Keeping our schools safe is very important. Risks can affect teachers, staff, students, and parents, so having security measures in place at all school facilities is crucial.
Are you worried about school safety? Do you have the means to make a change? Passion and power are great, but knowledge lets you create something strong enough to make a real impact. Luckily, some experts understand what technology can do for security.
Here's how to make schools safer.
Access Points
Students may visit numerous buildings and facilities during their school day. They must be allowed to enter and exit as needed. Many entry points are unguarded, becoming a hazard where unlawful access can be gained. The solution is implementing access control systems and in-person monitoring. All doors need an electronic lock that can be locked and unlocked using methods like:
- Remote
- FOBs
- Key cards
- Digital codes
- Biometric scanning
School staff can use these devices to let students in as they arrive and enter classrooms. Once inside, the doors are locked to ensure safety by preventing unwanted entry. This system is also effective when specific areas of the school need to be locked down. For instance, if there's a threat inside, these doors can isolate that person from students until security or police arrive. School staff can guide students to safety by opening particular doors that lead outside to a secure muster station.
Weapons Detection Technology
You may not think of weapons as a real threat inside schools, but it is an unfortunate and grim fact. While you can lock down schools to deter deranged people from harming students, what about when the doors are open to welcome students?
Many harmful implements and weapons can be brought into the country without a deterrent. Security guards can check bags and have metal detectors that corral students through entrances, but this severely slows down foot traffic and creates bottlenecks. Plus, it alerts those with ill intent to find alternative access to their weapons. A much better method is to use weapons detection systems for schools.
These cutting-edge devices can be placed around the campus wherever needed and blend in with the surroundings. When set up in the right spots, foot traffic will pass through as they gain access. They will be automatically scanned for weapons like knives, guns, and even IED parts.
These are considered frictionless entry points that provide a walk-in path, so a perpetrator doesn't even know they are being scanned. If detected, security can deter and de-escalate a threat before a security risk unfolds.
Video Monitoring
Many schools have video surveillance systems, but they often need to be improved to monitor a campus fully. With the right setup, you can monitor vandalism, bullying, and uninvited guests trying to gain access.
See what type of system you have and look for blind spots. This is where you need equipment. Make sure you can monitor and record video footage, and in key areas, have equipment that can be shifted and zoomed in. Go for a layered approach to provide the right coverage, and consider using AI technology for facial recognition and database connectivity for identifying purposes.
Emergency Response
We hope an emergency never occurs, but students and staff must be prepared if it does. Every school needs a robust emergency plan for different scenarios like:
- Power outage
- Fire
- Extreme weather events
- Active shooter
These plans need to be implemented as training tools for the whole school to practice regularly so there is less panic when something occurs. Teachers must also be trained in panic situations and crowd control, becoming calm leaders in a chaotic, emergent storm of events.
Anti-Bullying Programs
Before the internet, bullying occurred, and fights broke out, but students could go home and escape it. The internet and social media are there 24/7, causing ongoing threats that increase and escalate the next day.
Anti-bullying programs extend to cyberbullying, and this threatens the physical and mental health of students and staff, leading to depression, anxiety and decreased academic performance. At home, parents are responsible for monitoring online threats, but in schools, a comprehensive anti-bullying program is needed.
Staff training is essential, but there should be clear and constant communication against bullying and an open-door policy where students feel safe reporting incidents. Support for victims and swift action against those committing bullying or violence must be implemented.
