The power of frontline experience and strategic partnerships for school security, according to Guy Grace, National Security K-12 Manager, ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions.
It’s evident that school security and safety are critical for creating a healthy, happy and supportive learning experience.
As my colleague Mike Garcia at HID Global said: “When children feel safe at school, they learn more and learn better.
“They live more, love more and make better friends. Their entire world revolves around feeling safe and being safe.”
I agree. Based on my more than 30 years as a K-12 Security Director, I also firmly believe that our nation’s security and future are the young people attending our educational institutions. Nothing is more important.
K-12 and college campus security and safety are ongoing, evolving topics on the minds of faculty and school leadership and, of course, a frequent concern of students and their parents.
The public at large takes immediate notice of it, particularly whenever heart-wrenching news breaks about an active shooter event or other serious threats on campuses.
Stories on the impact of bullying and emotional harm inflicted on kids can also pique interest.
Less covered are the effects of emergencies on schools, like storms and natural disasters, or success stories about improvements districts are making.
However, these are all important topics that need to be discussed frequently and openly.
It is critical to share experiences and perspectives about the challenges and strategies surrounding educational institution safety and security.
Spreading the word about the progress being made on these fronts will keep the needle moving in a positive direction.
Good partners make good things happen, from helping you choose the right security technology and training for multi-hazard response to exploring other best measures and tactics to optimize school safety and security.
We’re fortunate that so many in our industry have gained extensive expertise and perceptive insights from living the school security experience.
Many of them have been tested on the front line through careers in law enforcement, the military or as school Security Directors.
These contributors are action-oriented and attuned to the many types of interwoven technologies, strategies and thoughtful approaches required to protect people in school environments.
In fact, it’s common to see retired law enforcement, veterans and Security Directors who are very much still active and have joined the school security industry in professional capacities as consultants, business development specialists and other key roles.
As good as our particular security solutions are, most companies aren’t structured to do it all themselves.
Fortunately, we can build strong partnerships that give us the opportunity to collaborate with an incredible range of other experts and organizations to ensure schools meet their objectives successfully.
Here’s a partial list of the types of key players who might partner on a project:
Of course, the most essential partners are the schools and districts and their leadership, Security Directors, and faculty and staff members.
Many in the school security and safety profession also serve voluntarily in organizations such as PASS, the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools, or participate with NCSSD, the National Council of School Safety Directors, and so forth – a testament to how passionate people are about the school safety and security mission.
A very similar range of partner resources also serve the safety and security needs of higher education.
Of course, university settings are much more vast with numerous buildings of various ages that can increase the complexity of assessing and addressing gaps.
Colleges and universities, however, almost always have Security Directors and teams on staff who know the lay of the land and individual needs that require attention and solutions.
Security and facilities leaders can benefit tremendously from collaborating with their peers, whether partnering on projects or networking at higher education industry events.
This allows everyone to share challenges, explore strategies and hear what other universities have experienced as they implement new access control solutions like mobile credentials and facial identification.
Companies also offer authorized channel partner and certified integrator programs.
These programs offer a very effective way to become fully qualified to sell, install, commission and service a company’s solutions.
They typically include training on applications, functionality, sales, pricing and coordination with other stakeholders to ensure a successful project.
There are highly qualified experts throughout the school security and safety landscape with whom districts and higher education institutions can and should partner with and consult to identify deficiencies, navigate solution options, help with the design of learning environments, and determine an action plan to fill gaps and resolve a school’s other individual needs.
They can also help with strategies to recommend and justify new technology and other essential resources.
When it comes to improving the security and safety of learning environments, it often helps to pull together and use our collective frontline experience to make the mission a complete success.
This article was originally published in the April edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.