Page 3 - School Planning & Management, February 2018

NEWS & VIEWS { FACILITIES | SECURITY | TECHNOLOGY | BUSINESS } Connecticut Addition,
Ask the Expert
This Month
Safety and Security
CAN TECHNOLOGY MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER?
SAFETY IN SCHOOLS IS A TOPIC HEARD often in the news, which raises questions about what can be done to further safeguard the learning environment. According to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016, 65 percent of public schools recorded one or more violent incidents during the 2013-14 school year.
If an attack is threatened or occurs at school, teachers could be alone with a student or un- able to notify school authorities that an event
is taking place. Typically, a teacher would have to use a phone to make a call or unlock their cell phone to send a text or email. Some schools also use handheld radios to create direct lines of communication. But, all of these options create an obvious visual or audio signal to an attacker that the incident is being reported.
An alternative solution schools should consider for classroom safety is a mobile personal emergency response (mPERS) device. Sometimes referred to as a mobile panic button, these devic- es are small and lightweight. They can be placed under the desk where they are permanently on. They can be set to “covert” mode where alarms and send immediately with the press of a button. A one-way voice channel is started where trained emergency response operators can clearly hear what is happening, though there is no sound coming from the device.
The mPERS device, can be mobile if the administrator or teacher needs to take it with them on the move. Most devices have days
of battery life and can track the whereabouts of the carrier, while keeping the phone call
or “voice channel” open for the emergency response team.
In an emergency, a simple press of the single button on the device will send an SOS alert to school authorities or multiple teams, if that is needed. Simultaneously, a phone call is made
to trained emergency operators who can assess the situation, locate the individual pressing the button using GPS and other technologies, and dispatch the right assistance quickly.
>>ChrisHolbert, is CEO of SecuraTrac. Find out more at www.securatrac.com.
Renovation Completed
>> The Orville H. Platt High School, in Meriden, Conn., just completed a four- year addition and renovate-as-new project that involved four-phases. It was turned over to school officials in the fall of 2017. The project included an 87,812-square-foot renovation of the existing building, coupled with a 176,188-square-foot addition that included a new freshman academy, vocational technology facility, kitchen, and caf- eteria wing. The auditorium, pool, athletic spaces, and boiler room were renovated to meet Connecticut high-performance building regulations. To read more, visit webspm.com/articles/2018/01/22/platt-high-school.aspx.
Healthy Facilities Award
You are invited to participate in the 2018 Healthy Facilities Award program sponsored by School Planning & Manage- ment, College Planning & Management, and the Healthy Facilities Institute.
The program recognizes the efforts of educational institutions that strive to improve and protect the indoor environ-
ment at their facilities; provide better conditions for students, staff, faculty, and visitors; and advance learning out- comes by enhancing safety and health.
Criteria for recognition will be based on implementation of the basic prin- ciples as outlined in the Healthy School Handbook.
All submissions will be judged by
{ CONT. ON PAGE 8 }
NOW ON WEBSPM.COM
{ KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE }
WEBINARS ON DEMAND
Advanced Methods
for Ensuring Healthier Schools
To register, go to webspm.com/1802
Buildings as a Teaching Tool
To register, go to webspm.com/1712
WEBINARS COMING IN MARCH
5 Operations Management Trends to Know for 2018
To register, go to webspm.com/1803
WHITE PAPERS
Wiring Strategies for K-12 Wireless Success
Visit webspm.com/whitepapers/2018/01/ wiring.aspx
FEBRUARY 2018 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 3