Most organizations consider the exterior perimeter to be the brick and doors of a building. And, if everyone stayed inside the building, perimeter security would be much easier. Employees, students, and visitors are vulnerable the moment they step onto the property. Parents drop off kids in the parking lot, busses drop off kids in the bus lane, college students walk between buildings on campus, and athletic events bring large crowds to playing fields and stadiums.

Brick and Doors
Brick and door security is straightforward. Schools should lock doors and require visitor passage through a specific door, usually at or near the main lobby entrance, into a secure vestibule. Once in the vestibule, school staff can verify the purpose of the visit and visitor identity by using video surveillance and voice intercom. If needed, the school can be locked down with a unified emergency system.

Exterior Perimeter
On most campuses, the property perimeter is open to pedestrians. As a visitor approaches the building, it’s up to school staff, security, and often students to take notice, raise an alert, or engage the visitor. Outdoor video surveillance can capture visitors approaching the building. Without human intervention, however, the visitor will make it all the way to the brick and doors. If the doors aren’t secured properly, the visitor will easily gain access.

Positioning security outdoors, especially during the most vulnerable times of day, will provide additional safety. In the event of an emergency, local authorities can be notified of a threat. Students can be moved from the area and the building can be locked-down using a unified emergency solution which includes electronic lock-down measures and pre-recorded and real-time voice communication.

While large-scale active assailant events are in the headlines, there’s still the daily threat of bullying, theft, and property destruction. Exterior vulnerable areas may include out-buildings, vehicle garages, and athletic fields. Proper lighting and video surveillance can be a deterrent. Video analytics, applied to the video camera feeds, can provide smart detection of unauthorized behavior. Automated alerts can include pre-recorded voice instructions to leave the property, additional lighting to be turned on, and text and email notifications to be sent to school officials, security, or a central monitoring station that can notify local police.

Building doors can be monitored and alerts sent to school officials when a rear or side door is opened for an unauthorized reason. Doors can be propped open or accidentally fail to close properly, allowing unauthorized ingress.

Solution

The goal of a security assessment and site survey is to uncover potential threats at schools, buildings, and campuses of all sizes. Ultimately, these solutions can help integrate a variety of technologies as part of a plan that works in unison to help secure occupants, protect valuable assets, and assist in preventing physical access to sensitive areas.  Contact the Vision team immediately to discuss how we can assist with securing the exterior perimeter of your school campus.