Keeping HEEFS Safe and Secure

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At HEEFS, we take security very seriously. And by “security”, we mean a lot of things including fire detection and suppression, biosecurity for the prevention of infectious diseases coming into the Sanctuary, like ASF (African Swine Fever) and COVID, as well as security from intruders and anything that interferes with the health and safety of our residents, staff and volunteers.

Building as we go

As with most big projects, the security system upgrade at HEEFS has a few moving parts! In 2020, we completed the networking upgrade which significantly improved our internet and allowed us to be more connected when working at HEEFS. Building on the capabilities that the networking upgrade has provided, this year we're focusing on our fire detection and suppression equipment. We are still researching the best options for the Sanctuary. When reviewing what is available, there are some unique issues that have to be considered. For example, traditional smoke detectors don't work well in dusty environments and we all know how dusty an old barn can get! We’ve been looking at some interesting solutions such as “Rate of Rise” detectors. This type of equipment detects when the temperature rises too quickly. We are also considering thermal imaging which uses software to "see" a fire starting. Using our networking upgrade, these systems will link to staff phones while also producing a loud alarm if anything is detected.

View from the Nestcam in Bunnytown.

Being SMART

While we continue to research the best options for HEEFS, we're using smart home cameras to monitor the residents and smart home smoke alarms in the not-so-dusty areas. The smart home systems also provide freezing and flood detection. We use this to make sure enclosures aren't too humid or too cold for the residents and to ensure our water supply stays above freezing.

As we continue to improve HEEFS security systems and protocols, updates will be announced on the Barn Side Chats which happen every Monday at 1:00 pm on the HEEFS Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/happilyeveresther