
Fastlane turnstiles boost the security posture at Pacific Gas & Electric HQ
The Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) headquarters occupy over 1.7 million square feet of real estate in the San Francisco-area across several buildings owned by the utility. Their buildings have over 8,000 people pass through them each day.
Back in 2010, the PG&E security team partnered with Smarter Security, our exclusive Fastlane distributer in North America, to deliver and install 13 Fastlane Glasswing turnstiles with 3 FastTouch remotes across the entrances of three of their buildings. While these existing Fastlane products continued to perform well, new security challenges presented themselves which prompted the company to take a renewed look at their physical security strategy.
Because the PG&E building is classed as a historical landmark, an equipment upgrade required the approval from a Historical Preservation Committee and input from the Corporate Real Estate Strategy Services (CRESS). The equipment had to meet a stringent list of requirements, from the ability to be minimally invasive to the existing building structure, to a low-voltage electrical requirement for the building to maintain its LEED Platinum Certification.
The PG&E corporate security team reviewed potential replacement options and determined that again Fastlane turnstiles were the best option to meet the needs of all stakeholders, especially as the existing Fastlane units had never required a replacement part or caused a technical issue over their nine-year life span.
After evaluating the tall-glass Fastlane Speedgates in close consultation with Smarter Security, the PG&E team selected the Glassgate 200 model with locking brakes as their replacement product. In order to complement the historic surroundings, the Glassgate 200 turnstiles were customised in brass alloy cladding with black shafts, featuring graphic displays and bespoke Corian pedestal tops.
The install footprint was incredibly important to all project stakeholders, specifically the Historical Preservation Committee, who required minimal impact to the marble flooring in the lobby. The installation of the turnstiles only required six bolts per pedestal to be drilled into the flooring, which was then able to be covered by the pedestal itself, leaving a seamless finish.
As well as preventing unauthorised entry, the new Fastlane Glassgate turnstiles also improve the life safety measures of the PG&E buildings. In emergency situations, such as active shooters or a fire, building occupants can easily exit by gently pushing on the barriers from the inside without being required to present an access card. The new turnstiles are also integrated with the fire control system, which allows for quick egress in the event of a real fire threat.
Steven Naltsas, Regional Sales Manager at Smarter Security, commented:
“We aimed to help PG&E address concerns across the physical impact to their facility as well as their security needs. And, importantly, we wanted to ensure the aesthetics of the turnstiles continued to meet the vision of the architects and design teams.”
For more information about the Fastlane Glassgate 200, you can read our product profile or contact our team who would be happy to arrange a product demonstration or talk through your project requirements – +44 (0)20 8890 5550 or email info@fastlane-turnstiles.com.
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