Page 32 - Campus Security & Life Safety, July/August 2019

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nent details, this integration eliminates much of the guesswork involved with arriv- ing on the scene. For instance, in a scenario where technology has not been integrated, officers would arrive at a school after receiv- ing secondhand information from a dis- patcher. However, this new technology pro- vides instant access to firsthand data, including location and number of gunshots, which doors are open or locked, the number of assailants, movement of the shooter(s) and a floor map of the facility—all from their field devices.
“What’s unique to this integrated system is the speed at which first responders are noti- fied,” said Seoane. “Within seconds of SDS detecting a gunshot, both 911 and first responders are electronically notified of the incident and provided details related to the gunshot(s) without any human interven- tion. This technology expedites dispatch of the event by removing the current delay associated with someone at the scene calling 911 to report the incident."
Schools Increasingly Prioritizing Security
Schools are under tremendous pressure on a number of fronts—from the basics of helping students excel academically, as well as develop life and career skills, to combatting bullying, addressing the complex needs of special edu- cation students and improving mental health. Now, increased gun violence in schools has forced them to prioritize security. A recent Children’s Defense Fund report shows that more children are worried about a shooting
happening in their schools than they are about fitting in or experiencing peer pressure. In many schools, active shooter drills are the new norm for a generation of American K-12 and college students. Sadly, the “Run, Hide, Fight” mantra isn’t always enough, but
it’s a step in the right direction.
“Since today’s new active shooter technol-
ogy allows students and staff to exit areas of a school deemed safe, maybe the message should be ‘Run, Hide, Decide,’” said Con- nors. “If they can look at a shooter alert and say, ‘I know where I am in relation to the shot, and I can get out,’ why not let them decide whether to leave the school safely?”
Phoenix Academy, which installed and activated the system during the 2018-2019 school year, hopes never to have to make that decision. Should an incident occur, however, it will be on the cutting edge of readiness to respond faster and more effectively.
“Ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our undisputed priority, which is why we chose to expand upon our existing lock- down and evacuation procedures with more capable and responsive technology,” said Kim Norcross, superintendent of Phoenix Academy. “While we hope that we never have to use this system at its fullest capacity, we are honored to be the first school in North Carolina to bring this landmark installation to life.”
New Technology Helps Schools and Responders Face Incidents
In the year-plus since the Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School shooting incident in Parkland, Fla., CNN reports a school shoot- ing every 11.8 days. On May 1, Florida’s legis- lature passed a controversial school safety initiative allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms if their district opts into the state’s Guardian Program and if they take part in and pass 144 hours of voluntary training.
There’s no doubt that the new gun safety norm in schools is changing. Increasingly, schools such as Phoenix Academy are mak- ing the investment to protect students and staff by installing new technology that inte- grates gunshot detection with CAD to simul- taneously alert individuals inside the school and local police and responders of an active shooter. The value these systems deliver—by being able to confirm the number and loca- tion of gunshots, lock down the shooter, pro- vide valuable information to those inside and eliminate human delay in responding— is priceless.
In time, gunshot detection systems could become as ubiquitous in schools as fire alarms. “The more people learn about gunshot detection, the more it becomes standard technology, much like a fire alarm,” said Connors. “It’s going to reduce the fear of false alerts, and it’s going to help people inside schools decide whether they can leave
the building and get to safety.”
Rich LeCates is the Director of Product Man- agement, Public Safety Analytics at Central- Square Technologies.
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