School security - Case studies

A safe school environment is a prerequisite for productive learning. When students feel as though their safety is compromised, this affects their learning performance. To enhance levels of security, it’s important to know which methods of lockdown are suited and which should be avoided. Andrew Shaw, architectural consultant for Allegion UK, discusses the importance of bespoke security solutions and prioritising quality. He says, 'Students need to feel safe in order to learn.' Safe and se...

Students want to fit in. They want to be just like all of their friends. For students at Painesville City Local School District, an unusual point of differentiation came to a head in the cafeteria lines. While most students paid with cash or had their parents prepay their lunches, those who qualified for a free lunch had to share that information with the cashier, often in front of their friends. Many chose a less embarrassing alternative. They just didn’t eat. Painesville City Local Scho...

CriticalArc has announced that it has been appointed by FCC Group (FCC) – a global provider of environmental services, water management and infrastructure works, headquartered in Spain – to help develop and implement SafeZone as a multinational safeguarding solution for all its employees and any accompanying family members while they are working overseas on company projects. CriticalArc’s pioneering SafeZone personal protection and emergency response system is already being us...

Schools across the U.S. are challenged by safety and security issues that require a broad-based effort to ensure a safe learning environment. School safety initiatives often include technology and human-based solutions, and both play an essential role in preventing and controlling security vulnerabilities throughout a school. The Upper Township School District (UTSD) is a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in pre-school through eighth grade from Upper Township, in...

ASSA ABLOY UK Specification, a UK division of ASSA ABLOY, a provider of door opening solutions, has specified a range of solutions for a new RAF nursery in Oxfordshire, delivering assured access and safety for children using the facility. Working in partnership with designers Frankham Consultancy Group and contractors Antac, the company specified a series of door opening solutions to the new nursery at RAF Benson. The RAF base required an extension to its existing nursery facilities, increasing...

The duty of care that education officials have, in providing a safe environment for everyone on their premises, is arguably more challenging in today’s world than it has ever been in the past. One area that should be identified for regular review is emergency lockdown. Andrew Shaw, architectural consultant for Allegion UK, calls for more schools to consider a number of security solutions to further improve their lockdown protocols. “Everyone involved in the running of schools has a...

Following several high-profile incidents alleging abuse of special needs students (including some non-communicative students), and the activism of a number of parent groups in the state of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 507, requiring districts to install audio and video surveillance equipment into select special education classrooms when requested. The law requires the installation of cameras and recorders in classrooms meeting certain criteria—if and when a parent,...

The administration and teaching staff at Long Branch Public Schools in New Jersey are committed to the belief that all children possess unique talents and can master the academic skills needed to be successful, lifelong learners. The Long Branch Board of Education also believes that an effective instructional programme requires an orderly school environment in which student safety is a priority. To ensure the safety of its students, as well as staff, the Long Branch Board of Education has deploy...

As one of the largest school districts in Northwest Iowa, Fort Dodge Community School District (FDCSD) is focused on providing a positive, caring, and nurturing environment for its 3,500 kindergarten to grade 12 students. Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Douglas G. Van Zyl, FDCSD is committed to maintaining a safe and practical learning environment at all nine of its schools to enhance academics and effectively meet the needs of the community it serves. As a strong supporter of the use...

Each school day, 3,200 students attend Jeff Davis County schools in Hazelhurst, Georgia. The high school and middle school had video surveillance systems installed in an effort to provide security protection. Unfortunately, these systems were deployed using very different equipment from different vendors. The result was two separate video systems consisting of a mixture of hardware. Given the poor video quality and coverage issues at both schools, it became obvious that both systems needed to b...

Until recently, only the high school in the Lincoln Park Public School District in Detroit in Lincoln Park, Michigan had a video system installed. While it was IP-based, the system was limited in the number of cameras that were deployed and its ability to deliver quality images. The district decided to install video surveillance at all nine of its schools and deployed video intercoms to complement the surveillance solutions at each school. exacqVision was selected based on a number of factors,...

3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announced that Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (NC) have standardised on 3xLOGIC hybrid NVRs across their expansive school district. “This school district has always been ahead of the times, they’ve had video surveillance and access control in place for 15 years,” explained Chuck Harrelson, President, Sonitrol of the Triangle, and integrator and...

The London Borough of Redbridge, the UK’s first local authority to install an unattended CCTV enforcement platform, has extended the system to cover additional locations where compliance was becoming a concern. The Videalert Digital Video Platform has been extended to enforce parking restrictions and traffic management outside schools where major safety and congestion issues were being caused. Unprecedented level of success According to Michael Jackson, Parking Manager at the London Boro...

Gesher School is an independent primary school that caters for Jewish children with special educational needs Delta Security, the CCTV and access control specialist, is helping to ensure the safety of pupils and employees at the recently opened Gesher School with the installation of a sophisticated Salto access control and ID pass system. Day-to-day access Based in North London, Gesher School is an independent primary school that caters for Jewish children with special educa...

Johnson Controls has announced that the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) has deployed the unified victor and C•CURE 9000 security management platform for robust, integrated management of the organisation’s access control and surveillance operations. Patient, visitor and staff safety A public teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Iowa, UIHC is a level 1 trauma centre with seven buildings on its main campus and more than 200 outreach clinics throughout the...

Milestone Systems, an open platform company for IP video management software (VMS), is the technology that Alaska’s Anchorage School District has implemented for a district-wide, networked security monitoring system to address rising vandalism such as broken windows and recurring playground fires at elementary schools. Monitoring previously unseen areas “After we installed the first set of network cameras, the system quickly received a lot of positive use, and we started getting re...

Creating the right level of accessibility and an efficient flow through a building for staff and children is now a key priority for those working in the education sector; however, this must be balanced with the need to provide a safe learning environment. Architects and contractors must consider the need to install access control solutions to meet this requirement in today’s modern learning environment, argues David Hodgkiss, National Sales Manager of ASSA ABLOY Access Control, a UK divisi...

Dundee University is installing highly visible emergency call point pedestals throughout its campus as part of a comprehensive range of measures to ensure a rapid response to any Emergency Incidents. The bespoke designed pedestals have been manufactured specifically for Dundee University by Aiphone, one of world’s most respected and reliable communication solution brands. They incorporate Aiphone IX IP intercom stations which enable students and staff to instantly communicate with securit...

Delta Scientific, the manufacturer of counter-terrorist vehicle control systems used in the United States and internationally, has announced that leading universities, including six of the Associated Press (AP) top-10 rated pre-season football schools, are staying one step ahead of terrorists and errant drivers on their campuses by identifying vulnerable areas and securing them within minutes with Delta MP5000 temporary, portable barriers. These mobile deployable vehicle crash barriers carry a K...

Biometric technology company Zwipe is proud to announce that Rose Bruford College, London’s International Drama School of Theatre & Performance has chosen Zwipe Access as the preferred solution for the prestigious school’s security needs both for students and staff. The deployment of the Zwipe biometric solution was secured by Kodit Security, Zwipe’s distribution partner and systems integrator in the United Kingdom. Integrated biometric access control Speaking on the sele...

Hikvision Canada Inc., a North American provider of award-winning video surveillance products and solutions, provided cameras for the JPPS Children’s Centre (CPE) in Montreal installed by integrator Alarme Sentinelle. Children’s centre security CPE-JPPS is a children’s centre supported by the Quebec government, housed in a two-storey building that holds about 80 children and 18 staff members. Installed security cameras stopped working after its relocation in 2014, and CPE-JPP...