FAQs
Access Control Tailgate Detection
Will the detector work with my existing access control system?
The Irisys Tailgate Detector will work with most access control systems but we can easily confirm this with your system provider.
Can the detector be mounted on the side of the entrance?
No – for very good reasons; the detector is mounted to look straight down so that it is able to detect and count multiple people even when they are side-by-side or crossing over in the entrance. This allows the detector to operate on double doors as well where this is even more likely to occur.
I understand it works from body heat, what will happen if the room is very warm; will it still detect people?
There will always be a contrast in the thermal energy given off between a person’s head, shoulders and the floor which enables the detector to operate. The detector also detects cold against a warmer background allowing it to operate in low temperature/winter conditions where a person may be cold when they enter.
I have a pair of doors which form an interlock/air-lock; can the detector be used for this application?
Yes – the detector had three modes of operation. Tailgate mode is the simplest in that it compares the number of authorised cards with people entering and generates an alarm if a person tailgates. Air-lock mode enables two direction monitoring for your systems integrator to use if you need more complex rules for the interlock i.e. two-person rules or similar.
I have a corridor where I want to detect someone travelling the wrong way; can the detector work separately from a controlled door?
Yes – the third mode of operation is one-way mode intended for this application. The alarm output can then be used to trigger a camera or alert when someone goes the wrong way. It will ignore people travelling in the correct direction.
Do I buy the product direct from you?
The detector should be purchased from your security systems installer/integrator as they will be able to install it and make the simple connection to the access control system.
Is there software which comes with the detector?
All the processing is done in the detector; there is no requirement for an external controller or computer. The installing engineer will have some set-up software just to carry out the initial commissioning which is very quick.
Evacuation Monitoring
I have an access control system which records all people entering and leaving; what does the Evacuation System add to this?
The access control system should be able to give you the number of people in the building but when the evacuation starts the access controlled doors/turnstiles will change to free exit and people will normally be using the fire exits where there is no access control. This is when the Evacuation System provides the real time count of the number who have escaped.
I have Muster Points, why would I need an Evacuation Monitoring system?
Even for buildings with muster points and especially in city centres – if there is a major incident people tend to just try and get away from the area and do not go to the muster points. Others simply do not bother and use the opportunity to go home etc.
How will the information be displayed?
Normally the Evacuation People Counters will be integrated with the building security/management system to allow the information to be presented in the Security/Fire control centre and off-site if you have a disaster control centre. Depending on the management system it may be possible to send the information to a handheld device.
Does the system tell me there is no-one left in the building?
It does provide very high accuracy but nothing is 100%; the main function is to give you valuable real-time information to help manage an incident so that the emergency services know what scale of problem they are dealing with – are there 500, 550 or maybe 9000 people still to be rescued? For you as a building operator you will know what proportion have exited to help you deal with enquiries from within your business and family/friends of employees.