Page 39 - School Planning & Management, July/August 2017

products and technology is one of the fast- est growing expenditures in K-12, accord- ing to Todd Piett, chief product officer for Rave Mobile Safety, in Framingham, Mass.
Holistic Approach
While hardware and software security investments are key in a school security strategy, it’s important to take a holistic approach and consider all factors that could influence an unsafe environment.
Ian Powell, AIA, LEED-AP, BD+C is
a partner at PBK Architects in Dallas. He sees security solutions growing in the
near term due to a heightened awareness combined with more integration with other stakeholders and digital systems.
He says that through current events and easy access to knowledge online, people are rapidly becoming aware of the need for safer and more secure schools. In addition, there’s a drive to integrate with other schools and with other networks they can connect to.
A holistic approach must be balanced with fiscal constraint. According to David Antar, president of A+ Technology & Secu- rity Solutions, Inc., in Bay Shore, N.Y.
“As schools look to upgrade their security technology, costs and limited budgets often create the greatest chal- lenges in prioritizing and allocating funds for proper technology investments,” says Antar. “Schools must be wise in their pur- chasing decisions, and look for technology solutions that are future proof, scalable and enterprise-class in order to facilitate the entire district, regardless of size. As schools are beginning to adopt technology convergence to IP or network-based plat- forms, they are now able to integrate their video surveillance systems with access control, visitor management, panic button systems and much more.
Accountability and Authentication
Computing technologies, the Internet and the cloud are great resources for children in both learning and social in- teraction, and as more young people start
using them at an earlier age, the need
to educate them about protecting their information online and offline becomes increasingly more important, according to Mark Hickman, COO of WinMagic, based in Mississauga, Ont.
“Teaching about Internet safety and
data security is fundamental in provid- ing the tools and knowledge required for youth to understand their role in protect- ing their valuable personal information,” he says. “Schools across the globe have be- come much better at offering courses like these in their curriculums. But with that
Teacher alerts
Strobe, tones, & pop-ups
Pre-recorded announcements and instructions
Display maps & directions
Notify off-campus responders
Lock doors
How well can you communicate in an emergency?
Communication technology that helps keep staff and students aware, focused, and out of harm’s way is part of a strong Emergencey Preparedness
Plan (EPP). What’s more, it should cover:
1. ...activation: Multiple ways for staff to activate an alert
2. ...notification:Redundant ways to inform responders
3. ...response: A suite of effective, automated actions
Does yours?
If it’s time to update your school’s communication technology, give us a call. We make it easier
to learn in classrooms and to manage bells, paging, alerting, and
response
across campus.
To learn how
to build strong
EPP-ready
communication
infrastructure,
download the free guide at gofrontrow.com/spm-conductor.
Silent signals
800.227.0735 | gofrontrow.com
JULY/AUGUST 2017 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 39