Inside Atlanta’s High-Profile Security Control Rooms

The aquarium relies on products from companies such as Bosch, Allegion and Lenel. Card access readers keep guests and employees in and out of where they should and shouldn’t be. “I have employees that, unless they are on a guided tour, do not come up here,” Davis says of the pool deck. “They just don’t have free reign to walk around the facility.” The aquarium employs combination of 240 full-time, 200 part-time and around 2,000 volunteer workers, with the security team using about 35 staff members — however, virtually everyone is ready to aid in security and life-safety efforts. “We look at how to involve staff assisting us. Even though they might be a zoological person or in animal care, they can turn around and put on a different pair of shoes and help us out,” Davis says.

A veteran of 20 years as a police chief, Davis emphasizes maintaining strong relationships with local law enforcement, fire and ambulance teams, FBI and Georgia Homeland Security, for example, when emergencies arise, to safeguard during special events (an outside security agency is also employed for such occasions) and receptions, conduct threat assessments and more. As a tourist attraction that’s also devoted to education, the constant flow of children through the building and their safety and safekeeping is a natural concern.

“I will not go to a scenario to where I have to tell someone there is a loss,” Davis says. “I take every precaution to do that; there are a whole lot of smart people in this building, they’ve got doctorates attached to their name, and when it comes to life safety they get it — there are no shortcuts.”