Part one of a three-part series on school security

Keeping children, teachers and staff safe at school is, unfortunately, once again a talking point. While no measures can make a school an impregnable fortress, there are steps we can help school systems take to improve security and subsequently soothe the nerves of old and young alike with tailored security systems. We’ll explain the types of integrative security features we can provide in a series of three blogs that focus on protecting individual school buildings, campuses, and entire districts.

This blog examines ways we can help protect individual schools.

School administrators should meet with local law enforcement and integrators at the same time to determine individual needs and wants. Once desired security features are decided on, we can work with school systems and police to put those in place. We emphasize the importance of being proactive, rather than reactive. Access control, intercom, video surveillance and intrusion detection should all be a part of any integrated school security system.

Intercom

Intercom systems allow a gatekeeper to control access to your building. People have to press a button and state their business before access is granted. Credentialed staff with access cards can make the process easier, but Intercom systems are crucial to protect students and staff not only from an armed intruder, but an angry former employee or an inebriated parent who has a beef with a teacher. Some intercom systems are also equipped with cameras so a designated person can speak with visitors and confirm their business and or identity before they are allowed in.

Access control

Card readers or fobs can not only provide Access Control, they can allow administrators to track any after-hours entry. Traditional keys are difficult to track, and there is little control over who makes copies or who loses keys. If an employee is terminated, their fobs or cards can be deactivated immediately. If the former employee tries to access the building, there can be a record that person tried to access a school facility.

Surveillance

We can provide Camera Surveillance systems with varying levels of sophistication. It’s important for those considering security systems to know that all surveillance cameras aren’t created equal. Some cameras can provide real-time video streaming to administrators or law enforcement to help determine where an intruder might be. Proactive uses include programming to detect unusual traffic patterns or loitering, and alert features that can automatically inform administrators or resource officers of such anomalies. Live video can also help administrators in the event of a crisis.

If an intruder is in one side of a school building, administrators might want to give a shelter-in-place order for that area and order an evacuation for the other side of the school. Our integrative systems can also push that information in real-time to computers and phones.

We can offer any number of tools to keep students, teachers and staff safe in our schools.   Contact Us today to discuss your best school security options.