Estate-of-the-Art Security

Headline-making kidnappings and other security concerns prompted one high-profile family in 2001 to protect their new home with the latest in electronic security. At the same time, they also opted for an audio/video system, deciding to have both systems communicate with each other for convenient control.

X-tech Security of Carson, Calif., was subcontracted to perform the large-scale project of installing structured wiring for intrusion detection, access control, CCTV and perimeter security in the family’s new 32,000-square-foot, $20 million home, located in Western United States.

The luxurious home is made up of eight bedrooms, guest quarters, an adult and children’s theater room, an indoor racquet-ball court, a golf simulator room, an exercise room and three safe rooms. It also has an outdoor tennis court, pool and jacuzzi, and horse stables.

X-tech was awarded the job for the home installation in July 2001 from a consulting firm it has worked with in the past (see sidebar below). The company flew a four-man crew out to the location the following month, where the $20 million home was under construction. The entire job took approximately 18 months, from the prewire phase to the installation.

X-tech’s job included programming the security portion so the family can control the system through touch panels. The project was more time-consuming for X-tech than challenging, although the crew was presented with some door lock hardware issues. X-tech also homeran structured wiring in the safe rooms and installed the security equipment.

Crew Homeruns About 50,000 Feet of Wire in, Around Home

The crew began in the basement, where they homeran alarm wire and multiple cable for more than 200 zones. Each security device inside and outside the home is individually connected, including the equipment in the safe rooms. X-tech ran more than 50,000 feet of structured wiring throughout the property. Brown adds that the walls in the basement were made 12-inches thick to protect the wiring.

Client’s Italian Doors Pose Challenge for Access Connection

After checking their wiring work, the X-tech crew began connecting the intrusion detection devices. The alarm panels were installed in the basement because the client wanted to have complete control of their system through touch panels, says Dean Custer, sales, operation and design manager for X-tech.
While two installers worked in the basement where the main equipment is located, two other installers connected the devices at the zone locations.

The installers connected devices to a total of 151 burg zones, which include different types of motion sensors and magnetic door contacts, glassbreaks, duress emergency call buttons and keypads.

For fire protection, X-tech connected more than 20 smoke and heat detectors, and eight carbon-monoxide detectors. The access control portion has 28 points, which include every external door and two keypads that open any of the six garage doors.

Moving outside, it took X-tech two months to connect all the perimeter security devices. A lot of trenching was done to run conduit and pull wire. At one point, X-tech used a tracker to help the crew pull wire through conduit from one side of the backyard to the other. The company also mounted a variety of posts for fixed and pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras and other devices.

Some fixed day/night cameras were installed outside that overlook the horse stables area, front and backyards and one at the front gate directed at the driver and vehicle. PTZ cameras with infrared response capabilties are located in other areas. Both types of cameras can be controlled through the touch panels.

Cameras were also placed in the three safe rooms (one room on each floor), as recommended by the consulting firm and requested by the client. The rooms have two-way audio capabilities and CCTV.

X-tech installed releases for the front gate and door, and included cellular priority phones that act as regular phones as well as for alternative transmission purposes.

Final Programming Done at Home; Client Can Make Some Adjustments

The crew made final connections and then moved into the programming phase. It took X-tech approximately 250 hours to do the initial programming for all of the security, and it was based around the client’s wants and needs. The company also worked with the installing company that did the audio/video portion.

X-tech Continues to Service System, Work on ‘Pet’ Project

The job X-tech performed cost approximately $300,000, and the company logged a total of 4,800 man-hours. Although the work lasted about 18 months, X-tech took some time off during the winter as it waited for the home to be further constructed.
X-tech still provides the customer with programming services. The client is now requesting some type of system or alarm that would summon the family dog to the front gate to prevent unwanted persons from entering the property.

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