New security measures are in place for the safety of visitors to White Auditorium for both the short and long term.
The city recently completed the installation of new metal detectors that also act as walk through temperature scanners. The machines are located at all entrances on the first-floor concourse of the Auditorium according to White Auditorium Director Kevin Hanlin.
The machines were purchased through SPARK funds which the city has utilized in recent months to implement a number of COVID-19 mitigation strategies throughout town. Hanlin says the machines not only have technology installed within them to help scan for COVID-19 but also have a number of security features that will continue to assist auditorium staff well after the pandemic comes to an end.
Chief among those according to Hanlin is face imaging software.
The process for utilizing the machines is rather simple according to Hanlin. Residents walk through the doors and stop at a scanner, which takes a picture of the individual’s face and then prompts them to get their temperature taken.
Residents put their wrist next to a tablet on the right side of the scanner for that process. After that, they walk through for metal detection.
While a number of events were taken off the calendar since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic back in March, Hanlin says they are now beginning to get some activities back on the schedule, including home games for the Emporia State Men and Women’s basketball teams. Additionally, Hanlin says they have also been working closely with the Emporia Recreation Commission over the past few months and he says he has been highly impressed with the level of planning and mitigation shown by both ESU and the Rec Commission during this time.
Emporia State had to postpone several games, including the men’s games against Newman, Central Oklahoma and Rogers State as well as the Women’s games against Central Oklahoma and Rogers State this past week, due to COVID-19 protocols. No other schedule adjustments have been announced as of yet.
