Page 90 - Security Today, September/October 2024

ACCESS CONTROL
drug dealers targeting the area.
To assist with performing these evalu-
ations, many states have set up an Office of School Safety or are in the process of doing so, staffing them with security spe- cialists who travel to various districts to fa- cilitate assessments and provide consulta- tive advice. Such progress provides more districts with the tools and paths forward to develop the most appropriate protocols and to make the best security technology decisions for their school campuses.
This has been particularly helpful to school districts that may not have a dedicated security director, which is often the case in rural areas but is also applicable in many suburban and urban settings. The increase in funding and personnel to create these cent- ers is a very positive step toward advancing awareness and implementing and strength- ening life safety programs across the U.S.
After all, schools are about empower- ing students to learn to the best of their abil- ity. Not just academics but also social and life skills, to better prepare them for what’s ahead so they understand how to interact, react, and think on their feet appropriately.
EMPOWERMENT STARTS AT THE CLASSROOM DOOR
Older classroom locksets and even newer quick-fix barricades can impede safety by making it difficult for people to unlock
a door quickly, remove a bar- rier, and evacu- ate or escape when necessary. Likewise, verify- ing whether a classroom door is locked when in session has also created vulnerabilities.
Outmoded locks still in some schools require teachers to open the door, step
into the hall, use a key to check and/or se- cure the lock, and then re-enter the class- room, closing the door behind them. This leaves the teacher and classroom exposed.
It doesn’t take much to imagine the disastrous outcome that could ensue under these circumstances if a dangerous incident arose and a teacher had no way to lock a door from inside, didn’t have the key, or didn’t know the protocol. Sadly, loss of life has oc- curred in the past because of these short- comings. The tragic events at Sandy Hook are what drove our team to design locksets around the mantra “Anyone, anytime, in any classroom, should be able to secure the door.”
Along with academic and athletic achievements, social growth, and other suc- cessful accomplishments, schools offer stu- dents a chance to demonstrate leadership. There are also opportunities to empower them with safety measure responsibilities based on age-appropriate, grade-level criteria. That empowerment starts at the classroom door.
Fortunately, many classrooms today have been retrofitted with code-compliant locksets that can be activated from the in- side with either a push button or a thumb turn lever. Some feature an obvious big red button, so kids know immediately where it is and what to do.
Talk to them about how a safe place has been created in the classroom and where they’re supposed to go if they feel something is threatening. Let them know that whoever is closest to the door dur- ing an incident should push that button.
Emphasize that they can always exit the classroom just by pulling down the lever, whether or not the red button is pressed. Teach them these protocols on the first day of school and continue to reinforce them with a refresher after holidays and other breaks.
Many locks now feature status in- dicators with large convex displays that are visible from any angle to clearly show whether a door is secured. If a student or teacher notices that it isn’t locked, they can act on it with that instant button push or flip of a thumb turn.
IF TECHNOLOGY IS THE
FORCE MULTIPLIER
FOR SCHOOL SAFETY,
PEOPLE ARE THE FORCE.
While some schools have adopted a practice of always locking classrooms when occupied, that’s not usually real- istic, given the many activities and busy schedules during the school day that can cause fleeting distractions. So, being able to double-check a door’s security status quickly or assign a student to assist with that precaution is extremely valuable.
Something as simple as empowering students to lock a classroom door from the inside brings them peace of mind. There have been situations where, if the kids had not been able to lock classroom doors, there could have been more casualties in the school. When you educate students about how important a door lock can be, you also reduce the possibility of them ir- responsibly using it to pull a prank because they understand it’s a lifesaving tool in case the worst should ever unfold at their school.
AGE-APPROPRIATE TRAINING
K-3 students are closely supervised and in one classroom most of the day. Since there’s little coming and going, it’s easier to stay on top of keeping the door locked. At higher grade levels, kids start transition- ing between rooms for different subjects, so there’s more passing period activity in corridors, meaning more doors are tem- porarily left unlocked, and more vigilance is necessary to make sure classrooms are re-secured once the bell rings.
When all is said and done, it’s inter- esting how logical, simple, and strong a first line of defense doors and door hardware are. Not only are they critical during class every day but also in emergency shelter- in-place and evasion scenarios. Having students play a key role in such a simple solution is powerful.
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