3 Reasons Sororities and Fraternities Should Go Keyless

Anyone familiar with “Greek life” will tell you that sorority and fraternity houses seem to abide in a state of organized chaos. Students, friends and sometimes strangers are coming in and going out all hours of the day and night, and along with the frequent parties and other social events, occasional outbreaks of study time have been known to happen as well. Unfortunately, the carefree mindset that is typical of most college-age students doesn’t necessarily lend itself to being safety-conscious, but administrators are well aware of the potential security problems that can occur in this type of environment. If countless police records and news articles are any indication, traditional keys and locks don’t always cut the mustard when it comes to maintaining safe conditions for sorority and fraternity residents. Below are 3 reasons why it would be a good idea for them to consider going keyless.

1. Minimize the risk of unauthorized access by intruders Measures need to be put in place to keep sorority and fraternity residents safe from potential intruders, especially during times when security can get a little lax, such as on a party night. When you combine loud music, lots of talking and hordes of people moving around, it’s easy to see how an uninvited stranger posing as a student can slip into the mix virtually undetected. Using a keyless lock such as the Westinghouse RTS-PV, house managers can restrict access to the building so that the front door will automatically stay locked, giving residents the ability to let people in one at a time. By switching to keyless locks for the other entry points as well, house managers can be assured that only residents who have a personalized PIN (which can be created and changed at the administrator’s discretion) will be able to gain access into the house.
2. Reduce the risk of theft It is not uncommon for sorority and fraternity houses to have two or three (or even more) students per room. In this type of open environment, students and friends are constantly coming and going, and it’s a common practice to just leave the door open for the sake of convenience. While this is understandable, it also makes these areas vulnerable to would-be burglars, especially if there’s some type of social event taking place. Computer labs, study rooms and common areas within the house are often prime targets, as thieves seek to get their hands on expensive computer equipment and other electronics. With an integrated home automation and security system such as BeHome 247, not only can house managers remotely program keyless locks to secure these areas within the house at the tap of a screen, but they can also grant personalized access codes to residents so that the door(s) can stay locked until access is required. In addition, house managers can enroll security cameras into the BeHome 247 system, so that if a theft does occur, they will be able to view and provide footage of the incident to assist the police.
3. Eliminate lockout issues Lockouts are quite common among residents of sorority and fraternity houses, and although many lockouts are handled without incident, there have been occasions where eager residents have endangered or injured themselves trying to gain access to the building after being locked out. Unfortunately, there have even been tragic incidents in which students have died while attempting to gain access through upper floor windows or even climbing on rooftops.

Using keyless locks, students can always rest assured that they will always have access to the house by simply entering their own personalized PIN code into the lock’s keypad. No fuss, no hassle, and no need to put anyone’s life in danger. The college years are a time for students to gain a variety of experiences, but being locked out doesn’t have to be one of them. For the sake of greater security, safety and convenience, sorority and fraternity houses would do well to go keyless!

Westinghouse RTS-PV Weather-Proof Electronic Keypad Lock

BeHome247 Home Automation Gateway