School security today is an unfortunate but necessary reality. Schools in all locations and of all types must have rigorous, comprehensive plans and resources in place to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff.
A core element of your school security protocols needs to focus on your school entrance. It is the gateway for building users and guests and is also a likely target for bad actors seeking to infiltrate the building. When assessing potential threat vulnerabilities, knowing how to secure the front door is crucial.
Fortunately, there are proven approaches and training resources available to address the issues related to entrance security. By focusing on these practices, you can have peace of mind that the building’s main opening is robustly protected.
Invest in Access Control Systems
Access control systems are one of the most critical elements of securing your classrooms and your main entrance. An access control system is a series of processes and technologies that safeguard your entrance, verify identity, and track who is in the building.
Technology components include keycards with RFID chips that control who is allowed to access the front door. These cards can be given to teachers and staff and programmed to limit access to certain times of day and certain individuals.
Biometric data, such as fingerprints, can also be used to provide entry. PIN pads are another simple way to ensure only those with a code can access a main door.
Access control also includes the locks and mechanisms designed to protect doors within your school, ensuring that they can be secured easily and quickly.
Secure Perimeters with Fencing
When your school’s perimeter is completely open, it can be easier for intruders to access your property, examine its layout, and develop a plan for gaining entry. Make it easier to prevent catastrophic events with fencing on the perimeter of your property.
Not only will perimeter fencing deter unwanted guests from gaining access, but it can also assist in how to secure the front door by managing the flow of people around your property and guiding them to desired access points. Fencing can also make it easier to identify a suspicious person in advance and take immediate action.
Utilize a Single Point of Entry
The more entry points you have to your school building, the more difficult it is to manage guests, visitors, vendors, and people who work and learn inside.
A single point of entry makes sense. It can then become the funnel for crowd and visitor management and act as a reliable, singular focus of your security efforts at the main entrance.
The single point of entry also makes it easier for staffing and monitoring, allowing you to position staff to greet students and teachers at the start and end of the school day. These staff members can also keep a watchful eye on others seeking to enter the building and ensure that they are following your procedures correctly.
Create a Reliable Guest / Visitor Management Program
A school visitor management program is essential to your overall school security. It’s a system that tracks all visitors to your school. There are many types of systems available, many of which use logs and badges, either digitally or manually, to know who is where.
Many systems use kiosks to track who is entering, and scan IDs (which can then, in some systems, be placed through law enforcement databases such as sex offender registries). These systems can take pictures of each visitor and generate name badges. Visitors would scan their badges when visiting certain areas, allowing officials to know where all guests are at all times, and when exiting the building.
These systems can integrate with other technologies, generate reports, and alert officials of security risks.
Monitor the Exterior & Interior with Security Cameras
Security cameras are an important component of the security plan for not only your main entrance but your entire school. With closed-circuit cameras in place constantly recording and storing footage of your entryway, you can accomplish several goals. First, with wide-angle cameras that are visible, you can document activity and, in case of an incident, have evidence to share with authorities. Second, with the presence of cameras noted on signs and clearly in use, you can deter crime from occurring in the first place.
Install a Vestibule
One main entrance is good. Having a double main entrance is even better. With a double-door system in place, you can further reduce risk. Many schools use the vestibule as a weather control option, preventing rain, wind, and snow, along with high heat or cold, from entering the building with each door opening.
The second door in your main entrance should be tamperproof and have window glazing that is resistant to breakage. It can also be equipped with automatic locking mechanisms as part of your school’s access control measures to ensure rapid protection of entrances in the case of an emergency.
Implement an Emergency / Panic Button in the Main Office
Your front office staff plays a vital role in maintaining a safe and welcoming atmosphere for those within the school. They often are the first people to interact with visitors and to identify potential problems.
Equipping your front office with an emergency or panic button system at their desks and the front counters of their space is critical. These buttons can trigger alarms within the building and externally to police and other first responders. They can also be used to lock down areas and implement other security protocols.
Let Us Help Secure Your School
School Safety Solution is focused on protecting your schools and the lives of those who teach and learn within. We provide a range of safety products designed for all types of schools, universities, and other organizations.
Our products include lockdown shades, classroom door locks, bleeding control kits, tourniquets, first aid kits, and other classroom emergency supplies. These safety and aid resources are an ideal complement to your school security protocols.
No one wants to imagine the unimaginable when it comes to children and teachers in our schools. Be prepared with equipment designed to prevent catastrophes and save lives. To learn more about our products, contact us today.
