During our visits to school districts for initial security assessments, the first question we at Sonitrol Great Lakes pose to administrators is: “Who is in charge of your district’s safety and security systems; hardware, software, testing, updates, and preventative maintenance?”
The responses vary from district to district. The responsible parties most often identified are facilities managers, IT directors, or in some districts, dedicated safety and security chiefs.
Keep in mind that facilities managers are also responsible for building construction and maintenance, together with electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. The critical responsibility of security adds a lot to an already full plate.
As for the IT director, they are fully tasked with purchasing, installing, updating and maintaining computers, their software, data servers, wi-fi links, and oh, by the way, let’s not forget about cybersecurity. Can the IT director really handle security systems given the broad scope of their workload?
The most ideal arrangement would be the appointment of a chief safety and security officer, dedicated solely to ensuring that all electronic safety and security systems are robust, scalable, and up-to-date with the latest technology.
Additionally, the chief safety and security officer routinely consults with security experts and equipment suppliers to stay abreast of the newest and most effective technology rollouts.
By realizing that every school district is different – in population, physical size, resources, and budget – we can help administrators determine the best course of action for allocating school safety and security responsibilities. Please contact us for a no-obligation school security assessment.