Campus Access Control System (CACS)
Service Standards/ Alarms
When a locked, electronically wired door is opened or not properly closed, an audible alarm sounds in the building alerting occupants of the situation. Building occupants have an obligation not to cause “nuisance” alarms by their behavior. This can be accomplished by reviewing the locking and unlocking schedule, granting additional clearances, or reminding those in the building what their responsibilities are.
Response to Held Open Alarm
When a locked door is opened with a card, allowing access to its holder, there is an expectation that the door will close within 90 seconds. If, for some reason, the door does not close, an alarm will sound (see Response to Held Open Alarm). If there is a valid reason for the door to be held or propped open, it should be programmed to do so (see Event Scheduling).
Response to Forced Open Alarm
When a locked door is opened without a card being presented, there is an expectation that someone has forced the door open (see Response to Forced Open Alarm). These alarms may be the result of the door not properly closing due to a mechanical reason or to human behavior. If human behavior is not the cause, these doors may need to be repaired (see Repairing a Malfunctioning Door, Lock, or Reader) as soon as possible.
Response to Environmental Alarms
Within a building, there are various monitors of environmental equipment such as HVAC, water detectors, etc., which may be on the CACS system, the Fire Alarm system, or even a local, departmental system. Public Safety will only respond to environmental alarms that they have been requested to monitor (see Response to Environmental Alarms). They cannot be expected to know about local alarms installed by a department or which monitoring system the alarm is programmed into. Administrators should get that information from Facilities when the environmental alarms are installed in a building.
Panic Alarm Response
There are a few CACS buildings with panic alarms. Those alarms do not sound but will result in an expeditious response from Public Safety (see Panic Alarm Response). In all cases where an alarm is generated in error, Public Safety should be called (8-1000) and informed.