LOUD Security Does Bang-Up Job for Shooting Range Facility
LOUD Security’s comprehensive solution at a shooting range earned a 2019 SSI Installation of the Year runner-up honor.
LOUD Security included about 100 points of protection on the fire system and installed approximately 115 cameras in and around Governors Gun Club.
This was among the strongest showings ever for SSI’s Installer and Integrated Installation of the Year Awards. Read about the winners in the July issue of SSI and browse the Best of the Best to read about more runners-up.
Governors Gun Club in Kennesaw, Ga., is the nation’s largest and most advanced indoor shooting facility and event center. A paradise for all types of shooters, the firing options include pistol and rifle lanes, indoor shotgun field and 100-yard indoor rifle range, notes Eric Widner, general manager of Kennesaw-based LOUD Security, which was tasked with outfitting the facility with various security and life-safety systems.
Company president John Loud is heavily involved the community and has served as president of the Kennesaw Business Association as well as provided security consulting to local news outlets when called upon, so many of the firm’s large projects such as this one are a direct result of that involvement, notes Widner.
In this case, Governors Gun Club provided a general scope of work that included fire, security, access control and other life-safety systems to ensure a safe environment for clientele, security of the merchandise, and safety for the community around the facility.
“The most challenging aspect of this job was the consistent flexibility and acceptance of change that were needed from beginning to end,” says Widner. “A facility specifically designed for this use and of this size is extremely rare. Many of the needs of the job were changed along the way, requiring all parties involved to stay extremely flexible. Redesigns, along with changes in the scope or date of work changed regularly.”
In total, the job required 500+ manhours and mainly involved extensive access control and intrusion systems from DMP, Honeywell Firelite systems and Honeywell video surveillance. LOUD Security also needed to coordinate with electrical, HVAC, IT, plumbing and building contractors, Widner says, with weekly meetings between staff onsite to ensure smooth implementation, as well as constant coordination with the local AHJ.
There are approximately 100 points of protection on the fire system. Special care had to be taken when installing the system since many of the areas with initiating and annunciating circuits would also be used for active shooting areas, Widner explains.
The access control system includes 17 doors each treated as its own partition to allow complete flow of any credential, Widner says. There are nearly 30 security door checkpoints in the intrusion system, combined with over a dozen areas with motion detection. Roughly 115 cameras in and around the facility ensure no area is left unseen, he adds.
“We certainly had our hands full and learned a good deal,” Widner says. “Working closely with the ownership team, the right manufacturers and with the fire marshal helped ensure the project’s absolute success.”
View more images of the installation in the slideshow.
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About the Author
Arlen Schweiger
Arlen Schweiger is editor-in-chief of SSI's sister publication, CE Pro. He was SSI's managing editor from August 2018 to June 2023.
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