For several years, the news has been overrun with stories of tragic mass school shootings across the United States. Students who attended the schools were responsible for the majority of attacks. There have been few discussions overall about how to prevent violent attacks from external sources.
In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why unauthorized visitor access is a significant area of concern and why visitor management systems for schools can increase school security.
The Security Challenges Presented to Schools
Parents, teachers, and administrative personnel have searched tirelessly for ways to prevent violent attacks and child abduction. The rate at which violence occurs in schools is why many national security experts are taking precautionary measures.
There are several reasons why educational boards need to reconsider their school safety rules:
● Unauthorized Visitors: The majority of schools in the United States are open for access to any visitor, even if they never come in contact with students. Implementing visitor management systems may vastly reduce the chance of student abduction or violent attacks.
● No Scheduled Pickup Times: There are around 800,000 children who go missing each year, and over 115 due to stranger abduction. The inclusion of a scheduled pick-up system with guardian-authorization may significantly reduce the chances of students going missing.
● Emergency Evacuation Delays: On average, it takes about 18 minutes for emergency services to respond to a school emergency or shooting, and around 10-15 minutes for a full evacuation. If all schools incorporate universal emergency response alerts, they could save more lives.
Districts are turning to technological interfaces to help manage school security. If school boards considered the use of visitor management systems, we could drastically reduce the rate of violence or abduction on school property.
Benefits of a Visitor Management System for Schools
How does a visitor management system improve school security? Here are six key features of the School Gate Guardian system that can improve K-12 or higher-education school safety.
1. Sex Offender Checks
The School Gate Guardian system compares all visitor IDs to the national sex offender database, which lists over 704,000 names of registered sex offenders. If the system detects a precise match, it instantly displays all identification information, including the mug shot, weight, height, eye color, offenses, aliases, and body markings.
2. Visitor Logging and Registries
An intuitive visitor registry and logging system tracks each time a visitor requires entry to a school building. It instantly records the information of state-issued IDs and logs the information in a registry. School administrators can limit the access time of volunteers, service members, or other workers who require entry into the building.
3. Authorized Pick-up
Parents or guardians won’t have to worry about unauthorized pick up of their students from school with the school visitor management system. Pick-up approved names can be listed within the School Gate Guardian system, which alerts staff whenever a student needs to leave their classrooms.
4. Building Access Badges
School Gate Guardian utilizes building entry passes for visitors, which feature a picture, name, and visitation details. After 10 – 12 hours, the badge expires and displays a bright red stop sign to alert school staff. The feature prevents unauthorized access at later times or other locations in the school district.
5. Student Accountability
A revolutionary feature of the School Gate Guardian system is the ability for teachers to track tardy students. It tracks how late students arrive at class and reports when they go home. The staff faculty can reprogram the system to adjust the time frames during the early dismissals and when a parent authorizes student absence.
6. Emergency Response Plans and Alerts
If the front-office workers or any staff member detect an emergency, they can instantly click a covert button to notify relevant authorities. All names and photos of people in the building are recorded at the time of a lockdown. The record is sent to emergency services and law enforcement if a school when a school evacuation is imminent.
Protect Students and Staff with Blue Technologies
Do school security measures need a reassessment? There’s no better time than now to conduct a thorough risk management analysis. Poor security awareness on school grounds can lead to uncivil events or put students’ lives at stake from an attack. With the implementation of the School Gate Guardian, school districts can protect their students and staff from potential violence or abduction.
Blue Technologies understands the security concerns for schools in Ohio. Protect your students and staff from harm with visitor management systems for schools. Contact us today to strategize a visitor-monitoring plan that keeps everyone on the premises safe.
