ID required: park and recreation agencies are finding that ID systems not only provide security, but show who their users really are.

Security in a post 9/11 world has become a huge concern in every facet of life. Airports have upped scanning measures, schools are strengthening its security presence and many tourist attractions are now closed to visitors. With this tight scrutiny on security, why shouldn't a local park and recreation agency also take a look at its own ID systems?

Across the country, communities are taking steps to ensure that its park and recreation facilities remain a safe haven for families, children and older adults to spend leisure time. When using these amenities, citizens want to be sure that safety is a major priority.

"We have a responsibility to our patrons and have to exercise the same diligence in protecting our users as schools," says Robert Sherman, director of community services for Adventura, Fla.

Security Measures 

Although his city still uses traditional registration and person-to-person check-in methods, Adventura, like many other park and recreation agencies have found ways to increase security through use of an ID card system. Sherman says that his park and recreation agency uses ID cards throughout their many facilities and programs.

As a resident of Adventura or a member of the community center, individuals are issued an ID card that captures their name, address and other information. That individual is then allowed access to the community center by swiping the card at the entrance. In Adventura, the cards are also used for summer camps as a way to track children--parents drop off their kids, the card is swiped, and the summer camp leaders then know who has come for the day. It also tracks attendance during field trips. Children leave the bus and camp leaders collect the cards, accounting for all children in their care for the day.

Sherman and his agency are still working to find new ways to use the ID card, and recently implemented an ID system at the town dogpark. "We found that the dogpark was being used by non-residents," Sherman explains. "We decided to make it residents-only, and began using the card system."

Residents now swipe their ID card to open an electronic lock that only allows residents of Adventura into the dogpark. It has cut down on overusage, and creates a neighborly atmosphere at the park.

In Bolingbrook Park District in Illinois, residents have been using an ID card for more than 10 years to enter the town's aquatic facility. Season pass holders are issued an ID card, which allows them to enter through an electronic turnstile and skip the line that usually forms at the reception desk.

Recently, however, Bolingbrook also added ID entry points to spa locker rooms in a community center, allowing the agency to free up staff that might otherwise been securing the door. Bolingbrook also uses ID entry at another community center where front desk staff can't see who is entering the fitness center.

"It makes it easier for the customer coming in the door,' says Susan Hoster-Suggs, superintendent of business and finance.

Tracking Users

ID card use is not limited to security purposes. They also help track how many people are using the facility, when they visit and how often. At the Adventura dogpark, Sherman says his agency can track users and find out if the area is being overused, or when it might need maintenance based on the dog hours spent. "It is used for the economics--we can track what services we're offering" Sherman says.

At fitness center facilities, tracking may be even more important than security. Hoster-Suggs explains that participation reports are run on a regular basis, allowing managers to know when equipment needs to be replaced. It also helps managers schedule classes based on when the most people are in the center, and can provide hard data on when the facility might become too small for the capacity.

"These participation reports are invaluable in looking at managing the overall facility," Hoster-Suggs says.

The reports can also be used at renewal time--when a member doesn't renew because of lack of use, managers can look at that member's past visits and see how often they did or didn't use the fitness center.

Growing with Technology

Although it seems the benefits to using an ID card system are endless, there are also a fair number of factors to consider before implementing new technology. Hoster-Suggs tells the story of when Bolingbrook first started using the ID cards at the community pool. The turnstile would sometimes not work or back up, causing long lines in summer heat--exactly what it was installed to prevent.

She explains that "with any new technology, there will be growing pains." It took a few months to work out the kinks, but eventually the ID entry point at the pool became a key reason why users buy a season pass.

Hoster-Suggs suggests that agencies looking to create an ID card system start out slow and install it at one facility at a time. She also advises to go out and look at a facility that is already using an ID system.

"Check your references and make sure the system is proven," she says. "If you can piggy-back off what someone else has already learned ... do it." Sherman agrees. In Adventura, it took more than a year to fully implement the ID card system. He explains that it can sometimes be a tedious process, with constant examination of the technical, security, operator, data and user issues. He says in the beginning, his staff was constantly evaluating the system and trying to make it work more smoothly.

"We are continually looking to modernize and improve our system," he says.

To do that however, he says that a system must be able to grow with a community's needs. "People need to know what questions to ask a vendor," he says. "Don't settle until you have the answers you need to make a decision." Sherman suggests asking questions such as:

* What upgrades are included?

* How expandable is the system?

* How expensive are supplies for the system?

* Can this be used with other software?

* How much does it cost and what do I get for that cost?

* What applications can you use this system for?

He also advises that communities consider where they are going to use ID systems. In Adventura's dogpark, creating an electronic card system in the middle of the outdoors brings its own set of challenges such as power supply, connectivity and safety around the electric box.

In the end, the park and recreation agency has to consider what is best for the user and if the cost involved will yield results that are satisfactory to the community. For both Adventura and Bolingbrook, residents seem to enjoy the new ID card systems.

Hoster-Suggs says, "Our system pays for itself because you aren't having staff members checking IDs, it provides convenience for the customers and we don't hear any complaints. That works for us."