What to know about door access control in Chandler
A key fob building also needs a keypad
Chandler Fire requires a UL 1037 key box where entry is restricted. A building designed around a key fob system must also have a numeric keypad on at least one entrance door.
The key box has to hold every fob and card
Where swipe fobs or cards are used, the key box must be large enough to hold all of the fobs, cards and keys for the building. The top of the box mounts 4 to 6 feet above grade, visible from the front entrance.
Tell Chandler Fire when locks change
Chandler Fire (480-782-2120) must get new keys or fobs whenever locks are changed or rekeyed. If a new system changes your locks, we put that call on the job list.
Door hardware is reviewed with the building codes
Plans submitted on or after July 1, 2025 follow the 2024 International Codes and the 2023 NEC. We confirm with the Plan Reviewer of the Day (480-782-3078) how a lock and power job is handled.
How an access system works
A reader at the door checks a credential, either a fob, a card, a PIN or a phone. It sends the result to a controller, and the controller releases the lock if that person is allowed through that door at that time.
The software holds the list of people, doors and schedules. You add or remove someone in minutes, and you can see who entered and when.
Locks, strikes and fail-safe choices
The lock decides what happens when power fails, so it is a safety choice as well as a security one. Doors on an exit path must always let people out.
- Electric strikes release the latch on a standard door and work with most existing hardware.
- Magnetic locks hold a door shut with a magnet and release when power is cut. They need a request-to-exit device and a manual release.
- Electrified hardware, such as an electric latch retraction exit device, suits busy doors.
- Gates and overhead doors can use a reader and a relay.
Credentials and who gets in
Fobs and cards are simple and cheap to replace. PINs suit a back door used by a few people. Phone credentials avoid reissuing anything when staff turn over.
Schedules are the part owners use most. A restaurant can let kitchen staff in at 6 a.m. but not at midnight, and a warehouse can open the dock door only on shift hours.
Planning around Chandler Fire
Before the install, we find out what your building already has in its key box. If you are moving to fobs, we plan the keypad door and the box contents with you, then notify Chandler Fire of the change, so crews can still get in during an emergency.
We also leave you a list of doors, lock types and credential holders, so your records match the building.
Door by door, from survey to training
- Survey every door, frame and power source.
- Plan a reader and lock for each door, place the controller, and quote.
- Wire, mount and test each door, scheduled around your hours.
- Load your people, schedules and credentials.
- Train whoever will manage the system.
What it works alongside
Each door event can link to video, so access control suits security cameras. Readers and controllers need clean network wiring, which is where structured data cabling comes in. More in Enzo in Chandler.
