Page 91 - Security Today, September/October 2024

Exceeds PASS Safety & Security Guidelines
Acoustical Doors with Built-In Bullet Resistance
ADDITIONAL EMPOWERMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Empowerment can also be enhanced by newer technologies like wear- able duress buttons issued to staff members who can activate them when there’s a threat. These buttons can also serve as a locator to identify where people are or where an emergency may be underway.
Classrooms with electronic access control (EAC) locks and card readers at the door feature devices that include a built-in duress button that can be pushed to send an alert and simultaneously automatically lock the door if that’s an age-appropriate safety op- tion for that room. EAC can also be helpful for issuing temporary hall pass card credentials to students, allowing them to exit and return with minimum disruption to the class.
Many students have Chromebooks or other eLearning de- vices that have been unified with such solutions as E-Hallpass. A self-serve restroom or hall pass tab on their display simply lets the teacher know they need a temporary card. Integrated with a school’s video management system, this feature also helps staff keep track of someone passing through a corridor.
One of the major advancements in integrated access con- trol, video management, as well as other unified life safety digital components today enable more systems to be built on open archi- tecture platforms. This provides extended interoperability among various manufacturers’ software and hardware solutions, greater resilience, easier updating to maintain cybersecurity and perfor- mance, and longer life cycles to enhance sustainability. In other words, a more worthwhile investment in life safety.
We often say that if technology is the force multiplier for school safety, people are the force – the eyes and ears that often catch something that’s amiss and sound the alarm. It’s all about people in schools – faculty, staff, and students alike.
That empowered force also includes the many concerned and involved parents, compassionate administrators, dedicated school board members, and communities at large that step up to support continued improvements through bond measures and fundraisers that provide near-term and long-term benefits.
If a door gets locked too hastily while the teacher is briefly out of the room, no one should be punished for it. Somebody can always enter with a key or, in the case of an electronic access- controlled door, a card or mobile credential. Students should un- derstand that even though the door is locked, they can still get out if necessary or instructed to do so since life safety codes require locks that provide single-motion free egress.
Discussion and learning about these basic but vital classroom locking procedures need to be included and reviewed as part of safety drills, whether they’re fire drills or about lockdown, tornado, or other emergency protocols. Conducting drills is part of building awareness and preparedness, but they should also be announced beforehand so they don’t cause undue stress and distract kids from absorbing important information.
Krieger’s acoustical doors protect against unwanted sound in campus labs, lecture halls, and libraries by exceeding the ANSI S12.60-2002 standard. Plus, they come with a UL 752 bullet resistance rating up to Level 3 for an extra layer of protection.
Enhanced Security Options
UL 752 is the most widely used and accepted rating system for ballistic-grade materials. Krieger’s acoustical door with built-in Level 3 rating will stop 3 shots from a .44 Magnum handgun. Higher ratings up to Level 10 are available, including Level 7, which will
stop 5 shots from an AR-15 rifle.
www.KriegerProducts.com
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