GRF Board OKs new RFID reader for Main Gate

GATE ACCESS UPDATE

by Ruth Osborn

communications director

In the first 45 days of operation, the GRF’s new wireless RFID gate system recorded 284,900 total entries through the three Leisure World gates, which amounts to more than 6,300 entries per day. For the first time in LW history, Security can now document traffic volume in and out of the community with pinpoint precision. And it’s an eye opener. In addition to residents, an army of guests, caregivers, vendors, GRF staffers and others flow into the community every day.

According to Security reports, nearly 400 vehicles an hour enter through the Main Gate, the North Gate or St. Andrews Gate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the majority entering at the Main Gate.

Most drivers can enter the community at any gate with little or no wait. But power outages, unregistered guests, drivers lingering to ask questions of gate guards and other issues can easily slow down admittance, especially at the Main Gate.

If even 5% of people are delayed, that’s 300 vehicles whose drivers are temporarily inconvenienced.

But overall, thousands of vehicles are able to immediately enter without incident, according to Security reports.

Nonetheless, GRF is working to finetune the system to make access easy for everyone.

On March 26, the GRF Board approved $19,905 to install an additional RFID reader, a mobile workstation, printer and scanner at the Main Gate, which will allow all drivers to enter both lanes, whether or not they have RFIDs. The motion passed with four no votes.

“The main point of the gate access system is to secure this property,” said GRF Director Teri Nugent from Mutual 2. “We never intended it to speed anything up, and I think people have lost sight of that.”

Residents can help as well. They can avoid the Main Gate and direct their guests to use other gates when possible.

People can also:

• Manage guest access on Proptia, the GRF’s guest management software system, by sending guests e-passes. More than 2,000 residents are currently signed up. Sending an e-pass is easy and streamlines time at the gate as all that’s needed is a quick scan instead of data entry. To register for Proptia, send an email to info@lwsb.com, and include your name, home address, preferred email address and a request for a Proptia invitation.

• Residents should also make sure their caregivers are registered with Stock Transfer, which will assign them sixmonth e-passes to enter the community.

• Drivers should not linger at gates to ask questions; guards have cards to hand out with helpful ways to get questions answered.

Before the RFID system was in place, Security averaged 3-5 gate runners per day, according to reports. Since the barrier arms have been in place, only six drivers have breached the gates. They did so by piggybacking on authorized vehicles ahead of them in line.

The cost of the gate access program was $384,987, which included three guest registration kiosks (not including the one the board just approved for the Main Gate), license plate reader systems in all lanes at all gates, RFID access controls at all gates, barrier arm operators at all gates and 15,000 RFID transponders at $10.95 each. Additional costs included new signage for $1,000 and $6,700 to beef up personnel numbers during the five-day launch window.

Since its Jan. 17 launch, the system is providing an elevated level of security and the first real data on how many vehicles come in and out the community on any given day.

Nearly 400 vehicles an hour enter through the Main Gate, the North Gate or St. Andrews Gate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Paul Kryczko