Get to know your IPF crews: Key Shop/Security/Electronics
Left to right: James Burnie, Roger Bates, Elijah Whitney, Lane Eberly, Eric Strouse and Michael Becker.
Anthony Yuhasz
December 18, 2019
A world away in remote Afghanistan, Eric Strouse, 18-year veteran of the United States Air Force and Air National Guard, and supervisor of IPF’s Access Control and Security Systems department, focuses on the mission at hand – helping ensure the safety of the lives of the pilots he works closely with by maintaining their fighter jets’ weapon systems. With him, is a little piece of IPF – a photo of his crew members at home.
“The photo was sent to me with a care package from my crews – a large box full of snacks, games and toiletries – to give me a little bit of home during my latest deployment,” Strouse said. “I took the photo around with me and collected pics from different locations on the flight line and around camp as a joke for them.”
“They really got a kick out of knowing I kept them close with me during my day-to-day operations,” said Strouse, who as supervisor, oversees three closely related crews – the Key Shop, Security and Electronics.
The Key Shop crew is comprised of locksmiths Roger Bates, James Burnie and Tony Knapp; trades helper Michael Becker; on-call service/maintenance worker Lane Eberly; on-call locksmiths Pam Covell and Sue Hurst; and student maintenance assistants II Reilly Lorenz, Elijah Whitney and Hugh Wilson.
They are responsible for key management and maintenance of door hardware, safes and cabinet lockers.
“Since we work a lot with door hardware, we oftentimes work closely with carpentry to make sure that all of the components – hinges, doors, handles, locks and frames – are installed correctly,” Becker said.
Sometimes, this crew responds to some pretty interesting calls.
“We’ve had people stuck in residence hall shower rooms, a whole bunch of students, because of a security door, and we quickly responded, much to their relief,” chuckled Bates.
The Security crew is comprised of electricians Ryan Channell, John Pline, Eric Simmon and Brian Witgen; locksmiths Daniel Barney and Tony Galorneau; and safety and security services/electronics mechanic Keith Spitzley. They are responsible for installation and maintenance of access controls/ID card readers as well as iris (eye) and biometrics (fingerprint) scanners.
“A number of areas in Athletics have had biometric scanners installed, so that the athletes and staff don’t have to carry ID cards with them,” Bulock said.
The crew works closely with MSU Police, as access control data goes directly to them. They can track who entered an area and at what time. This information is critical during investigations involving theft or assault. They also collaborate with Planning, Design and Construction staff during new construction, installing access control hardware.
The Electronics crew is comprised of electronics mechanics Michael Bulock and Aaron Torok. They are responsible for installation and maintenance of security cameras as well as all of Athletics’ scoreboards/TV screens – such as those at Spartan Stadium, Breslin Student Events Center and Old College Field.
“Camera technology has advanced a great deal in the last few years,” Bulock said. “High definition cameras are enabling us to capture much more detail and can make a huge difference in police investigations.”
Even though these crews often work separately from one another, one thing is obvious; these folks really respect each other’s talents. And when they do get together, there is a lot of laughing and good-natured ribbing.
“My folks really do work well together,” Strouse said.
When asked what they enjoy most about the type of work that they do, it was almost unanimous that they love the new challenges that each day brings.
“All of the new technology that is available, and how often it is improving, makes the job really interesting,” Bulock said.
Strouse easily summed up the pride he has in his teammates.
“My crews are on call 24/7/365, quickly responding to any issues that come up,” he said. “They really take pride in making sure they do all they can to ensure the safety of all of our university customers.”