Are Your Schools Safe?
I was fortunate to have been in a school environment from elementary through college that was devoid of any natural disaster or human-caused violence. In fact, I am willing to bet that the adults and administrators never discussed any scenarios beyond making sure the doors were locked at night to prevent minor vandalism or theft.
Today’s school environment is completely different unfortunately. As a parent to a 6-year old daughter and working in the security industry, a day doesn’t go by where I don’t think about her safety. Fortunately, we now have a wide array of technology at our disposal to utilize for helping create a more secure environment for our children.
CES offers multiple services and systems to help with preventative measures and provide immediate response in the case of an unfortunate incidence.
Some of the preventative measures and systems include:
- Fire alarm system test and inspections powered by BuildingReports’ digital reporting and unique bar code technology. CES can provide accurate and comprehensive inspections that are fully documented in compliance with regulatory standards.
- CCTV System can provide monitoring of all interior and exterior entrances along with highly traveled common areas. Cameras alone can provide a visual deterrent. With today’s IP based camera systems, video can be accessed remotely, providing critical live images aiding in the immediate response to an incident.
- Access Control systems that restrict entry to a building or space can help with monitoring who, when and where individuals have traveled throughout your facility. The system can be network-based which allows remote access, providing an individual count of people present in a building to first responders.
- CES can provide a free security threat analysis of your building to help establish priorities and provide estimates in addressing any potential deficiencies.
Some of the immediate response measures and systems include:
- Emergency/Mass Notification System can provide instant alerts, voice and text messaging to administrators, first responders and students allowing immediate response and help to maintain order among the chaos.
- Intercom/Paging Systems can provide instant overhead communication with call back features allowing direct communication with people to assess the severity of an incident or providing directions to an area of refuge.
- Alarm Monitoring equipment provided by CES and services by EMERgency24. Proper monitoring of your systems to ensure they are functioning properly, along with immediate notification of authorized personnel and first responders, is critical in providing the necessary levels of response to an incident.
No one can fully prevent an incident from ever happening, however, CES can be an effective partner in providing systems that establish an environment in which children and adults can feel safer walking through those school doors every day.
Questions to ask of your current systems:
- Are my current system(s) old/outdated?
- Am I taking full advantage of the most current technology out there?
- Do I have multiple manufacturers installed among multiple facilities?
- Do I have a test and inspect schedule in place for all of my systems?
- Can I integrate any of my systems together on a common platform?
- Do I have a maintenance plan in place to service my equipment?
We would enjoy hearing from you! We’ve made this Blog interactive to promote discussion and engagement from readers. Please feel free to ask questions or offer additional information; we are ready to engage with answers.
Additionally, we have video footage available on our You Tube site showing some of the systems mentioned here in action! Please also visit us on Facebook and LinkedIn.