Unfortunately, school shootings have been an issue for American society for quite some time. According to the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, there have been a total of 2,032 school shootings since 1970. Of those, 948 have occurred since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. Most large districts have assigned school police forces to handle incidents including social workers, counselors, and other trained professionals. With all that payroll cost it is necessary to equip these professionals with adequate training and technology to do their jobs effectively. The proper way to handle this training is a broad, community-based discussion that is being held throughout the country and in the media.
We can all agree that something should and will be done to stop this problem.
The Medieval Castle Principle
The newest proposal to combat school shooters consists in implementing door control strategies inside educational facilities. The principle followed by this strategy is known as “The Medieval Castle Principle”. Hundreds of centuries ago, war strategists all around the world realized the importance of establishing chokepoints to protect themselves against attacks. Legendary strategists like Sun Tzu and Napoleon Bonaparte all utilized chokepoints to take advantage of defensive situations, but every strategy has pros and cons. Business, government, and military institutions have managed to do very well implementing these solutions, but schools have not.
Convenience vs Security
Effective security measures must reach a balance between convenience and security to be effective. Imagine a person who sets all his passwords to “123456”. In that case that user is prioritizing convenience while minimizing security.
Securing doors and gates during the day and at night with an access control solution is a simple and convenient solution at the same time. Creating portals to lockdown screen visitors and trap unauthorized perpetrators offers more security for high-profile areas. Even fenced playgrounds can be secured similarly with access control locks on gates.
Fire and life safety regulations require that emergency exits are available but there is no requirement that every door must be used as an entrance. A popular solution in the media is making students and visitors access through a single door but this can be time-consuming. In addition, many campuses are built with multiple buildings spread all over the campus which can make implementing the one-door access policy ineffective. These user-controlled access security zones are common in businesses, but rare in schools. However, implementing these access control solutions can help overcome this problem.
Finding the Right Balance and Budget
Controlling access to critical areas has been one of the primary strategies for effective security since ancient times and should be looked at in a positive manner. For general security and productivity to effectively combat school violence and left, each district needs to balance between convenience and security. BTI is a registered GSA and CMAS vendor with all the expertise, technology, and manpower to quickly design and build a solution for you without the hassle of managing multiple contractors, vendors, or RFPs.
BTI Communications Group takes safety seriously and our expert technicians are waiting to answer your questions or concerns. Contact us or you can call or text us at 562-298-5000 to learn more about school security and safety solutions.