Now that schools have been in session for a few weeks and everyone is settling into a new normal, it’s vitally important that those in charge of school security don’t become too settled and comfortable in their roles. Dangers don’t take a break and neither do our school security solutions.
Sonitrol protects over 11,000 schools across America, which is more than any other security company. We take pride in knowing that our solutions are used to protect so many children who deserve a quality education in a safe place that is conducive to their entire well-being.
Day to day School Security Has Changed
The days of practicing drills for earthquakes and tornadoes are gone. Now, schools are practicing what to do in the event of an active shooter.
Back in August, we wrote about Back To School Safety Best-Practices. It takes everyone in a school to work together to maintain a safe environment and we’re encouraged to see that the government is also becoming involved to make American schools safer through the Federal Commision on School Safety whose mission is “quickly providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school.”
The Commission has been meeting since March 2018. Highlights since then include a meeting with survivors of mass shootings in May, discussed issues of mental health in July, and discussed new tools to secure schools inside and out in August. In addition to these meetings, they have also been holding public listening sessions and conducting field visits. You can read more about these meetings on their website.
While this commission is very new, we are looking forward to seeing how they begin to implement better security solutions in schools nationwide.
California School Districts Adapt To New Security Threats
Schools across the nation are taking a look at how they manage the safety of their campus. Locally, many districts in California are enhancing their security with cameras at all entrances, panic buttons at the front desk that are tied to the intercom system, installing access control and more.
To begin to understand how you can increase your school’s safety, you can ask your students and staff their perceptions on the safety measures currently in place. The California School Board Association has many resources to help school administrations begin to understand how students perceive the overall culture and climate at the school regarding their safety.
If you find gaps in your school’s security, there are many solutions. Numerous schools have some presence of security personnel on campus, but they can’t be everywhere at once. Security cameras can be installed to ensure that every hallway and open space is covered.
Access control ensures that only people with a key card can obtain access inside the building and can be customized inside the building as well. One charter school in LA only opens their doors for a limited window in the morning to let students in and locks all doors the entire day until they’re opened again for dismissal.
Some solutions might sound grating, but school boards and administrations are doing everything they deem necessary to keep their students, our children, safe while they’re at school. Read more about our integrated security system and contact us to learn how it can be applied in your school.