Elevator Access Control: Right on So Many Levels
Elevators may be the last thing you think about when securing your property. But when you stop and think about the function of this machinery, you may adjust your priorities to include elevator access control. After all, elevators see lots of traffic and provide access to every floor in your building. To ensure a building’s security, elevators need a complete access control solution like RemoteLock.
After working with hundreds of commercial clients, I’ve seen several different ways that access can be configured for elevators.
Public Elevator with Access to Any Floor
In this elevator access control configuration, anyone can call the elevator to the lobby using the call button and anyone can access any floor.
Public Elevator with Private Access to All Floors
Tenants or residents need authorization to call the elevator in the lobby. They scan a key card or fob outside the elevator at a reader to call the elevator. But once inside the elevator, they can select any floor.
Private Elevator with Private Access to Selected Floors
Tenants and residents need authorized credentials both to call the elevator and select desired floors once inside the cab. Typically, each resident has access to particular floors depending on the lease and unit. Some buildings also have “staff only” floors with mechanical or pump rooms, or staff offices that are only accessible by maintenance or staff. In this configuration, access readers are installed in the lobby and inside the elevator.
NOTE: These two readers require their own individual ACS kits in this application: a standard ACS kit and the elevator ACS kit.
All Access During Business Hours and Select Access After Hours
This elevator access control configuration is often used in commercial buildings where access is needed throughout the building, but is limited after hours.
Go For a Cloud-Based Solution
Regardless of which configuration of elevator access control works best for your property, choose a cloud-based solution like RemoteLock so you can manage elevator access easily and quickly, from anywhere you have internet access.
On-the-Fly Remote Control: If staff or vendors need access to a certain floor to respond to an unexpected issue, property managers can quickly respond and grant or revoke access from their laptops.
Easier Guest Management: Through RemoteLock’s user-friendly dashboard, you can also easily manage guests by providing access to only permissible floors. There’s no risk of guests roaming around, improving safety for all.
Safer Short-Term Rental Operations: For those managing multifamily buildings that allow short-term rentals, easily managing elevator access is critical. Guests get the feeling of an exclusive retreat, while residents never worry about guests having access to floors they shouldn’t.
Data Insights: RemoteLock’s access reports are easy to view and can tell you who accessed which floors and who used specific credentials at specific times.
Pro Tips
Elevator access control can be complicated. But with expert guidance, you should be able to achieve the function and level of security you desire for your property. Here are a few other tips to consider:
- Remember that the elevator access control contractor or installer needs to be in contact with the elevator vendor. Elevators have their own controllers and components, which have to be wired to the ACS controller to make your preferred access control configuration operable.
- Each floor is counted as a door and requires its own connection to the RemoteLock controller. Most people don’t account for this when designing the system.
- Don’t forget about stairwells when designing your elevator access control solution. If you opt for access control on the elevator with permissions needed for certain floors, then your stairwell needs to be addressed as well. There are solutions that involve readers on the inside of the stairwell to allow access to certain floors, but also permit people in the building to exit via the stairwell to the main floor in case of fire.
Do you have a building or an upcoming project that requires elevator access control? RemoteLock has the expertise to help you. Contact us today!
Mike Muenzenmayer
Major Account Manager
A sales consultant for his entire career, Mike rates the last 10 years with RemoteLock as the most exciting. He enjoys helping customers create efficiencies in their businesses and hearing about the powerful transformations RemoteLock brings. Off the clock, look for Mike exploring the Rocky Mountains by bike, snowboard, 4x4 and on foot with his family.
