidemic is a considerable concern for schools – with a 2021 study reporting that nearly 20% of students are vaping daily or several times a day. The HALO Smart Sensor’s ability to detect vape and send alerts through Gallagher Command Centre supports schools to crack down on incidents of students vaping on campus.

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent cold and flu season has highlighted the importance of maintaining air quality through proper ventilation in classrooms and public facilities. We know that the risk of becoming unwell increases if people are in close contact in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Gallagher’s HALO integration allows sites to monitor their air quality to ensure healthy environments.

As Phil explains, “Ventilation can often be improved by simply opening a window or two; however, this can be easily overlooked, especially in busy environments like classrooms. With the ability to generate an alarm in Command Centre, if the air quality drops below a specified level, sites are prompted to take action sooner than they might do otherwise.”

Further supporting schools to ensure healthy environments, the integration can also send alerts if any chemical spills or hazardous gasses are detected in science labs.

“With regular updates to our Command Centre software scheduled each year, we’re excited to continue offering integrations to support safe, healthy, and secure sites,” says Phil.

For more information on how the Gallagher HALO integration supports sites, please visit security.gallagher.com or email sales.nz@security.gallagher. com today!