Comprehensive Security Systems: The Importance of Detecting, Communicating and Eliminating Threats to School Safety
This past Tuesday, December 14th marked the nine year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adult staff members. As we honor the precious lives lost that fateful December day, we must acknowledge that 18% of all U.S. school shootings have occurred since then, including the recent November 30th shooting in Oxford, Michigan that claimed the lives of four people.
As school shootings have become all-too common in the U.S. and Covid-19 infections are on the rise, it is imperative that schools have a fully comprehensive school safety and security system in place to effectively deescalate, and ideally eliminate, potential threats to staff and students. We’ve outlined the three steps necessary to effectively identify, communicate and eliminate a potential threat to school safety, as well as the corresponding life safety and security technologies associated with each step of the process.
1) Detecting Possible Threats to School Safety
When it comes to school safety and security, every second counts. As a result, it is imperative that schools are equipped with hi-tech danger detection systems to identify potential threats before it’s too late. A comprehensive danger detection system involves the following components:
2) Communicating the Threat to Students, Staff, and Emergency Services
After a potential threat is identified, the danger needs to be quickly and efficiently communicated. Students and staff need to be made aware of the danger in order to implement the district-wide response plan. At the same time, the appropriate emergency service personnel need to be notified so they can respond to the threat accordingly. An effective school communication system includes the following:
3) Eliminating the Threat to School Safety
While communicating a potentially dangerous situation to emergency services is an important step in eliminating a threat to school safety, a great deal of time occurs between the activation of an emergency response plan and the arrival of emergency services. This precious time can mean the difference between life and death, so the ability for a school to begin the deescalation process as quickly as possible is crucial. The following technologies are strongly recommended to secure your school as you await emergency personnel:
At Communication Company, we provide fully integrated systems addressing all aspects of school safety, including comprehensive notification systems, alarm monitoring, surveillance and door access systems, fire detection and extinguishing solutions, Covid-19 detection solutions, and vape/chemical/smoke detection solutions ensuring the security of your students, staff and building.
For more information on establishing a comprehensive school safety and security system, contact Jordan Moss at JMoss@communication-co.com or phone 574.299.0020.