A decade ago, the University of the Pacific installed emergency phone towers and wall mounts from Talk-A-Phone as an upgrade to aging emergency communication equipment.
Unfortunately, the makings of an active shooter situation arise almost every day. Just weeks ago, for example, a 16-year-old student from Dysart High School of El Mirage, Ariz., was arrested for carrying a loaded .25-caliber handgun to school and for making threats to a 14-year-old student, according to a report from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
While it may seem easy to address separate threats in separate ways, there are advantages to taking a more integrated approach to the use of security technology on campus.
Especially in K-12 environments and in certain locations or situations within higher education, the ways that staff and security manage visitors can make a crucial difference, according to Patrick V. Fiel Sr., a recognized national campus security expert.
A vulnerability in a school records system could reveal the home address, social insurance number, telephone number and class schedule of any student enrolled, but when Hamed Al-Khabaz revealed and tested the flaw, he was expelled.
There are five basic tenets that can mitigate risk in K-12 schools across the U.S., says David Esquith, Director, Office of Safe and Healthy Students for the U.S. Department of Education
In today’s era of budget cuts, education leaders are looking for ways to leverage existing resources to meet institution-wide goals, as opposed to buying new, expensive tools that may or may not work as intended.
