Page 31 - School Planning & Management, July/August 2019

SAFETY & SECURITY \{ PREPARE AND BE AWARE \}
The Future of School Security
What Can Schools Learn from America’s Busiest Airports?
By Jared Bliss and David Safir
SECURITY IS PARAMOUNT IN AIRPORTS — charged with leading the continual evolution of public safety and heading off threats while providing a fair,
seamless experience that doesn’t further intrude on the travel experience. Similarly, schools are challenged with addressing heightened security issues including active shooters, gangs and bullying, while preserving a welcoming, nurturing campus community. From stronger but less intrusive safety measures and “shut-down” protocols to juggling varying degrees of clearance in a complex environment, schools and airports share many of the same challenges and goals in public security. Corgan’s education
studio is partnering with the designers of the nation’s busiest airports to study these spaces as living laboratories in public safety and adapt the latest technologies in passive security measures.
Because threats can come from anyone or anywhere, both schools and airports must equally and fairly manage a large throughput of users at several secure entry points while alleviating fear and stress for students and travelers alike. Complex environments such as airports present the added challenge of choreographing the security of a large volume of diverse users,
as well as a variety of functions, including curbside, baggage, ticketing and airside operations. Likewise, at a large urban school,
JULY/AUGUST 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 31
PHOTO © JAYZ3T