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Unlike a wide or narrow angle lens, a varifocal lens is a camera lens that can be adjusted to provide either a wide or narrow field of view. Varifocal lenses have more versatility than other types of lenses as they can be adjusted for the environment they are in, making them suitable for open spaces like parking lots and tight areas like hallways or alleys. They are often found in standard dome cameras which are the most widely used type of dome camera.

DGA’s Supervised Opening and Closing service is the watchdog that oversees our customers' intrusion systems. If the intrusion alarm is not armed at closing or disarmed outside of the schedule provided to us, our Monitoring Center will contact the appropriate person to confirm that the action is authorized. In the event of an unscheduled disarming, if we cannot obtain a valid verification code, we will notify the appropriate authorities and follow the customer provided instructions.

An elevator access control reader is an important part of your access control system that manages elevator access to floors within a building. Elevator readers are typically mounted within an elevator near the floor buttons and look like normal access readers. Just like other types of access control readers, elevator readers can accept multiple forms of access credentials, including mobile, tag, fob, etc.

A plenum is a space between the structural ceiling and a drop-down ceiling used for air circulation for heating, cooling, and ventilation. Plenum-rated cables have special insulation that makes them fire-resistant and non-toxic during a fire condition. If your space has a plenum ceiling, the cables used in the ceiling space need to be plenum-rated to avoid a building code violation.

Anti-passback is a process or software control that prevents a user from allowing someone else to utilize his or her access credential to enter a specific entry point after the user has entered the protected area.

A fixed lens is a wide-angle lens that cannot have the position adjusted. This type of lens provides a broad field of view and can be great for monitoring large areas such as parking lots. The position of the lens will be set by the technician during installation and can be adjusted manually later.

Also known as an Authority Level, Access Levels control which users can access what doors, cabinets, or drawers during specified time periods. A user can be assigned one or more Access Levels depending on their role. Think of Access Levels as logical groupings within your business, such as departments, floors, or work shifts that share the same access requirements. Each Access Level is comprised of where (specific doors) and when (schedules). Depending on their role, a user can be assigned one or more Access Levels. With DGAPass, you can easily control Access Levels for each individual user along with schedules. For instance, you could give Employee A access to your retail location between 8 am and 9 pm and Manager A access from 4 am to 11 pm and so on. Each access point (or door) is also 100% customizable so you can limit who can access storage areas, for instance. All of this can be done at any time on the DGAPass web portal and mobile app.

Turnstiles are physical barriers that control pedestrian traffic flow and access at security checkpoints. They are designed to ensure that only authorized individuals are permitted entry, thus providing an additional layer of security. Turnstiles come in various customizable options, ranging from simple waist-high turnstiles to more sophisticated full-height ones to suit different security needs. Furthermore, turnstiles have evolved with the latest technology, including biometric scanners and contactless access systems. This integration of technology makes entry authorization secure, but still quick and easy for users. DGA's exclusive Facepop™ identification technology integrates with turnstiles to instantly present stored visitor images upon the presentation of credentials, further enhancing security measures.

A fire watch is a temporary measure that involves having fire guards at a premises continuously monitoring a building or part of a building to identify and manage fire hazards. Fire guards possess an F-01 certificate of fitness for fire guard issued by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Monitoring a building includes detecting early signs of fire, raising an alarm in case of a fire, notifying the fire department, and performing other fire safety tasks as directed by the NYC Commissioner. A fire watch becomes necessary when the fire protection system is under any condition of impairment (such as a broken sprinkler system, standpipe/hose system, fire pump, fire protection water supplies, fire mains, fire alarm systems, etc.).

Electric strikes are a common locking method used in modern access control systems. They consist of a hinged catch that releases to open the door when an authorized credential is presented to the reader. Electric strikes can be configured to be fail-safe or fail-secure, depending on the type of door they are installed on. Typically, electric strikes are configured as fail-safe to allow for safe exit from the premises. Although electric strikes operate on different hardware than magnetic locks, they follow the same principles of access control.

An Access Control Unit (ACU) is a panel to which all door-locking hardware (see Electric Strike and Mag Lock) and credential readers are connected. The ACU functions as the traffic controller as well as the primary power source for all the devices connected to the access control system.

A two-person rule, also referred to as an escort rule, is a highly effective access control security measure that requires two authorized cardholders to be present in order to grant access to a specific area or item, such as a door or display case. This feature is often used to protect sensitive locations like specific doors, product storage areas, vaults and safes, and server rooms. By requiring the presence of two cardholders, the two-person rule ensures an added layer of security, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access or potential breaches. This feature is a great way to layer additional security elements to your physical access control system. While financial services firms, banks, jewelry businesses, cannabis growers and operators most frequently request these advanced features, they offer useful applications in many other types of businesses and buildings.