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.

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.

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