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.

The Role of Technology in K-12 School Safety

WSI Comandix on January 29, 2018

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Years ago, K-12 students had fire drills and “say no to drugs” programs. Some school districts also had students practice using emergency exits on buses. Today, there are lockdown drills to protect students against shooters and terrorists. There are extensive programs about bullying, sexual assault and weapons. Although serious violence is relatively rare, most schools are affected on some level. The wide range of threats facing K-12 schools today not only threaten the lives of students and staff, but they also affect educational performance and outcomes.

Schools are increasingly turning to technology to enhance safety and prevent, intervene with, and respond to incidents. In the report, The Role of Technology in Improving K-12 School Safety, the RAND Corporation examines the current state of school safety practices, technological solutions and challenges. School safety experts were asked about the benefits and drawbacks of the following 12 technologies:

  • Entry Control Equipment. Remotely controlled, electromagnetic door locks make it easier to control access to schools.
  • Identification Technology. ID badges, parking stickers and biometric scanners allow authorized and unauthorized personnel to be identified more accurately.
  • Video Surveillance Technology. Cameras record activity, serve as evidence and identification tools, and deter criminals who fear being monitored.
  • Communication Technology. Two-way interactive systems make it possible to alert law enforcement to incidents and suspicious activities and individuals.
  • School-Site Alarm and Protection Systems. These tools alert school officials and emergency responders and protect students and staff during a dangerous situation.
  • Emergency Alerts. Automated notifications such as emails and text messages keep people informed and prevent the spread of unsubstantiated rumors.
  • Metal Detectors and X-Ray Machines. Handheld, walk-through and x-ray equipment help security teams prevent weapons from entering schools.
  • Anonymous Tip Lines. Phone hotlines, voicemail systems and websites enable students to report incidents or suspicions without fear.
  • Tracking Systems. Mobile applications and GPS devices allow student movement to be tracked.
  • Maps of School Terrain and Bus Routes. Geographic information systems (GISs) help emergency responders plan for crisis by plotting school terrain and transit routes.
  • Violence Prediction Technology. Predictive analytics software helps to predict the location, time and perpetrators of violent behavior.
  • Social Media Monitoring. Automated content monitoring tools can identify warning signs or even capture evidence of bullying and other threats.

Despite the benefits, there are potential risks associated with adopting technology to improve safety. Student privacy could be compromised. Violence prediction tools could result in unfair treatment of certain students, and both perpetrators and victims could be falsely identified.

Technology can have a negative impact on how students view their schools, which must strike the right balance between ensuring safety and feeling like a prison. K-12 districts also struggle to find the best ways to invest in safety solutions, which can be cost-prohibitive.

Three of the top five technologies with the least concerns are communication technology, alarms and emergency alerts.

Video surveillance systems are also widely used — 60 percent of public and 40 percent of private schools reported using video surveillance cameras. Schools use video surveillance to monitor vulnerable and high-risk areas, for visual enhancement during emergency events, and also as a deterrent.

Eastern DataComm’s LENS (Lockdown and Emergency Notification System) provides reliable, immediate and automated communication in case of an emergency. One-button notification allows you to instantly and automatically alert all students and staff of an emergency or threat. LENS can be integrated with existing infrastructure and communication systems The solution can also incorporate wireless radio to activate outdoor strobe lights, speakers and sign boards across school grounds. Emergency notification software can be configured to automatically notify administrators when 911 is dialed or a lockdown or evacuation is initiated. The system can be activated through any phone using a four-digit code.

Eastern DataComm also offers industry-leading video surveillance solutions, along with the expertise to help schools take maximum advantage of them. Our specialists can also help schools use compression and data optimization techniques to reduce the storage requirements of video surveillance, as well as comprehensive network and cabling integration.

Cost-efficient solutions enhance safety, security and day-to-day communications in schools and municipalities. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Video Surveillance Compression that Delivers Both Efficiency and Image Quality

WSI Comandix on January 15, 2018

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Video surveillance consumes a ton of storage capacity and bandwidth. The higher the quality of the video, the more it consumes. For example, 1080 HD video requires as much as 10.5GB of storage per minute of video. This is why video data footage should be compressed. Compression reduces storage requirements by reducing the number of bits in a video file.

There are two types of compression – lossy and lossless. With lossy compression, the video file “loses” data, which can result in lower quality. Video uploaded to the Internet typically uses lossy compressions to minimize the size of the file and maintain a reasonable level of quality.

No data is lost with lossless compression, but the compressed video file is typically the same size as the original file. This is why lossless compression is typically used for file transfers, not to reduce storage and bandwidth requirements.

There are three common data compression standards. MPEG-2 is a lossy compression that can reduce the size of a video file by up to 30 times. It is typically used for DVDs and streaming of video and broadcast TV on mobile devices. The primary drawback of MPEG-2 is that it’s inefficient and requires significant processing power.

JPEG 2000, which incorporates both lossy and lossless compression, requires less processing power and offers better image clarity than MPEG-2. However, JPEG 2000 is also inefficient, and complex textures, lines and curves can result in image quality degradation.

Used by YouTube, Blu-Ray and other popular formats and platforms, H.264 has until recently been the most efficient video compression standard. But H.264 requires even more processing power than MPEG-2 and is sensitive to motion complexity and speed.

Panasonic H.265 COMPRESSION

The newest standard is the high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard. Also called H.265, HEVC is capable of delivering the same quality as H.264 but with half the bit rate at any fixed bandwidth. HEVC is used by Netflix, Amazon and other popular streaming services, and is the optimal standard for video surveillance.

Panasonic’s i-PRO Extreme video surveillance platform, a native, end-to-end HEVC/H.265 compression system, is available in the latest Panasonic cameras, recorders and management software. The i-PRO Extreme platform delivers enhancements in three key areas – compression, visibility and reliability.

HEVC/H.265 compression reduces streaming and storage requirements by about 50 percent compared to H.264 while maintaining high image quality. Panasonic’s Smart Coding technology reduces bandwidth requirements for relatively still scenes. Auto VIQ (Variable Image Quality on Specified Area) automatically analyzes scenes for motion and intelligently reduces bandwidth even further. Combined, the two features improve efficiency by up to 75 percent.

The new H.265-enabled cameras include an H.264 compatibility mode, enabling organizations to migrate portions of their video surveillance system to the new standard at their own pace. Organizations can maximize existing investments in H.264 products while reducing costs and future-proofing their networks.

Panasonic i-PRO Extreme cameras can automatically capture high-quality images, even in poorly lit, constantly changing environments. When in Intelligent Auto Mode, i-PRO Extreme optimizes image quality by automatically adjusting camera settings in real-time according to current scene dynamics and motion. Additional features include color night vision, smart facial coding, auto-failover and robust security.

The right compression technology is critical for high-quality, highly efficient video surveillance. Let us show you how Panasonic’s i-PRO Extreme platform can bring the benefits of HEVC/H.265 to your video surveillance system.

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