With the shocking rash of incidents in schools across America, student safety is fast becoming the primary concern of many schools. Or, at least, it should be! There is just far too much at stake to leave anything to chance and complacency.
Part of the problem, admittedly, is that most people cannot readily visualize all they need to ensure that a proper security plan is in place. From monitoring to full-on police security operations for schools, here are five measures that will ensure that your school is fully safe and secure.
Install CCTV
There is no getting around the simple fact that there has to be stricter monitoring of the events that go on around the school’s premises. Installing CCTV in strategic locations ensures that your team has an eye on everything that happens in the school.
This will significantly improve your reaction time to any crisis. However, it is still important to respect privacy, so do not install any cameras in the lavatories and comfort rooms.
Place detectors
Securing the entrances of your school with detectors goes a long way towards securing things. Ideally, it’s a going to be a free-standing metal detector, but the handheld varieties work just as well. Sure, there will be many complaints, but when it comes to the safety and security of young lives, then any hassle is worth it.
If it is within your budget, an x-ray scanner will do a lot of good. The key is being able to spot problems and contain them quickly.
Have a plan
Many tragedies and incidents could have been avoided or at least mitigated if there was an emergency response plan in place that could be initiated the moment there was a problem in sight. The best plans will be done in coordination with authorities on the subject matter.
This will allow you to respond to any crisis properly and effectively – potentially saving lives in the process.
Educate students
Another step towards security in your school is to provide education for your students in protocols and procedures to follow for their safety. This includes how to spot potential problems, how to effectively report them, who to report any incidents to, and how to stay calm in an emergency.
Additionally, there should be drills conducted to ensure they can react properly should any incident or emergencies arise.
Hire reliable security
Finally, one of the best measures to take is to hire police security for schools. Nothing can top the dependability of a fully trained and highly skilled team that is fully dedicated and focus to the task of securing your school. Sometimes their presence is enough to deter any incidents.
Additionally, they can aid in coming up with emergency plans and respond more quickly to any threats to your student body. It is one of the best solutions that you can go for.
School security is no laughing matter and people should take this very seriously. The measures above are some of the best ways to ensure the safety of your students. Especially consider having experts on board to be truly secure.