The need to better protect our nation’s schoolchildren has never been clearer. News stories of tragic school shootings, once virtually unheard of, have become too common and sound the alarm that heightened security measures are sorely needed in school settings.
A layered approach to security is always an effective one. To safeguard schools, students, faculty, and staff, security measures need to be put in place, beginning from the perimeter and parking lots all the way to the classroom doors. These measures span everything from access control solutions and video surveillance, but perhaps one of the most critically needed security measures to put in place at schools is a viable and highly reliable visitor management system. It can be crucial in stopping an unwanted, dangerous intrusion before it starts.
Visitor management refers to tracking the usage of a public building or site. By gathering increasing amounts of information, a visitor management system can record the usage of the facilities by specific visitors and provide documentation of a visitor’s whereabouts. One of the first lines of defense, a visitor management system can grant or deny access to a premise and, as history has taught us, is so important when it comes to school security.
Having a robust visitor management system in place at a premise enables and/or denies entry to that premise and is critical in flagging any vulnerabilities in an existing security system. Nothing could be more important from a school security standpoint.
Because schools are public buildings with many people needing access, entrances need to be accessible but also secure. Recent news reports show that locks and/or door hardware have been the most popular access control purchases/upgrades made by school campuses over the past several years, and that mechanical locks and electronic locks are the most frequently used access control, lock, visitor management, and door hardware solutions at our nation’s schools.
A visitor management system can efficiently and effectively manage and control the flow of visitors, from entry to exit. Facilities such as schools that traffic student pickups as well as vendor drop offs like food deliveries for the cafeteria are well advised to opt for a visitor management system that enables pre-booking, a feature that lets them to pre-register before they actually arrive on the premises. This allows for a fast and efficient check-in process and less strain on front desk personnel.
Installations of secure entrance vestibules/mantraps are also on the rise at many schools to better control visitor management. These protective vestibules are simply a small room with one entry door on one wall and an exit door on the appropriate wall. One door can’t be opened until the opposite door has been shut and locked. Protective vestibules serve to separate non-secure areas from secure ones and defend against unauthorized access.
NextGen is deeply experienced in implementing a broad spectrum of security solutions that defend the safety and security threats that schools today face. Call on us to learn more about how expertise can elevate security at your educational facility.