How Technology Assists in School Security?

From technology and bureaucratic standpoint, a school district is required to examine a few basic building blocks of security: visitor management, access control, video surveillance, emergency response, door barricade solutions, and mass notification or alert. 

FREMONT, CA: There are many instances to consider on why schools today need to adopt different ways to attend to the physical security needs. Some of the examples include active shooter situations, challenging teachers or student relations, abductions, vandalism and others. The unfortunate circumstance of all the scenarios is that it was unthinkable a decade ago, but today the frequency of the incidents has seen a massive rise. In the present day, many schools regularly practice active shooter drills along with classroom lockdowns and door barricades.

Given the dreadful events over the last several years, the challenge of efficiently protecting students and faculty becomes even more intricate. The tragic activities involved multiple school shootings, in addition to the vast number of registered sex offenders. From technology and bureaucratic standpoint, a school district is required to examine a few basic building blocks of security: visitor management, access control, video surveillance, emergency response, door barricade solutions, and mass notification or alert. 

Implementation of efficient high-technology security systems can be costly and may involve a lengthy process. Thus, below are a few tips that schools can utilize to make well-informed decisions:

• Know what the school’s unique requirements are.
• Organizations can start small and then build smart. The advice implies that schools should not try to employ every technology security system at once.
• Leave no room for controversy by making sure not to include the families of pupils in the decision-making process.
• Schools are also required to hire people to administer, run, preserve, and upgrade the system.

Access Control 

A recent study shows that the majority of schools do not have the physical resources to perform a full-blown lockdown in the occurrence of an emergency. The capability to effectively control doorways to a school should be the first step in a security plan. The strategy is simple– to keep any unwanted visitor out from visiting the premises. A sealed building makes the situational control a more straightforward job.

School visitor management software is quickly rising as a staple in the school security market. Most businesses have been using the software for a long time, but they need safety for other reasons – about disappearing assets. Organizations require the technology to help them protect their most valuable asset – the students.

Intelligent Video Surveillance Technology  

The layer of video security is necessary for all school organizations. Video surveillance, successfully used by all the industries, mainly helps people to solve crimes. Therefore, a 24/7 records of what goes on within a building premise is essential. In a school setting, the tool can help in keeping an eye on bullying along with vandalism and the student-teacher relations.

Emergency Response Plan

It is also crucial for schools to have a plan in place for threats from unwanted guests. Additionally, the institutions also need to assess the risks coming from the visitors along with checking the identification and getting their information. The planning on what to do in case of emergency is a significant part when using the implemented technology.

Mass Notification System 

In case if something goes wrong, the school administration needs to notify everyone instantly, including the students. The alert can be in the form of an instant text message or email sent by the receptionist to warn police or the district person of the escalating situation. Furthermore, there is also a need to segment the message so that only the suitable and necessary people receive each message.

Door Barricade System 

Majority schools follow a standard protocol for active shooter scenarios. For instance, consider two cases—one with an active shooter, where a targeted shooter, a gunman is targeting a particular individual. The intruder will have the objective to kill one specific target. Another case is a mass casualty shooter who aims at inflicting as much harm as possible. Many security experts think that an excellent way to minimize causalities in a mass event is to secure as many children as possible in the classrooms.                           

Unfortunately, in any one of the scenarios, there will be soft targets. The target could be kids moving between classes, front office personnel, and students on a playground. One unusual way to protect a large number of children is by temporarily barricading the classroom door. Educational facilities can instantly lockdown classrooms with ease with the door barricade lock system. Integration of the tool can help organizations in keeping the students and staff safe in case of emergencies.