HOISINGTON - After the Hoisington Historical Society Museum was broken into and burglarized in February, it became clear the facility needed better security. While all the items taken have since been anonymously returned, concerns linger over the possibility of it happening again, members of the society’s board of directors said. Soon, motion sensors will alert authorities should anyone else attempt to purloin artifacts important to Hoisington’s heritage, courtesy of the United Way of Central Kansas.
UWCK Executive Director Julie Bugner-Smith and board member Karen Van Brimmer were present at the special meeting called to discuss the society’s needs.
Housed in a small, six-room house built in 1905, the museum has yet to experience the high-tech world. Still, Mike Fortkamp, operations manager of Dayton Security, Inc., didn’t find the fact electrical outlets are few and far between. The company is partnering with the UWCK which is providing the state-of-the art security system and the first year of monitoring services to the museum. Members asked questions about how the system would be armed and disarmed, and if it would protect both the main structure and the barn, also located on the site.
Fortkamp assured them that using wireless technology, both structures could be monitored. The motion detectors, he said, would function in both light and dark situations, and using touchpad technology, it would be easier to arm than older security systems members were used to.
“Technology has gotten a lot better, so it’s a lot simpler to use,” he said. Everything is wireless, except the control panel, which will be hard-wired.
Once members had all their questions answered, the motion to accept the donation was approved. Members noted that the community has always been generous to the society and the museum. And, they said, while they have adapted to modern technology and are happy to receive the new system, they are always on the lookout for younger members.