This is the second part of our discussion on school safety enhancements that your district could implement without much impact to your budget.
Building Exterior
- Physical access control: Do office staff have a direct line of sight to the entry door? Do they have a direct line of sight to a video/camera monitor? Do you have a monitor in the receptionist area that shows camera views from across the building or complex?
- Proper visitor management and control is imperative to maintaining a safe environment. Do visitors sign in and sign out? Do they provide identification? Is contact information collected? Are visitors escorted? Are packages, purses and bags subject to search? Are temporary ID badges provided and worn visibly?
- Landscaping: Are sightlines maximized by trimming or removing plants so that they are less than 2 feet tall within 6 feet of walkways? Less than 3 feet tall between 6-12 feet away from walkways? Are bushes trimmed to less than 6 inches below windowsills? Have thorny bushes and shrubs been used to discourage access? Are trees planted far enough away from buildings to avoid being used to access upper floors or the roof? Have trees been “limbed up” at least 7 feet from grade?
- Security lighting deters illegal activity, encourages positive behavior, increases use of space, reduces fear, aids in the identification of intruders and increases natural surveillance. How often are nighttime lighting audits being done to identify dark or dimly lit areas? Are exterior fixtures numbered to easily communicate non-functional lights to maintenance staff? Does local law enforcement routinely patrol the grounds at night?
- Have all exterior doors been numbered consecutively around the building, inside and outside, using reflective numbers at least 6 inches high? Have key retention devices been installed at main entrances to allow for access by first responders?
- Glazing/windows: Have objects such as large rocks, located outside, been removed to avoid smash and grab behavior? Has laminated film been applied to windows at main entrances? Do windows have shades to use during lockdowns to reduce visibility? Have all classrooms with exterior windows been numbered to provide an easy determination of location by first responders?
- Do wayfinding and signage complement access control and natural surveillance? Are signs present throughout the complex clearly identifying entry points and entry procedures?
- Are parking lots free from plant growth that limit visibility? Are pedestrian walkways clearly striped and signed? Is traffic forced to remote parts of the lot?
Building Interior
- Does the vestibule have a layered entry forcing visitors to go through at least two sets of locked doors?
- Are signs present throughout the interior of the complex identifying individual classrooms as well as directional signs to offices, restrooms, and common areas?
- Are employees inside the building taught to confront visitors that don’t have visible badges? Are employees taught to escort them to the office?
School Safety Solutions from the ISG
These are just some of the questions you should be sharing amongst your school safety and security decision makers. You can also talk with your local ISG expert to learn about our campus security technology solutions for identification, tracking and access control. You can also speak with us about integration with visitor management, video surveillance and much more.
Whether your campus is a K-12 school, a college or university, a healthcare organization, government agency or an enterprise corporation, our nationwide network of ISG dealers have solutions you need.
Original article written by Dr. Roger Alvey for Campus Safety Magazine
