Page 17 - New Jersey Cooperator February 2019

NJCOOPERATOR.COM THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR — FEBRUARY 2019 17 WWW.HOMESTEADMGMT.ORG.HOMESTEADMGMT.ORG.HOMESTEADMGMT.ORG.HOMESTEADMGMT.ORG WWW WWW WWW 328 Changebridge Road Pine Brook, NJ 07058 973-797-1444 • • 284 Route 206 South Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-874-6991 • • At Premier Management Associates, the ultimate goal of everything we do is resident satisfaction. That’s why over 100 associations across the region count on us. We have over 40 years experience managing the regular, day-to-day needs of a community and the resources to reliably deliver the fast response you deserve. Corporate Office 201-947-1001 140 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Central / South Jersey 732-390-1100 info@premiermanagement.net • www.premiermanagement.net PREMIER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATESMANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES PREMIER today’s fob systems – though they may re- quire a technology update. “If it’s new construction, say, within the last fi ve years,” says Maunsell, “buildings have been designed with keyless entry in mind, in conjunction with entry video secu- rity and intercom systems. At existing older sites, they may have dated keyless entry sys- tems. We run into this a lot. We simply do an update of their system.” In New York City, where there are liter- ally thousands of older residential buildings with only key-and-cylinder locking systems, retrofi tting is handled a little diff erently. “We’re not replacing the key system,” says Barak Ron, CEO of Vertex Security in New York. “We’re adding an additional layer of security with the fob system. Th e owner replaces the cylinder of the existing lock and keeps the corresponding keys. He is- sues a new fob to each resident. Th ey begin using the fob sys- tem, which can be paired with various phone-based apps for further identi- fi cation of visitors, delivery men and so forth, if desired. Fobs are very fl ex- ible. Say you have a roof deck, and you want to limit access aft er 11:00 in the evening. You can program the fobs for that.” Benefi ts and Drawbacks “Fobs can be replaced virtually imme- diately,” says Dahlin. “It’s done with a key- stroke in system soft ware and a replacement fob.” And the replacement process is not reliant on locksmiths and schedules but can be done from almost anywhere where there’s access to the internet. Maunsell points out that many tradi- tional locksmiths are now getting training in fob technology. Each fob is unique to the individual. Usually two fobs are issued to each apartment, but if more are needed they can be created. Each is individually coded and recognizable, so if your teenager swears he was at school but was actually at home gaming, you can check the key fob log and confront him or her with the receipts! Fobs can also be used to solve crimes far more serious than a kid staying home unauthorized. Th ey leave a digital ‘fi nger- print,’ which can be extremely useful to law enforcement in some situations. Maunsell relates an incident that occurred in Massa- chusetts where a fob was critical in solving a murder: A couple involved in a messy sepa- ration lived in a building with a fob entry system. Th e husband had been kicked out of the apartment, and there was a restraining order forbidding him from coming within 300 feet of his estranged wife. Tragically, the wife was found dead in their formerly- shared home. As it turns out, the husband had slipped back into the building using his fob and killed his wife. Horrible as it was, the case was closed quickly; the husband’s fob left a fi ngerprint that included not only his identifi cation, but the time of his entry. He was apprehended and the case solved. Fob systems are also easily integrated with other forms of technology, and can be incorporated with a wide array of surveil- lance systems and phone apps. Dahlin ex- plains that if you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can control access even better and in- tegrate heating and lighting controls in one holistic system. Fob systems also provide the user with one item that will open all the doors in one building (instead of need- ing a heavy ring with multiple metal keys), including garages and buildings with adja- cent parking facilities. Fob systems also provide for the pro- gramming of tempo- rary access, which can come in very handy for contractors and work crews doing short- term or even extended projects on-site. Th e fob can also contain an ‘alert’ that will send a notifi cation when it’s being used. Th at also lets property staff , administrators, or managers know when someone who had the fob may be trying to gain entrance without permission. Fobs are fl exible and can be programmed down to hours. Old fobs can be easily reassigned to new owners or diff erent points of access. Useful as they are however, key fobs do have their drawbacks. According to Ron, fobs will not work during a power outage. No electricity means no keyless entry. So co-op and condo boards need to have a backup plan, says Stuart Halper of Impact Management, which has offi ces in New York. “Th ere aren’t a lot of options though. Basically, you need the super to man the front door to keep it open and under sur- veillance.” In extreme cases like Superstorm Sandy in which electrical power was out for days, “a backup battery-powered generator wouldn’t work either,” Halper says. “Th e battery wouldn’t last that long. So you still need the super.” While not as acute, the other major draw- back could still be critical. In conjunction with apps on your smartphone, fob systems “Changing a lock on an entry door also requires replacing what could be dozens or even hundreds of keys. Electronic tech- nology simply eliminates that problem.” continued on page 22