Page 14 - Campus Security & Life Safety, May/June 2019

CoverStory
14
campuslifesecurity.com | MAY/JUNE 2019
Jumping Into the IP Campus
Largest Texas school district converting to latest security technology
Imagine, a campus security installation so big that it will take years to complete all the work, and it also means installing solutions with the latest technology and greatest impact to school security.
This is the kind of job an integrator can really sink their teeth into. It is the kind of solution that a manufacturer wants to keep on their to-do list.
Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest school district in Texas, and is the seventh largest school district in the Unit- ed States. The latest technology is about to make its debut in every school. HISD has built 10 new schools within the district in 2018, and it is expected to add another 10 to 12 this year, all of which will be brought on board with new cabling and IP cameras. In all, there are 280 schools in the district.
“At HISD, safety of students and staff is always the top priority,” district officials said. “All new campuses include HISD district- standard safety and security features, such as clearly delineated main entrances, security vestibules with electronic access control systems that all visitors must pass through, electronic access control
systems at frequently used exterior doors, and building compart- mentalization to control visitor movement, as well as comprehen- sive intrusion detection systems with high definition closed circuit television cameras, door sensors, motion detectors, alarms and 24-hour central monitoring.”
Making a Change
The change in security solutions will be significant as the district had deployed upwards of 17,000 analog cameras at its schools. All cam- eras were deployed with coax cable. The sign of the times had come for retire the old system and update with what surrounding school districts have been installing.
“We (Salient) have partnered with Houston ISD for their security needs for more than a decade,” said Paul Fisher, vice president of global key and national accounts at Salient Systems. “We have worked with other nearby school districts in the Houston area, including HISD. Our extensive experience will continue to guide HISD as they build new schools and refurbish other facilities in the district.”
Fisher said the biggest difference with the new IP security instal-