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building key accountability

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 2:31 pm
by wallaced
I am looking for best practices from the group for maintaining building key accountability. Ideally, the building keys are assigned to the position (not the person), and are transferred when members are called/released from a particular calling...but as we all know, books, manuals and keys are not always transferred in a timely manner, if at all. We recently found a less-active family in the ward building, just roaming around. When asked how they got in, they said "Oh, we have a key, and have had it ever since so-and-so (a relative) had a calling. Wow.
So, having inherited this mess, and in trying to get things organized, I want to try to import the Calling by Organization from LCR into a spreadsheet where I can list what calling has a building and cabinet key assigned to it. Is such an import possible? Or does anyone have another suggestion?

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 2:56 pm
by russellhltn
While a chart would be useful, you still have the issue of getting keys back when someone is released as well as preventing unauthorized duplication.

How long ago was this relative released? How easy is this key to copy? Your stake president may need to press the FM group to rekey at least the outside doors. Since this is a cost time, it may have to wait until some budget is available. But if this is a easy key to copy and it's been in use for some time, then no doubt there's quite a few copies out there. (And don't trust the "Do not duplicate" stamp. It's far to easy to work around.)

When our stake center was redone, they switched out the external locks for a new type that has two rows of tumblers. As far as I know, we can't get duplicates in our city. We have to order them.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 7:59 am
by martyriker
Following. I'm a HC over a ward in a building shared by 4 units. I just spent too many hours sorting through a box of keys, only some of which are labeled in any sensible way. They have paper tags on strings that were all tangled. Quite a mess. So I'm looking for common ways leaders have used to organize physical keys for storage and distribution, as well as best known methods for unit allocations of cabinets. Ultimately, as was discussed, how to increase individual and leader accountability to collect keys when members are released so they can be transferred to the newly called members.

Hardware -
The building has a Kekab I key box available here (https://www.hudsonlock.com/product-cate ... uct-page=1)
But it's mostly empty, the key holders lost. We could buy replacement hangers.
I'm worried that these are designed for single keys per tag. Not sure how well it will work for 10 copies of keys per usage? Maybe.

I've made a list of all the locked devices, and a matrix of callings and who should get which key.
But really that's only the first half of the problem.

Some of my keys need labels, and I've got to figure that out, something better than masking tape and sharpies.

How to teach each ward how to manage their own keys and establishing that routine is the hardest part.
What has worked?

A called key-master person with the right OCD level to keep track of everything and keep everyone in line?
I've seen that work. But it does require the right person who can make those demands for discipline.
From the Agent Bishop's ward?

A detailed method document and key box for each unit to keep track of their own keys, kept not in the library, but in the clerks offices?
A key master or Ward Clerk-ish type in each ward to manage ward keys?

In theory, the ward's key boxes would be empty, and in the pockets of the called members. And the Building Key-Master's box would have all the spare keys in it. In reality, the ward will have to keep track of sets of keys as people transition between callings or callings are left vacant, saving the coordination with an outside ward Building Key-Master. Also, Ward Keys may want to be grouped/ringed by calling, rather than by doors opened.

Anyway, I'm working on it. Looking for wheels already invented. Please share.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 11:11 am
by russellhltn
For storing copies, I've seen them stored in small envelopes. You could also use zip-lock bags.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:04 pm
by davesudweeks
I have never seen it work "well" anywhere. When I served as clerk for several bishops, we used to keep keys in envelopes labeled for their purpose. They were in a locked cabinet and we had sign-out sheets with an overall list of who had keys issued to them. But bishopric members were notorious for handing out keys whenever asked and not updating the list of who they were given to. By the time the Clerk found out the list was inaccurate, no one remembered who had received keys. In hindsight, I should have done a weekly key inventory to keep the list fresh before too much time passed but I didn't think about that. We were the agent ward for the building, but each ward managed their own set of keys provided by the FM group.

The 2 most critical failure points that I have seen occur are:
1. The person issuing the calling fails to make it perfectly clear that the key goes with the calling, the member is responsible for the key (and its use), and they MUST return the key when they are released.
2. The person releasing them from the calling fails to collect the key during the release and return it to whomever is managing the keys for the building.

I never saw a problem for #2 above with bishopric members being released, but it was a common problem with other organizations. If no one asked for the key when they were released, they just kept it and didn't say anything.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 2:04 pm
by russellhltn
davesudweeks wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:04 pm 2. The person releasing them from the calling fails to collect the key during the release and return it to whomever is managing the keys for the building.
Complications:
a) They moved away and weren't released before moving.
b) They've been called to a new calling that have substantially the same (but not an identical set) of keys. Or at the very least, the keys are "useful". For example, it could be tricky to get back the key to the outside doors if that hasn't been assigned to the new calling.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 5:43 am
by mdigi
As @russellhltn mentioned aboved, for proper key management it is essential to use high security locks whose keys are not easily duplicated.
Brands like ASSA, Medeco, Abloy, MulTLock, EVVA, ...
The keys and/or equipment required to cut duplicates for these locks are restricted so one can't just run down to their local hardware store and make a copy.
ASSA, for example, patents their key blanks and will only sell the unique (per-organization) keys to the authorized owner (e.g. FM groups).

If you need to mark keys, something like this may work (check with FM first):

https://www.amazon.com/Oudtinx-Number-L ... N5T8K?th=1

[I've never used this particular tool so please don't consider my reference to it here as an endorsement)

Our FM group stamps keys based on building permissions (e.g. "L" means library access, "N" means network closet)
So for example, if a stake technology specialist is called an receives a key stamped with both "L N", he'll be expected to return an "L N" key when he is released (and not just an "L" or an "N" key)

If someone moves without returning a key, it may be worth having a Bishopric counselor follow up with their new Bishop/hold their record with a note until they mail it back?
Re-keying can be a significant expense.

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 6:23 pm
by caillines
As far as labelling, all of our keys usually get one of these https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/off ... -jb4ktagfo (this is for quick ease of viewing). When not in use they are in a locked cupboard in the clerks office. The biggest problem we have is people handing them to their replacement without coming back through the ward/stake clerk/exec sec first.

The keys themselves are BiLock (an Australian security key brand) with a country wide mastering system, and are individually stamped (by the locksmith) with codes for the building, key group (within that building) and key number. From this we can tell what it opens (though we need to look at our key register to find out). Key orders go through the regional facilities manager. Each key also has a colour on it that at a glance lets us know the level of key (master, bishopric, entrance, cupboard etc)

The key register is a spreadsheet containing Key Number, Key colour, Assigned Calling, Person in that calling, what the key opens, and if it's not currently with someone, where it is (i.e. in the cupboard).

Re: building key accountability

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 9:31 pm
by RyanGard1977
What makes things easy is when the buildings are keyed to a keyway system, so that all doors (not counting cabinets) that need locks on them are controlled thru a locksmith that can make the locks and cut the keys in a way that only that locksmith can make copies so that members do not go to some hardware store to get duplicates. Many of the church FMs are now utilizing the Medeco locks and keys and work with Intermountain Lock and Safe in Salt Lake City, to get their buildings setup on this type of keyway. That way the FMs are able to key the buildings in a stake to a specific assigned keyway for that stake and getting additional locks made and keys made is just a matter of the FM Group working with IML to have those made and sent out. As a contractor for EMCOR Facilities and a former FM Service Missionary I have been heavily involved in working out the keying issues for buildings.
The buildings that have the Medeco keyway system are the ones I like the best. For those that are not, I strongly encourage the FMs to get those buildings moved over to the Medeco system. It is not cheap though so sometimes they have to plan that out a year or two for budget purposes.

I have spent countless hours going thru countless keys for buildings that were not on a keyway system to find out what goes where. Often times it is easier and cheaper to just buy new cabinet locks and install them (again this needs to be done by the FM) instead of trying to track down keys. I've found keys that date back to when buildings were built in the 1940s. What a nightmare.

When it comes to building access and keys to the library, shed, or storage cabinets and closets, yes the ward has to keep track of the keys issued to them and keep an extra or two on hand. Many wards will utilize key boxes like what is in this link. Here's the thing though, you need to keep these boxes locked and secured somewhere safe. I've seen clerk's and bishop's offices broken into and the keyboxes broken into as well. So locking them away in the clerk's file cabinet is usually best.

https://www.amazon.com/Kyodoled-Storage ... =8-15&th=1

or
https://www.amazon.com/Security-Locking ... 82&sr=8-10

Keep a tagged system and log of who has the keys. Once enough keys get issued out and over time, it eventually becomes necessary for the locks to be re-keyed to maintain security. This is especially true of exterior entrance keys. Some buildings were able to have key fob systems installed for exterior entrance which made controlling access much easier, however- the church HQ has changed their mind a few times over the years as to if FOB systems are allowed to be installed.

For the buildings that have KEY FOB systems for exterior entrance, usually the FM group or the Stake PFR High Council will take care of issuing out the FOBs and deactivating the FOB for those who leave without turning their FOBs in.