How to Boost Educational Facility Security On A Limited Budget
A protected educational environment is more important than ever. Today’s climate of rising threats and potential risks makes it critical for school officials to regularly assess and enhance their educational facility security approach. However, most school districts are faced with improving school safety with a very limited budget and these tight restraints make it difficult to adequately address educational facility security issues.
Even when faced with restrictive budget restraints, it is possible to develop a security plan to improve campus safety. Here are just a few ways to boost educational facility security on a budget.
Do the Basics Well
Every educational institution is faced with growing concerns such as school violence, active shooters, and more. While there are sophisticated technologies such as gunshot detection to address these concerns, not every facility has the money to invest in them. That does not mean that you are at a loss to improve your prevention of such events, however.
To combat serious crime, make sure you are doing the basics exceptionally well. For example, have a single point of entrance and use access control, gated entry, and intercom systems. Install video surveillance to monitor for suspicious activity. Use emergency communication systems to notify students and staff in an emergency.
Get the Right Tools
Know how to invest your educational facility security spend by dealing with security professionals that can help you maximize it. A knowledgeable professional can help you stretch the budget while achieving security goals. Very often, institutions will unnecessarily over-spend, overlapping technologies, buying five video surveillance cameras when two can do the job, or using technologies where a simple protocol could solve the issue. To maximize your security spend, get the right tools and apply them rightly to provide a firm security system foundation.
Integrate Your Systems
Once your facility has a security foundation, make sure those systems are integrated. An integrated system is better at providing safety and initiating an emergency response than siloed systems. For example, a security breach at the entrance can initiate a mass notification, access control, and emergency response in one step. This provides more opportunity for staff and student response and faster emergency response.
Educate Your Staff and Students
No technology can replace a safety education and safety plan. Provide all staff and students with a comprehensive safety plan and regularly address safety issues openly.
Do you need more information about school security? Give SSP a call today! Headquartered near Atlanta, Georgia, we offer design, installation and service to local, regional and national clients. Call us today for more information!
