The exact design of a commercial fire alarm system is determined by the commercial space’s occupancy classification and the local codes mandated by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for that specific occupancy classification. But regardless of the system design, all commercial fire alarm systems must have a Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP).

When a business is temporarily closed or is rarely visited, it’s even more critical to make sure your business security and fire systems are working properly. Here are the top seven tips on how to optimize your business security and fire systems to keep your business assets protected — even when you are stuck at home.

As recently as a couple of years ago, commercial video surveillance and access control systems were closed systems that couldn’t share data with each other. Despite the many benefits of integrating video and access control, the cost and technical complexity made it impractical to integrate these disparate systems. But thanks to advances in technology, integrating video surveillance and access control systems is now possible.

A well-designed access control system can do much more for your business than simply manage who can enter what doors during which specified times. First Person In and DoorStat are access control features that are often overlooked but can be very useful in streamlining your business operations, while mitigating physical security risks.

For businesses that handle high-value assets, whether physical or intellectual property, there are areas that require extra security measures. Local Door Sounder, Door Held Open Alerts and Escort (also known as "Two-Person Rule") are effective ways 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 different types of businesses and buildings.

Even if you have business-grade network connectivity in your facility, network outages do happen. It’s important to understand what happens to your access control system when the network goes down to ensure the continuity of your business operations and the safety of your staff. 

The most time-consuming aspect of installing an access control system is wiring. Every electric strike, mag lock and credential reader is hardwired to an Access Control Unit (ACU) that is typically installed in the IT room. Unfortunately, we see cable wiring mistakes all too often when we survey customer sites. 

When you're in the process of designing a physical access control system for your company, you're probably not thinking about your building's fire alarm system. But you should. Overlooking the fire alarm system could cause an unexpected, and costly, delay to your access control system installation. This article explains why it's often required to link your access control and fire alarm systems using a fire relay, and provides tips to minimize potential delay and cost.

If you're evaluating access control systems for your business, having the right type of door locking methods is crucial. 

When designing an access control system for your business, it's important to think about who can enter where during what time period.  

When it comes to access credentials, they don't have to be one-type-fits-all. The most common access credential types are access cards, key fobs, tags and mobile-based apps.

Whether you currently subscribe to the DGAPass™ Managed Security service or are researching about physical access control systems in general, many security technology acronyms and terms can be a bit... inside baseball. Well, we're here to help! Here are the top 20 physical access control terms explained: