Credit: Andrey Popov/Fotolia
It’s a scary world out there; our schools need every edge they can get.
It is always scary to turn on the news and hear about another tragedy occurring in our schools. It makes people wonder over and over again how it is possible to gain such easy access into a school setting. Because of all of the problems happening in schools, technology has become even more important in keeping our schools safe.
Cameras and sensors are available today to keep an eye on what students are doing throughout the school day. They can catch students smoking e-cigarettes as well as determine what individuals are entering and exiting the school grounds. The analytical software that comes with the devices allows the administration to respond immediately to any possible threats.
Knowing there is a threat and responding to the threat are two completely separate issues. If a threat is possible, administrators need to be able to communicate with students, faculty, and staff, as well as alert law officials. There are many new technologies and strategies that can be implemented to communicate with everyone.
Schools can put in a public address system as well as purchase radios that can access emergency services immediately. The school can implement a two-way intercom system with call buttons so that communication can take place fluidly. Each classroom can also be equipped with a duress button system to alert emergency officials of potential danger. A mass notification system can be put in place to notify people of a potential crisis immediately.
Unfortunately, safety comes at a high cost. In an ideal world, all schools would be equipped with everything listed above. But because of budgetary concerns, schools can probably only afford two to three of the items listed above, and even that’s optimistic. Having more than one of these systems in place is crucial in the event one of the systems fails.
As a country, we need to equip all schools with the proper technology to keep our kids safe. If all schools could have these safety devices in place, we could feel a little bit more at ease every time we turn the news on at night.
