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Unified Security and Safety
Texas hospital integrates security and building management functions onto a centralized databaseThe Latest from SIW
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One of the nation’s leading pediatric orthopedic centers, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children provides ongoing care for thousands of Texas children every year. The core mission of the not-for-profit hospital is to provide advanced care to children with orthopedic conditions, certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia — at no charge to patient families. The safety, security and comfort of its patients and caregivers is obviously a top priority.
The Dallas hospital spans 865,000 square feet over five buildings — three of which are linked together. Aging security and fire alarm systems made facility productivity a challenge. The state of its buildings, coupled with its mission, created unique and continuously changing security and facility needs for the hospital.
With plans being implemented to remodel and expand its space, the hospital used this opportunity to overhaul its building systems and create a more efficient and secure campus.
Upgrades Improve Facility Control
The challenges were formidable: Facility managers needed to update security systems, including access control, and prepare for a massive expansion into other areas of the hospital. In addition, they needed to upgrade the fire alarm system. All of the work had to occur with no loss of safety and security coverage for patients, staff and visitors.
The hospital also used separate systems to control fire, security and HVAC functions. As a result, the hospital staff was unable to monitor and control all of its systems from a single, centralized location. Managers wanted to establish one central facility management system that would protect existing investments, allow for seamless future upgrades and provide a comprehensive platform for an energy-savings program.
“The lack of control meant we had our engineers changing temperature settings in individual offices around the hospital,” says Joe Alexander, director of engineering and grounds for the hospital. “A central facility management system offered a bird’s-eye view to resolve issues quickly and effectively, and keep everything running smoothly.”
Hospital officials chose Honeywell to tackle the facilities overhaul. Initial project work involved upgrading the existing fire and security systems, and then tying them together through Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI), a management platform that enables users to integrate all core building functions.
