With schools across the U.S. now on extended shutdowns, there’s no better time to conduct a thorough assessment of school building intrusion alarms, according to a Sonitrol Great Lakes educational security expert.
“While there has certainly been much emphasis on student safety, we mustn’t overlook the importance of protecting the school district’s physical property as well,” says Clay Crost, director, education market at Sonitrol Great Lakes. “Consider the large value of the buildings themselves, physical inventory of classroom materials, computers and audio/video systems, and it becomes especially important.”
Crost adds, “Having buildings closed for an extended period presents a good opportunity to inspect your electronic security system to ensure it’s in good working order and free of vulnerabilities.”
In addition, school officials should be aware of how their intrusion systems are armed and operated, as well as how notifications occur in the event of a security breach. Crost advises that a remote wireless application can allow officials to monitor their security systems without having to travel to the campus.
If the security system is monitored 24/7, having verified response in place is another important consideration to prevent false alarms and unnecessary response by police.
Simplicity is also important, according to Crost. “Are you giving people a mile-long set of instructions to navigate your school security system? How complicated is it? Simple solutions are better. Rather than being complicated, most importantly, it has to be working right.”
Sonitrol Great Lakes has been protecting schools across the Michigan – Illinois region for more than 50 years, and has the proven experience required to protect schools in session and well as during this current health crisis. Contact us to learn more.