HALIFAX, NS – March 25, 2021 – OARO is pleased to announce the Prince George Airport Authority will be implementing OARO’s latest innovation to enhance the airport’s safety and security in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic: a new way to control staff access to secured areas of the airport, using facial recognition and elevated skin temperature screening—all combined into a single camera.
“It’s truly exciting to be able to implement a leading-edge security solution at our airport that surpasses world-class standards found at the largest airports in the world,” said Prince George Airport President and CEO, Gordon Duke. “Safety is a top priority at YXS and we see this as an opportunity to help protect our onsite staff from potential COVID-19 exposures and also increase the security of our non-public buildings. This innovation would not be possible without support from the federal government and funding by Innovative Solutions Canada.”
Phase 1 of the project includes installation and a 12-week viability test of the new innovation: OARO ACCESS with Elevated Skin Temperature (EST) Screening combined into one camera simultaneously. Cameras will be installed to monitor two controlled areas on-site at the Prince George Airport (YXS). Authorized employees can simply walk up to a secured door and have it un-locked automatically, using OARO’s facial recognition authentication. This eliminates the possibility of unauthorized access with a stolen employee ID swipe card or key. Simultaneously, the Elevated Skin Temperature sensor will deny access to any employee attempting to enter the monitored area if they have a high temperature, keeping the workplace environment safe for their fellow employees. Elevated skin temperature (EST) can be an indicator of a fever, a commonly-reported symptom of COVID-19.
“OARO is helping to make airports safer,” said OARO President and CEO, Joel Leetzow. “We are delighted that the Prince George Airport in British Columbia will be implementing OARO’s newest security solution thanks to the support of the Canadian government in response to COVID-19.”
To date, with the addition of the Prince George Airport, 17 airports across Canada will now have OARO solutions on-site. OARO’s Access Control with Biometric Authentication has been in operation at the Saint John Airport (YSJ) since 2019. In 2020, OARO was selected by the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency (CATSA) to provide Elevated Skin Temperature screening systems for Canada’s 15 largest airports.
“OARO’s newest innovation is not just for airports. It can be used to make any workplace or public institution safer during the pandemic,” said Leetzow. “Hospitals, universities, and high-density manufacturing or processing facilities could scan incoming employees or visitors, and restrict access to those individuals with an elevated body temperature. The applications and industries are endless.”
About Prince George Airport
Strategically located in Central British Columbia and boasting Canada’s fourth longest runway, Prince George Airport (YXS) is the gateway to B.C.’s North. Prince George Airport is a key partner in the region’s economic and social development, with a vibrant role in supporting the delivery of commercial aviation operations, in addition to medevac and wildfire fighting services. Prince George is recognized for innovation, strong community involvement and a robust corporate commitment to safety, security and customer service excellence. Please visit www.pgairport.ca to learn more.
About Innovations Solution Canada
Innovative Solutions Canada is a Government of Canada innovation funding program that was launched to help Canadian innovators start, grow, and get to market. We have two streams to fund Canadian R&D and test prototypes in real-life settings. The Testing Stream buys late-stage, innovative prototypes from Canadian businesses and tests them in operational settings with government departments. Please visit www.canada.ca/innovative-solutions to learn more.
About OARO
We use the digital world to help your business verify the real one. OARO is a global provider of enterprise identity and access management solutions, trusted by some of the world’s largest private and public sector organizations. OARO is revolutionizing how leading organizations authenticate and authorize in the physical and digital worlds using biometrics, cryptography, and Blockchain. Founded in 2017, OARO is a Canadian company with offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Madrid, Spain. Please visit www.oaro.net to learn more.
For more information, please contact:
Mike Maxwell, SVP Digital Security Solutions, mmaxwell@oaro.net
