How Secure Is Your School Campus?
It will be 50 years this August since the tragic shooting at the University of Texas that claimed 14 lives and injured 32 others. “Tower,” a documentary scheduled to air later this year, recounts the events of that day and places school security once again at the center of media attention.
Sadly, violent acts like these have become more common over the years in a place that should be safe. Schools have a duty to not only educate students, but to prevent and protect against incidents.
How prepared is your school in the event of a potentially dangerous incident?
All Hazards Planning
What should schools be prepared for? While school shooting incidents are a very real threat, they should not be the sole security focus of administrators.
According to Mike Dorn, an expert on school security, schools are “…so focused on the active shooter that a lot of things they used to do have gone by the wayside.”
Schools are no longer practicing finding shelter in a designated place, and other drills that were standard procedure in prior years.
Dorn recommends schools take an all hazards planning approach rather than focusing on one type of security threat. Schools should be prepared for a variety of incidents including hazardous materials, bomb threats, terrorism, and natural disasters.
To see Dorn speak at a Campus Safety National Forum in 2015 to a Campus Safety Magazine reporter, click the video below:
There are a few ways to make sure your school is prepared for anything that comes its way. Let’s take a look at some of these tips and see how your school measures up.
School Security Checklist
Who or What Are We Protecting?
Identification of assets is the first step to creating a security plan for your school. Who are we protecting? Students, staff, and visitors. What are we protecting? Buildings, equipment, technology and grounds. These assets should be prioritized. Human life, obviously, will be at the top of the list. Input should be gathered from everyone affected to create your plan.
What Are the Threats?
Schools should identify potential threats, whether they are groups of people or natural disasters. Demographic research and school incident logs can provide useful background information in identifying these risks. Threats should be well-documented, as well as any prior experience managing these threats. This security threat assessment will guide planning and prevention strategies.
A Well-Constructed Plan
A security plan should be created with the aim to deter or mitigate threats. This plan includes a clear description of roles and responsibilities of staff, the identification of safe locations for students to gather, and specific guidelines as to what should be done in the event of an emergency. This document should be updated regularly and all staff should be familiar with its contents. Drills should be in place to familiarize students and staff with procedures.
The Right Security Features
One of the best ways to protect your school is by using modern security systems. These features serve both to prevent and minimize damage from threats.
Access control
Access control systems prevent unauthorized people from entering a building, room or particular location. These systems often require a badge or keypad identification to allow access. Access control plays a critical role in preventing and delaying an unauthorized entry.
Most college dorms have some form of access control, whether it is a card reader or a pin number students must enter. This same technology can be used at the entrance to an elementary, middle or high school to prevent any unwelcome visitors into the building.
Video surveillance
Clear, reliable detection is needed to spot a security risk and to monitor it in real-time. Video surveillance provides sharp images and motion detection that allows administrators and even police to see specific details. Since video surveillance can be accessed from multiple locations, it allows schools to react quickly and efficiently to internal and external problems.
Alarm Systems
An alarm system will alert students, staff and police to a problem. Panic buttons can be installed in convenient locations to sound an alarm. Police will be dispatched immediately. This system also comes in handy afterhours when buildings are empty and no one is around to alert the police to any unwelcome activity.
Give Yourself and Others Peace of Mind
Don’t wait until something happens to take appropriate measures to protect your school. With a well-researched security plan in place and the right security features, you will be better positioned to manage events. It will also give parents peace of mind knowing their child’s school is prepared for a variety of safety threats.
Cultris Security Systems specializes in protecting academic campuses as well as other pubic spaces. Contact us today to learn how we can help design and install a modern security system to protect your campus assets.
Call 281-506-8466 or visit us online.
Image attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgunn (University of Texas Tower, Austin)
