Security and safety top the list of education facility priorities
Surveyed facility managers cite campus access control, site security and occupant safety as key focus areas
According to a report released by Honeywell, 93% of surveyed facility managers within the education vertical say they have experienced at least one emergency incident stemming from infrastructure malfunction during the last 12 months, and 43% report a physical site or cybersecurity breach in that time. Nearly half (45%) say they rank site security (video surveillance and campus access control) or fire and life safety systems as a top priority over the next 12 to 18 months.
This report, “Rethinking Education Facilities as Digital Entities,” the second in Honeywell’s 2021 Building Trends series, presents the assessments, challenges and priorities of education facility managers in the United States, Germany and China. It highlights current conditions in school facilities, spanning both geographical regions and education levels — from pre-kindergarten through primary, secondary, trade schools, colleges and universities. Facility managers voice their concerns about physical infrastructure, such as outdated HVAC systems, as well as plans to invest in digital infrastructure to enhance site security, occupant safety, building health and emergency response.