Proactive v. Reactive: Locking Down Campus Security With A Plan
The end of summer for college students is near, and soon your campus will be filled with thousands of students, faculty, and staff to protect. School threats are on the rise across America. Universities, colleges, and K-12 schools practice fire drills and prepare for health-related incidents and natural disasters but are they prepared for active shooter events? Being proactive instead of reactive is critical when you’re confronted with an active shooter situation.
Plan and Train for Active Shooter Incidents
Most schools don’t think it can happen to them, but that’s not true. Look at Sandy Hook, for example. Who would think that an active shooter would target an elementary school? There are usually no warning signs before an active shooter incident.
Your priority is to train your staff to act swiftly during violent incidents. The more you train, the more prepared they’ll be when confronted with an active shooter or similar event.
Collaborate with local law enforcement and fire and rescue as they will be responding to these types of incidents. Working together with first responders allows everyone to work together without interfering in law enforcement duties and responsibilities. The whole process will work smoother without interference.
Integrating Technology with a Security Plan
There are a couple of ways to integrate technology with your security plan to increase your ability to manage or prevent active shooter incidents. Gunfire detection technology is an excellent security addition. Microphone sensor nodes in these systems detect gunshots and can lock doors and activate surveillance cameras in the area. They immediately send alerts and live video feed to law enforcement and security personnel.
Mass notification systems are also critical to efficiently notify people in the system of incidents in progress. These systems are much more efficient than other communication methods.
Access control is also a key security system to integrate with the rest of your security equipment. It can prevent a shooter from entering buildings, reducing casualties. It’s not hard to install and cost-effective. Access control also minimizes perimeter breaching.
The crucial take away from all of this is to prepare and plan for the inevitable. It can happen to your campus.
About Security Instrument
Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.
