Campus security systems - Expert commentary

Soft targets are civilian-centric places suchas churches and retail centres, where securityis not as fortified The terror attack on Paris on Nov. 13 lasted just 23 minutes. The bombers and gunmen split up and attacked seven sites: the soccer stadium where it all began, four restaurants, a bar and a concert venue. All told, they killed 130 people and injured 368 in the time it takes for a coffee break. This situation has raised questions about the security management for conce...

Educational institutions and security firms must work together to develop preventive programs College and university campuses provide a perfect cauldron for non-stranger rape — also known as acquaintance rape and date rape. A U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) study looked at reported rapes from 1995 to 2013. In that study, females ages 18 to 24 had the highest rate of rape and sexual assault victimizations of any other age group. A significant proportion of women 18 to...

The trend towards greater unification is facilitated by an all-encompassing shift to IP technologies As more organizations are looking for ways to maximize resources and increase operational efficiencies, unification of multiple security and business systems is gaining popularity. From the central command center, there is significant time lost when operators have to jump from video surveillance to access control systems to analyze an incident and take appropriate measures. Eve...

Honeywell recently helped the Penns Valley Area School district in Pennsylvania design and implement a custom security system Security systems are just part of the solution to protecting K-12 schools. Technology can contribute to a broader, holistic approach to security that is customized to meet the needs of each educational institution. Honeywell has helped many schools customize security systems to meet each school’s unique needs, says Bruce Montgomery, Business Deve...

To guide people under stress facing emergency situations, SchoolDude developed the CrisisManager smartphone app Last year, SchoolDude asked administrators at several hundred K-12 schools and colleges how they communicated their emergency and crisis management plans to administrators and faculty. Seventy-nine percent said they sent their emergency plans out in paper binders. Cary, N.C.-based SchoolDude, an education enterprise asset manager, conducted the study to see if there...

Beyond the need to install new systems, often overlooked is how schools are going to pay for security upgrades Limited financial resources are a common pain point for K-12 schools looking to implement cutting-edge security technology. But security needs persist despite scarce resources. All school administrators want to do everything in their power to secure their facilities against threats. More schools are recognizing the benefits and, in some cases, requirement of upgradin...

Readily available security technology can help officials take control of their campuses Two top priorities for school security are the ability to communicate within a facility, and the ability to control access of who comes and goes. Paul Timm, president of RETA Security, an independent school security consulting firm, acknowledges the value (and popularity) of video cameras for school security, but that value is almost completely realised in terms of forensics – reactin...

School administrators are now choosing products that make the biggest, long-term impact on campus security Well-publicised events such as the U.S. school shootings at Columbine and Sandy Hook lead to an increased demand of security equipment to protect kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education campuses. But do they also result in buying decisions made on impulse that don’t necessarily meet a school’s most pressing security needs? Increase In Demand For Secu...

It’s important for everyone in a high school to wear an ID Handwritten check in and check out books fail to alert the security risks posed by individuals on school campuses. Installing visitor management systems is imperative to screen and manage visitors and thereby enhance the level of safety in schools.  However, it takes training and practice to use school visitor management technologies effectively. Security technologies can go a long way toward making K-12 sc...

Schools are beefing up their security, with access control their go-to technology Schools are back in session after the winter break, but security is a 24/7 matter any time of year. K-12 and upper education are on high alert, dealing with increased incidents of violence, crime and vandalism. Access control is often the chosen technology of this vertical market, pairing well with CCTV, emergency communications and lockdown. Integrators and dealers who understand the nuances of...

Access control growth is driven by several factors A major shift from PC-based clients systems to solid state, embedded operating systems, browser-based user interfaces, remote services, and changes in compliance legislation are helping drive the rapidly growing adoption of access control systems in both the residential and commercial security markets. John LaFond, VP of Integrated Systems at Linear LLC, explains these contributing factors as Linear LLC looks towards the futur...

Key control is a very strategic and integral element within a school’s security platform It used to be that the word “lockdown” was only ever used in reference to an emergency protocol to restrict movement in a prison environment. Today however, the term is in common usage in educational and other environments to describe measures taken under certain conditions of threat. In this article, Fernando Pires, VP of Sales and Marketing at Morse Watchmans, explain...

IP surveillance cameras used in conjunction with VMS systems offer the best level of security for schools Campus security is a top priority in schools throughout the country and the capabilities of IP video surveillance systems make them one of the most popular and effective security tools available. In this article, Gadi Piran, President, OnSSI defines scope and structure of IP video and its advantages in a number of ways including: superior image quality, ease of manipulatio...

Gates and fencing can keep visitors to one part of a campus away from other parts of the campus The need for more robust security in schools has been brought to the fore by a series of shooting incidents in schools in the US in the last few years. While such incidents are relatively rare, the threat of untoward incidents in schools is real and too serious to be ignored. This article lists some essential steps for school administrators to respond to potential security issues ca...