Blog - Eastern DataComm

8 Factors to Consider When Implementing a Cloud Phone System

WSI Comandix on December 15, 2021

In a previous post, we discussed why more organizations are moving their phone systems to the cloud and what to look for in a cloud phone system. More than cost savings, a cloud phone system offers more control and flexibility, simpler management, the ability to add or remove users and services as needed, access to advanced features and applications, and built-in redundancy and disaster recovery.

Despite the benefits, adopting a cloud phone system is not a risk-free proposition. Implementing and using a cloud service is relatively simple, but aligning a cloud phone system with business operations and goals to maximize ROI is a complex process that requires a well-defined plan.

Here are eight factors to consider when moving your phone system to the cloud.

User Experience. What applications and features do users need to become more productive? What are their priorities? Do different groups of users need different tools and services? Engage employees throughout the process to ensure the solution you choose is a good fit.
Long-Term, Strategic Planning. Most organizations use a cloud phone system with other applications and services from multiple vendors. In addition to an implementation plan, there needs to be a roadmap in place to ensure disparate platforms can be integrated and performance can be holistically managed.
Technology Evaluation. It’s tempting to choose the cheapest solution or even the one that seems easiest to use. However, cloud phone solutions must be evaluated based on business and communications requirements. This will ensure the system you choose has your must-have features, as well as valuable features you may choose to add down the road.
A Phased Migration. As we mentioned in the previous post, you don’t have to move everything to the cloud at once. Migrating to a cloud-based phone system in phases allows you to move small groups of users and/or services to the cloud and gradually increase as you work out the kinks with minimal disruption.
Assessment and Testing. What is the current state of the user experience and performance? What will the minimum benchmark be after implementation of a cloud phone system? Will your IT environment be ready to support phone features in the cloud today and in the future? Assess and test before, during and after deployment as needs evolve.
Performance and Quality Monitoring. Proactively troubleshooting and addressing issues will help you avoid disruption to business operations and the user experience. Data from a variety of sources will need to be collected and correlated to maintain high levels of performance and quality.
Application Integration. Users must be able to access all applications in a cloud phone system through a single interface. Otherwise, you’re asking for inefficiency and management complexity that can negate some cloud benefits. Make sure the applications you choose can integrate with other platforms.
Security, Compliance and Business Continuity. A cloud provider should be able to prove to you that your data and applications will be secure and minimum compliance requirements will be met. The provider should also have a documented business continuity plan in case of an emergency.

Do not underestimate the skills and resources required to migrate to the cloud and meet ROI and productivity expectations. In most cases, this is not a do-it-yourself project, and it’s never a learn-as-you-go project.

Eastern DataComm can provide the expert guidance you need to successfully implement cloud solutions. Let us help you assess your existing infrastructure, develop a migration plan, and evaluate solutions to take full advantage of the benefits and minimize risk.

LENS Customization Meets School District’s Unique Safety Requirements

WSI Comandix on December 7, 2021

In the wake of the horrific 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a Federal Commission on Safety was established to research and recommend best practice solutions to improve school safety. As part of its final report, the commission recommended a multilayered approach to physical security that addresses the needs of diverse student populations, including students with disabilities.

That’s a recommendation that resonated with officials at the Berkeley Heights (NJ) Public School District.

The district comprises six schools serving approximately 2,500 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Governor Livingston High School is well known throughout the region for its award-winning inclusive education program for deaf, hard of hearing and cognitively impaired students.

The safety of those students was a high priority when the district embarked on a project to improve its emergency notification system in 2019. Officials quickly discovered that longtime technology provider Eastern DataComm could provide the ideal solution.

Meeting Special Needs

Our team at Eastern DataComm, which has been supporting the district’s Mitel phone system for many years, showed officials how its proven Lockdown and Emergency Notification System (LENS) could be integrated with the phone system to boost security across the district’s six school buildings. Best of all, the system could easily be customized to meet the unique requirements of its hearing-impaired population.

In a recent case study, Mike Skara, the technology coordinator for Berkeley Heights Schools, noted that most notification systems are highly reliant on horns, loudspeakers and public address notifications to warn students, teachers and staff of an emergency. The district would need a system that featured more visual alerts for students in the high school’s deaf and hard-of-hearing program.

Our engineering specialists at Eastern DataComm accounted for such scenarios when originally designing the LENS solution. In addition to generating emergency notifications over phones, intercoms and loudspeakers, the system integrates strobe lights and LED signage to deliver visual cues. Accommodating Berkeley Heights’ special requirements only involved adding additional signs and lights in the high school’s classrooms and common areas such as the cafeteria.

Multiple Methods of Communication

EDC further customized the system to integrate with the school district’s Google G Suite collection of cloud-based tools that enable digital communication and collaboration between students and teachers. That creates additional avenues for delivering emergency notifications with alerts transmitted by phone, text and email. Additionally, notifications can be designated for distinct audiences in different buildings.

There was no guesswork with the LENS solution, either. Eastern DataComm has implemented LENS in hundreds of K-12 schools and municipalities in the New York/New Jersey Tri-State area.

“It’s a well-designed solution that was already being widely used, so it was pretty clear it would check off all the boxes for us,” said Skara. “Plus, Eastern DataComm was able to customize it for our particular needs.”

School safety and security solutions must account for the needs of all students, and provide for multiple modes of communication with administrators, staff, teachers, first responders and law enforcement. Eastern DataComm’s LENS solution prepares schools to respond rapidly in any emergency.

Is your school best prepared to handle the worst? Get the conversation started by contacting us by phone (201)-457-3311 or email [email protected] today.

7 Ways Unified Communications Benefits State and Local Government

WSI Comandix on November 15, 2021

Many government agencies at the state and local level still rely upon legacy phone systems or Centrex-type services leased from carriers. These older systems are difficult to manage, expensive to maintain, and lack many of the features of a modern communications platform. Designed when most workers sat at desks throughout the day, they are incapable of supporting today’s remote and mobile workers.

Unified Communications for Public Services

Legacy phone systems aren’t just frustrating for government employees — they make it difficult for agencies to meet the expectations of their constituents. As consumers we have grown accustomed to seamless communication via a variety of channels, including phone, email, text and online chat. We are used to having ready access to accurate, up-to-date information. We demand this level of service from businesses, and expect nothing less from government agencies.

An IP-based unified communications (UC) platform can help state and local governments enhance both their operations and the services they deliver. UC brings together voice, video and collaboration tools in a single interface, eliminating communications silos and enabling seamless transition from one channel to another. “Presence” lets users know whether someone is available and their preferred means of communication, eliminating phone tag. UC solutions can also be wirelessly integrated with other applications and data to streamline workflows and provide one-click access to powerful communications tools.

Unified Communications for Government: 7 Benefits

UC makes it easier for constituents to reach the right person to answer their questions and solve their problems. UC supports personalized call handling and routing, as well as auto-attendant and contact center capabilities.
IP communications creates a common platform across multiple sites and agencies. (ex: Borough Hall and the police department, DPW, town library and/or the fire department.) By enabling real-time collaboration, it helps boost productivity, speed response times and facilitate decision-making.
Many government agencies are using telework programs to reduce costs, provide for continuity of operations, and give employees greater flexibility. A UC system can be extended to teleworkers so they remain connected and have access to the tools they need when working remotely.
Many municipal administrators and other key personnel are frequently out of the office. The mobile device integration enabled by a modern UC platform gives them secure access to the communications environment — anytime, anywhere. With mobility, administrators can make and receive phone calls just as if they are at their desks.
Because IP communications leverages the data network for voice calls, it is more cost-efficient and easier to manage than legacy platforms. Web-based administration tools simplify moves, adds and changes across multiple locations. Teams can access comprehensive features and functionality without draining vital resources. With a short amount of training, most anyone can easily access this information and make these changes – saving costs with a limited IT team that many municipalities have.
Whether on-premises or in the cloud, today’s UC platforms have a fault-tolerant and redundant architecture that helps ensure continuous availability for disaster recovery.
An IP communications system can also be integrated with physical security systems. UC becomes the communications platform for emergency notification systems. With the LENS solution, a municipality can notify everyone inside and outside the building as well as other sites that an emergency event has commenced. The UC platform enables the solution to call the local police, 911 and key administrators simultaneously as well.

The ShoreTel Unified Communications platform is a proven solution that connects people and information while reducing total cost of ownership. It is highly secure and reliable, with failover capabilities that are essential to government agencies for both day-to-day operations and during emergency situations. You can ensure high quality services with enterprise-class availability to meet the demands of your employees and constituents.

At Eastern DataComm, we are proud of our history serving the communications needs of state and local governments.

Let us show you how we can enhance the quality of your communications infrastructure to help you increase efficiency and better serve your constituents. Contact us today!

How Communication and Automation Improve School and Office Safety

WSI Comandix on October 5, 2021

Tragedies involving violence at our schools and places of work have made safety a top-of-mind issue across the country. Many states, counties and municipalities have passed or are considering legislation that mandates increased security measures and greater cooperation between schools, law enforcement and the community at large. Public- and private-sector organizations are dedicating budget dollars to security technologies and training programs designed to enhance school safety.

Traditionally, schools and larger office spaces have focused on perimeter security such as video surveillance and access controls to prevent intruders from entering their facilities. While these tools are beneficial, experts agree that crisis planning and staff training in lockdown procedures play a more critical role in safety. Lockdown drills are recommended best practices that enable schools and offices to test security protocols and give staff an opportunity to practice procedures. With proper training, human beings can assess situations, make quick decisions and communicate vital information that saves lives.

But the human element can also be a weak link in security. Training and drills can at best simulate an emergency. In an actual crisis it’s difficult to predict how human beings will react.

School Safety Case Study

Delaware Valley Regional High School District recognized this weakness and sought an automated emergency notification solution that could be activated from virtually anywhere on campus. The district asked Eastern DataComm to implement our Lockdown and Emergency Notification System (LENS), which promptly notifies teachers, students and staff of an emergency situation and to immediately initiate lockdown procedures.

Old and Outdated Paging System

Delaware Valley had a 30-year-old PBX and a poorly functioning PA system that had been extended over time. The project involved implementing a ShoreTel Unified Communications system, revamping the PA system and integrating both with the L.E.N.S. Entering a code on any ShoreTel phone triggers an automated system that calls 911, alerts administrative staff and causes a series of prerecorded announcements to be played over the PA system.

Adding Strobe Lights and Display Messages

Because audible announcements cannot always be heard, the system also activates strobe lights, and the district is planning to add digital signage that will display emergency messages. Wireless transmitters using the same FM bands as first responders extend the system to outdoor facilities, parking lots and other areas where wiring is cost-prohibitive.

Launch Emergency Procedures From a Mobile App

The emergency procedures can also be initiated via a mobile app installed on smartphones. This enables administrators to utilize the L.E.N.S. remotely, and allows teachers to summons help in the event of an emergency on a sports field or other outdoor location.

In adopting LENS by Eastern DataComm, Delaware Valley has been able to meet best practices set by the New Jersey State Police for rapid response in a crisis. The New Jersey School Security Task Force, among other authorities, have prioritized the implementation of emergency communications systems as a means of improving school safety. The automation enabled by the LENS speeds response times and reduces confusion, panic and misinformation by ensuring that information is disseminated swiftly and clearly.

No school or office wants to be the site of the next tragedy. Let us show you how the LENS can help you enhance safety through automated emergency response and notifications. Contact us today to discuss your emergency notification needs.

Critical Pieces of a School Emergency Notification System

WSI Comandix on September 25, 2021

Multiple modes of communication is the first critical piece when implementing a school emergency notification system. In an emergency situation, seconds count. Panic and confusion are deadly. Everyone in danger must be alerted as quickly as possible, and advised whether to lockdown, shelter in place or evacuate.

Key Components of a School Emergency Notification System

A fully functional emergency notification system consists of multiple interconnected components designed to disseminate alerts quickly and efficiently. Schools must implement multiple communication channels to ensure that everyone—students, staff, visitors, and emergency responders—receives timely and accurate alerts.

Essential Elements of an Effective System:

Visual Alerts – Digital signage, LED beacons, and desktop notifications that provide clear, immediate warnings in classrooms, hallways, and outdoor spaces.
Audible Alerts – PA systems, pre-recorded announcements, and sirens that ensure messages are heard across campus, even in noisy environments.
Text and Mobile Alerts – SMS, push notifications, and automated emails that reach staff, parents, and emergency responders instantly.
Integration with Access Control – Systems that lock doors automatically, alert security teams, and restrict access to unauthorized individuals.
Emergency Response Coordination – Direct integration with local police, fire departments, and first responders, ensuring real-time situational awareness.

Having multiple layers of communication prevents reliance on a single notification method that could fail due to technical issues, power outages, or network disruptions.

Study Shows Importance of Multiple Modes of Communication

That’s one of the takeaways from the New Jersey School Security Task Force Report and Recommendations, published in July 2015. The two years study into school security found the importance of rapid and clear communication in emergency response. Critical information should be distributed “without delay in an understandable format,” ideally using multiple modes of communication.

Many Schools Are Not Prepared For Emergency Situations

Unfortunately, many schools are ill-equipped for active shooter situations, school lockdowns and emergency messages via mass notification. For example, announcements made over a PA system may not be heard in noisy areas, playgrounds, parking lots, sports fields or outdoor areas. Visitors to a public school building may be unaware of an emergency. As a result, emergency notification systems need both visual clues and audible alerts to ensure that staff members, students and visitors are alerted.

The Role of Mass Notification Systems in School Safety

Mass notification systems for schools are designed to deliver emergency messages quickly across various platforms, ensuring no one is left uninformed during a crisis.

Why Mass Notification Systems Are Essential

Faster Emergency Response – Automated alerts reduce delays caused by manual notifications, allowing for immediate action.
Multi-Location Alerts – Schools often have multiple buildings, outdoor areas, and off-campus facilities that require different notification strategies. A mass notification system ensures the right message reaches the right location.
Customizable Messaging – Different emergencies require specific instructions (e.g., lockdown, shelter-in-place, or evacuation), preventing panic and confusion.
Redundant Communication Paths – Ensures that if one communication method fails, others remain operational, safeguarding continuity in crisis situations.

By implementing a robust mass notification system, schools can enhance safety in schools by ensuring consistent, reliable, and wide-reaching emergency communication.

School Emergency Notification System Case Study

This approach to emergency communications is especially important for individuals with disabilities. That’s why St. Joseph’s School for the Blind selected the Lockdown and Emergency Notification System (LENS) from Eastern DataComm. Because of visual impairments and multiple disabilities, St. John’s students needed clear warnings as quickly as possible if an emergency were to occur.

Lockdown and Emergency Notification System by Eastern DataComm

LENS uses a proprietary controller integrated with the school’s PA system, strobe lights, wireless speakers and digital signage. Activate the system by dialing a code on any phone or pressing a lockdown button placed in key areas throughout the building. The emergency notifications spread throughout the campus in seconds. School administrators and first responders (local police, 911 and the Chief of Police) are also contacted simultaneously and automatically.

The Importance of Access Control in Emergency Situations

An emergency notification system for schools should integrate with access control to improve security response and protect students and staff.

How Access Control Enhances School Emergency Response

Automated Door Locking – During a lockdown or emergency, the system can automatically lock all doors, preventing intruders from moving through the building.
Real-Time Entry Monitoring – Schools can track who enters and exits in real-time, ensuring unauthorized individuals cannot access restricted areas.
Immediate Notification to Security Personnel – If an access breach occurs, alerts are sent instantly to security teams, allowing them to respond before threats escalate.
Visitor Management Integration – Ensures that temporary visitors, contractors, and delivery personnel are included in emergency communications, preventing gaps in security.
Remote Access Control – Administrators can lock or unlock doors from a centralized dashboard, improving response time in rapidly evolving emergencies.

Integrating access control for schools with mass notification systems allows schools to respond to threats dynamically, reducing risks and ensuring swift security actions.

Hearing Audible Alerts

Hearing audible alerts throughout campus was of particular importance to St. Joseph’s. Eastern DataComm replaced the school’s aging PA system with a modern, less expensive solution. Additional speakers were installed to ensure there were no “dead spots” where announcements could not be heard. In addition, since the ShoreTel IP phone system has built in, handsfree intercom capabilities, the new paging only needed to make overhead announcements.

A key component of LENS is Eastern DataComm’s expertise. The Eastern DataComm team analyzed the school’s facilities, designed the system and developed a detailed project plan. The ShoreTel phone system and other major components were installed and tested over winter break to minimize disruption. St. Joseph’s had planned to leave its old phone system online in case of problems, but the cutover went without a hitch. As a result, the Paramus School in Paramus, NJ now has a flexible, highly reliable phone system with advanced features and crisp audio.

Emergency Notification System Compliance & Best Practices

Schools must follow specific safety and security guidelines to ensure their emergency notification systems are effective, reliable, and legally compliant.

Best Practices for School Emergency Notification Compliance

State & Local Safety Standards – Many school districts require compliance with state-specific safety guidelines for mass notification systems. Schools should review district safety policies and ensure their system meets emergency communication mandates.
Regular System Testing & Drills – Schools should conduct monthly system tests and biannual emergency drills to confirm that alerts are reaching all intended recipients.
Data Privacy & Security Compliance – Schools must ensure that contact information used for emergency alerts is stored securely and follows data protection laws.
Accessible Notifications for All Students & Staff – Schools must ensure that alerts accommodate individuals with disabilities, including visual and hearing impairments, by using both audio and visual alert methods.
Failover & Backup Systems – Redundant notification methods must be in place so that messages still go out if a primary system fails due to power outages or network issues.

By following these best practices, schools can ensure their emergency notification system is reliable, compliant, and effective in protecting everyone on campus.

Strengthening School Safety with the Right Security Partner

Creating a safe learning environment requires integrated technology, strategic planning, and expert support.

At Eastern DataComm, we provide:

Custom Emergency Notification Systems – Ensuring instant, multi-channel communication.
Access Control for Schools – Enhancing security by automating lockdowns and restricting access.
Mass Notification Systems for Schools – Seamlessly integrated with PA systems, digital signage, and mobile alerts.
VoIP & Paging Solutions – Ensuring clear, school-wide communication during emergencies.

Although designed especially for school safety, LENS can help any organization increase safety through integrated communication and automation features.

Take proactive steps to improve safety and security in schools. Contact Eastern DataComm for a demonstration of this unique solution.

How to Keep a School Site Secure

WSI Comandix on September 2, 2021

Providing a safe learning environment through ‘smart’ on-campus security is one of the most important responsibilities for schools across America.

Over the past few years, school security has been prioritized with greater investment of time and resources in safety measures. It’s a school’s direct responsibility to implement solutions that consider the various nuances of a school’s environment. From implementation of best-practice protocols and training, through to preventative technologies and systems to heighten the on-campus security and capabilities in times of an emergency – schools are capitalizing on more sophisticated ways to keep schools’ sites more secure.

Here are some of the most effective strategies and methods that your school can implement to advance its school site security.

Safety Prevention

The physical safety of students is the primary concern for all education providers in America. Therefore, the first and most important step to upholding school security is adopting a School Emergency Operations plan. This allows you to implement a security infrastructure that provides protection, enables students to attend school with peace of mind, and fosters an enhanced learning environment.

All schools must have an emergency plan in place to outline necessary protocols and ensure student safety in an emergency. When reviewing your emergency plan, it’s important to outline all protocols in a systematic and logical manner. Involving a multitude of stakeholders during the planning process is also beneficial to ensure no procedures are overlooked.

Another key prevention method is creating a positive and supportive environment in which students help one another, discourage violence or bullying, in turn helping promote a safer school environment. Combining a strategy that facilitates security protocols and student-based support has proven the most effective way to foster a supportive and safe learning experience.

Safety Monitoring

To help facilitate the long-term well-being of staff and students, it’s necessary to monitor your school regularly. Adopting the most advanced technology into your school security systems allows you to monitor who is entering and leaving the school grounds at any given time. It also enables you to understand the school community and interactions within the space giving credence to addressing issues at their core.

One key technology that schools can incorporate into all security monitoring procedures is video surveillance, providing your school with 24/7 coverage of who is on the premises and their movements. Having the ability to monitor your school site at any given time allows you to reduce external threats and offers greater perspective in an emergency. The addition of cloud-based solutions can enhance security controls and allow a deeper understanding of how your school operates. When an emergency does arise, features such as motion sensors allow you to find footage of specific regions and can receive vital information to act quickly against any threat towards student safety.

Safety Warnings

A coherent school emergency operations plan ensures that both staff and students have a thorough understanding of protocols associated with an emergency event. However, a plan of action is not enough. Efficient communication is a vital factor in your ability to react to an emergency or threat. Alerting emergency systems facilitates the communication of essential information and enables you to inform staff and students of the important updates during an emergency.

The LENS solution can address communication needs and provide reassurance in the event of a lockdown or emergency. LENS is an emergency notification system that fully automates communication processes during an emergency. LENS promptly notifies proper authorities and everyone in the school grounds of the emergency. This integrated technology solution greatly improves your school’s ability to respond to a threat or an emergency; helping to protect staff and students 24/7.

It’s vital to ensure your school site is safe and secure to protect your students and teachers. By implementing the right processes and procedures, your school can facilitate a positive learning space for students. This will ensure that staff and students have the right knowledge and awareness to handle situations as they arise.

For more information regarding emergency notification solutions like LENS and video surveillance, contact Eastern DataComm for a consultation to adopt the most appropriate solutions to protect your school.

School Safety During an Emergency

WSI Comandix on August 10, 2021

When an emergency strikes your school, the situation must be handled quickly and effectively to minimize further risk and incidents. Does your school provide a safe school environment during an emergency? It’s vital that each situation has been carefully planned for and that a comprehensive implementation plan is actioned.

There’re many school emergencies that can occur such as: fires, floods, student injuries, dangerous animals, gas leaks, missing students, hostage, or bomb situations and many other events. When your school can effectively manage an emergency, your school has the opportunity to provide additional support to students and educators, while developing effective coping mechanisms for everyone involved.

Here’s what your school should be doing to keep safe in an emergency.

Regulatory Compliance

Schools must be aware of the latest local regulations and written policies and procedures when it comes to handling emergency situations. If your school wants to effectively manage emergency situations, you can regularly practice, monitor, and review existing policies and procedures with educators, and pass on the necessary information and steps to students. By doing this, your school can ensure both students and educators are clear on the complying with legal and organisational regulations. If you want to be proactive and maximize your school safety, you can display a floor plan of the school with the required steps and procedures near exit doors and in classrooms. This enables students to easily review the required actions for an emergency and become familiar with them.

Delegate Educator Roles and Responsibilities

For a school safety plan to be successful during an emergency, it’s essential for the roles and responsibilities to be delegated to the appropriate educators and employees. These roles should be frequently discussed in meetings and practiced each month for everyone to be aware of what their role entitles and what their responsibilities are in the event of an emergency. The safety of students is the number one priority of schools and it’s important you do everything possible to maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Develop Evacuation Plans

Evacuation plans are used when a school must immediately leave the area as the school facility is no longer safe and there’s risks of danger to the wellbeing of students and educators. Evacuation plans are vital and must be implemented and practiced in all schools. To further protect the safety of your school, you can display the plan on a map in a prominent area throughout the school so it can be reviewed. The one-page map must be simple and have an assemble location and step-by-step overview of the evacuation process.

Here are 7 key steps in an evacuation plan:

Sound the school warning alarm
The nominated employer or supervisor can dial 911
The nominated employee can collect an emergency pack (mobile, first aid, attendance list and records)
All educators must direct students to the nominated assembly locations (often a large open space such as an oval or sports court)
Check student attendance list
Wait for emergency services and agencies to attend
Remain at assembly location until advised by emergency services it’s safe to return to the school facilities.

Plan for School Lockdowns

In some emergencies, your school employees can manage a lockdown without the need for emergency services. More serious situations like threats of violence from intruders will require emergency services. When emergency services are needed, the school must act fast by locking doors, closing windows, and getting students and educators to hide under tables and stay down low out of site from intruders.

Here are 8 key steps in a lockdown plan:

Sound the school warning alarm
The nominated employer or supervisor to dial 911 (if required)
Immediately lock all doors, windows, and access points, while closing blinds (if available)
Ensure everyone is hidden and stays down low out of site from the intruders
Check the attendance list of students
Educators should provide support to students – try to calm them down and remain quiet
Liaise with emergency services and delegate communications across the school
Remain in lockdown until emergency services give all clear

Improve School Safety with an Emergency Pack

If your school is organized and prepared with an emergency pack, you can improve your school safety during an emergency. An emergency pack contains a range of supplies that might be required should an emergency situation occur. Your school can ensure the emergency pack is always prepared by scheduling monthly checks during your audit and practice of emergency plans. What should your emergency pack contain to improve school safety during an emergency?

Portable first aid kit
Portable emergency contact list (laminated to prevent damage)
Tissues
Plastic bags
Fully charged mobile phone
Copy of evacuation and lockdown plan and procedures
Reading books to entertain distressed students
Bottled water and plastic cups

An emergency pack can contain a range of items which can be tailored to the needs of your students and your school.

To improve safety during an emergency, your school must constantly review existing plans and procedures, undertake audits and find new ways to advance your plans and procedures, educate both employees and students and regularly practice the required steps and procedures with employees and students. By considering these factors and implementing new precautions to ensure your plans are up-to-date and effective, your school can provide a safer school environment during an emergency. By having a clear plan for the management of emergency situations, your school can quickly reduce the risks of harm and closely monitor students who are unable to concentrate or cope during an emergency.

What Teachers need to do in an emergency lockdown

WSI Comandix on July 30, 2021

Your worst nightmare is here. You’ve heard an alarm, there is an intruder in your school. Do you know what to do in a school emergency lockdown?

An emergency lockdown is used when a threat or incident occurs on the school premises. When a lockdown takes place, teachers must act quickly, and undertake tried and tested procedures and precautions to ensure a safe school environment for students.

5 Ways to Improve Schools Safety

WSI Comandix on July 19, 2021

School safety is an ongoing and complicated issue for many schools in the US, whether you’re an educator, administrator, student or visitor, a school environment must always be safe, and schools must do everything in their power to prevent intruders and other potential dangers. It’s a school’s responsibility to build a positive and safe climate that supports learning and protects students and employees from danger whilst on the premises. It’s a reasonable requirement for students and educators to feel comfortable and safe when in a classroom. Here are 5 strategies to help your school provide a safer environment.

1.Practice Emergency Plans

Schools should make safety a priority and conduct monthly safety drills to assess protocols, educate students and ensure facilities are secure. By regularly practicing emergency drills including lockdowns, evacuations and emergency communication protocols, students can become familiar with the drills and act quickly during a dangerous encounter. When practice drills experience issues, it offers schools the opportunity to develop and update emergency plans and procedures to deliver a safer environment for both students and educators.

2.Monitor School Visitors

Visitors entering the school must report to the main office, sign in and wear a visitors’ badge. Schools can then inform administrators and educators to report strangers and intruders when they’re not wearing a name badge. By monitoring school visitors, it allows your school to be proactive in its approach to increase safety.

3.Create A Supportive Environment

Creating a safe and supportive school environment delivers school-wide behavioral expectations and enhances a nurturing school climate. One of the most effective methods to deter drugs, bullying and violence is to create a supportive environment where students will feel less inclined to engage in problematic behaviors. Students who genuinely care and respect each other are more likely to contribute towards a safer school environment. When faculty create an environment that incentivizes students to support each other, it creates an ecosystem that prevents violent acts from occurring at school, creating a positive social culture and increase academic results.

4.Involve School Counsellors

To improve the safety of your school, you can equip counsellors with programs that aim to reduce aggression and dysfunctional behavior. When students are provided with the right information and activities to learn self-control, emotional awareness, social skills and problem-solve without verbal or non-verbal abuse, it can immediately create a safer school environment. Counsellors are an important service that schools should utilize to help students and provide the right resources and materials to overcome behavior issues.

5.Leverage Partnerships

Schools can use information from students, educators, employees, parents, and caregivers to analyze their opinions of school culture and climate. This information can be used to work towards a safer school and develop improvement plans. Schools can further leverage partnerships with the community to enhance safety measures for students beyond the school property, including Neighborhood Watch programs and the Police. Taking these extra measures can help your school create a supportive environment where students feel safe and connected.

Administrators can simply reinforce school safety practices and procedures, however, to improve school safety, students and educators must work together to develop a strong supportive environment and correctly implement emergency safety plans. It’s not easy to encourage students to follow through with visiting a counsellor or immediately conjuring a supporting climate, it takes time and ongoing effort. Schools can work towards these outcomes and improve safety by reinforcing existing safety measures while implementing new safety measures, monitoring school visitors, and leveraging new community partnerships.

How to Protect Schools from Intruders

WSI Comandix on July 15, 2021

Every school has a duty of care to provide a safe environment for students and educators. School is more than just a place to prepare you for a job, it’s a place for students to grow, interact with others, develop their skills, and get a real education. It’s for this reason schools must provide a safe working and learning environment for students, to help them achieve their best academically and develop socially. One of the many responsibilities of schools is to take the necessary preventative measures and protocols to protect students from intruders by implementing an efficient safety plan. Here are some ways your school can protect students and educators from potential dangers like intruders.