Most educational institutions strive to do everything possible to keep students, faculty, and staff safe from potential danger. While it can be tempting to push school security tasks to the back burner, preparation and routine updates should be mandatory on campus.
Let’s break down the top four school security problems that are the most common in schools today.
1. Outdated Classroom and Building Locks
Many school districts have updated classroom locks so they can be locked internally with a key. Some schools are even transitioning to storeroom function locks that automatically lock from the outside.
However, every school should take steps to ensure their individual campus classroom and building locks are updated. Perform routine maintenance to pinpoint any problems before they occur. If a classroom lock is outdated, you risk the lock getting stuck or deploying too slowly in the event of an emergency.
2. Minimal Understanding of Updated Safety Concerns
Safety concerns are constantly changing and can be largely impacted by your school’s location and type (i.e., public, private, high school, etc.). Get involved with the local community to stay up to date on current safety concerns and make adjustments accordingly.
Neglecting to stay on top of new safety requirements is a mistake that can lead to reacting to an event instead of feeling prepared for it to occur.
3. Lenient Visitor and Student Check-Out Policy
The workers that monitor the front desk and administration buildings of the school need to be well-versed in visitor policy. Students should only be allowed to get checked out by licensed and registered guardians that are pre-registered in the database.
Some schools don’t allow visitors during certain hours of the day and track anyone that comes and goes on campus. This is a necessary deterrent to avoid strangers coming on to campus or checking students out of school.
4. Lack of Preparation and Drills
Preparation and drills should be mandatory for all emergency situations, such as fires and lockdowns. Students and staff should take these drill scenarios seriously to feel prepared in case of a real-life occurrence.
Schools that do not take emergency preparedness drills seriously risk being underprepared when disaster or panic strikes. Even if you believe that staff members understand the protocol, students should be equally comfortable and familiarized with safety drills.
Secure Your School With Park Avenue Locks
Keep your school safe all year long by choosing the right door locks and door safety hardware for your house. If you don’t know where to start when selecting the proper locks and hardware for your doors, then Park Avenue Locks will guide the way.
We specialize in commercial high-security heavy-duty door locks and door hardware. Our inventory is always full of options in a wide variety of finishes. Call us at 332-600-4046 or contact us for personalized assistance.
