Ballistic entryways, access control vestibules and custom-fabricated entryways

December 9, 2022

Today, the access control vestibule and secure entryway is now a key component of safety and security in many public buildings. It’s familiar enough that many are surprised to realize that public buildings have been regularly adding such security enhancements for less than ten years.

"The access control vestibule is definitely a relatively new development in building security, here in the United States," Jim Richards explains. Jim is the president and CEO of Total Security Solutions and he has decades of experience in ballistic security for buildings.

"Over the last five years or so [secure entry vestibules have] basically become a standard feature in schools, courthouses, and municipal buildings. But we only did the first custom access control vestibule retrofit around 2013. At that time, it was a very school-specific solution, in response to how attacks had changed. Unfortunately, that kind of attack has only become more prevalent. So we've seen increasing interest in these access control vestibule renovations, and access control in general: make it harder to get into that building, then limit where someone can go and how much harm they can do.”

ELEMENTS OF AN ACCESS CONTROL VESTIBULES

Even today, most access control vestibule projects are renovations of existing vestibules. Just as the existing vestibule controls the flow of weather into the building, the access control vestibule modifies that entryway to control the flow of people into the building.

At its most basic, an access control vestibule has three core elements:

Bullet-resistant glazing and frames, usually replacing a pre-existing non-rated window wall or curtain wall;
Bullet-resistant access doors equipped with electric strikes (and, again, usually replacing the pre-existing doors);
A wall-mounted transaction window where visitors check in and, if appropriate, can be buzzed through the access door.

Depending on the structure of the walls surrounding the entryway, it may also call for some reinforcement with ballistic fiberglass. Although a secure entryway can be made to any UL protection level, most are currently being built to provide Level 3 or Level 4 protection. (A Level 3 system will stop several shots from any common handgun, while a Level 4 system will do likewise, in addition to stopping bullets from high-powered rifles.)

But not every secured entryway renovation project uses the existing vestibule. Owing to experience securing government buildings at every level (from federal facilities to local utility offices), TSS is uniquely suited to finding ways to compartmentalize and secure an entryway without compromising building aesthetics or day-to-day functionality.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHILE PLANNING A BALLISTIC ENTRYWAY

When looking to secure an entryway, organizations need to consider three key factors—only one of which is obviously security related.

WHAT IS THE THREAT LEVEL AND THREAT PROFILE?

This includes both the UL protection level for the ballistic materials (as per the chart below) and also explicit threats your organization, or organizations like yours, have received.

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Company: Total Security Solutions Inc