Page 16 - Campus Security & Life Safety, July/August 2021

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arms suitable for any and all of these locations, regardless of clearance or berth is a smart step to take. This will ease replacement, mainte- nance, and on-going service, as built-in logic can send alerts to that manufacturer if a product needs service before campus staff even detect an issue.
Stadiums and Campus Buildings
Though not every school has a stadium designed to fit hundreds of thousands of spectators, nearly all have athletic facilities or large- scale event venues. The chief traffic-related goals around these spaces must always be guest safety, specifically during mass pedestrian entry and exit from the stadium or arena grounds. Unlike academic build- ings or dining halls, where there may be a pair of entrances and a small courtyard, large venues like a stadium can potentially have doz- ens of entry points with expansive external pedestrian areas, often used for ticketing, event promotions, or simply as gathering points.
These areas must be kept clear of vehicle traffic without interrupt- ing the flow of pedestrian foot-traffic for a safe and smooth event. That said, there are times where vehicles may need to enter these spaces, such as in the event of an emergency. That means barriers used to prevent vehicle ingress must be strong enough for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) purposes while still movable enough to be removed quickly for time-sensitive situations.
Aesthetics are another valid priority for traffic management deci- sion-makers. Event venues are often marketing tools for the schools they serve, meaning their outward appearance carries great value. Stadium traffic management solutions must then facilitate as safe, streamlined and scenic a fan experience as possible.
For decades, schools have tried to tackle this objective by using jersey barriers, the unwieldy and unattractive products constantly seen on the sides of highways and around construction zones. A far more effective and elegant solution is the active bollard. Much like a traditional static bollard, an active bollard is anchored to the ground, giving it an advantage for HVM purposes over untethered jersey bar- riers. They are also made of more durable – and standardized – mate- rials than jersey barriers, which are typically built from leftover con- crete or cheap hard plastic. Their size and shape present less of a target for tagging or other vandalism, and with color customizable caps and lighting, they are more attractive as well.
When jersey barriers are arranged to prevent vehicular access into a certain area, their length funnels pedestrians towards crowded chokepoints. Active bollards create a much more breathable foot- traffic environment where fans are evenly dispersed. Active bollards also don’t require a crew with heavy machinery to deploy or remove them, saving time and cost.
The most effective feature of active bollards as a traffic manage- ment solution in stadium spaces is that they are active, meaning they can be lowered fully into the ground when not in use. This flexibility means traffic management administrators can be prepared for emer- gency situations without holding personnel on standby to move bar- riers. To illustrate, imagine a student suffers an injury during an event and needs an ambulance to enter an area typically off-limits to vehi- cles. While jersey barriers will take minutes to move, active bollards can lower in seconds.
In addition to stadia and arenas, academic buildings and housing may need protection from vehicles. The same strategies that regulate stadium traffic can also safeguard these structures. Strategically deployed static and active bollards around buildings can prevent acci-
dental vehicle strikes while promoting healthy pedestrian foot traffic as faculty, staff and others keep to their busy schedules.
Simple can be Smart
For school administrators, architects, and campus security, ensuring the safety of faculty, staff and visitors to campus is paramount. Well- designed traffic management is a fundamental aspect of that goal. Barrier arms and bollards can do far more than allow vehicular and pedestrian traffic to flow is a controlled manner.
Modern products allow the owner to add intelligence and integrate these solutions into larger systems, such as parking or campus alerts systems. They can provide detailed reporting on damage and suggest predictive maintenance to the appropriate contact. Though they liter- ally exist to impede traffic, they never stand in the way of campus safety and security. Instead, they make traffic management and emer- gency prevent and response smoother in innumerable invisible ways.
Take this common scenario for example: a student or faculty mem- ber is walking across campus and finds themselves in sudden need for emergency assistance. They activate the closest emergency blue light box and wait for assistance from the proper authorities – often cam- pus security or medical staff.
If the right solution has been planned for, specified, and built into campus safety and security systems, help will arrive much faster. An intelligent traffic management solution can actively remove the barri- ers between the distressed individual and the people coming to their aid. Barrier arms can automatically be raised to allow an ambulance faster entrance to campus.
Active bollards can be lowered to give campus security vehicles a clear path. The end result is a faster, more prompt response to those in need.
Though schools’ individual traffic management needs will vary, the need to manage the flow of traffic – vehicular and pedestrian – is paramount to the safety and security of all. The best traffic manage- ment solutions always improve the campus experience, managing the pace of and volume of vehicle traffic and preserving the beauty of the grounds –and, in the event of an emergency, they proactively trans- form to meet the current need. When tasked with the safety and secu- rity of hundreds, if not thousands, planning for incidents is the best mitigation strategy.
Nick Valdez is the specification sales team manager at Nice | HySecurity.
16 campuslifesecurity.com | JULY/AUGUST 2021
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