Recent events have spurred numerous conversations about how schools can better protect both staff and children. Across the United States, schools everywhere have already begun evaluating and updating their security plans.
Nowadays, schools must be well prepared to handle a variety of threats. They must also be able to clearly communicate their school safety plan with both staff and parents.
Updating School Security Plans
A thorough evaluation of existing security measures must take place. This helps schools locate gaps and determine which new measures to implement into their school security plan. Existing plans should be updated and refined to include measures to protect against and prevent new threats. It’s also important that schools strengthen their partnerships with local law enforcement and other public safety officials.
Proper training is imperative to success. Everyone, including school administrators, teachers, and support staff must be fully trained on how to prevent school violence and crime. These individuals should understand all school security procedures as well as emergency plans.
School administrators are often overworked and do not have the time to properly learn school safety procedures. It’s crucial that school boards ensure this and other obstacles do not prevent proper security training.
Smart Technology
Technology is an increasing part of our day-to-day lives. It is also pivotal to the success of any school security plan. Surveillance cameras can be used to help identify individuals that might have been involved in school violence. Metal detectors help deter students from bringing guns or other weapons to school.
Studies have shown that it can take teachers up to forty seconds to find a key and lock their door. This is unacceptable in an emergency. Automatic locks provide the most reliable solution. These locks can be used to safeguard classrooms, libraries, and other areas.
School Security Assessment
Many schools hire outside agencies to perform regular security assessments. A professional assessment helps schools locate areas in their security plan that could benefit from improvement. This information can be used to help update and refine existing plans.
SMART Security Pros offers security solutions throughout Washington DC and Virginia. Please contact us for more information.
