Commentary

Panic in the Air

Every time I hear or read about a shooting on campus, I naively think this will be the last one. It never is the last shooting, because, I suppose, there are some people bent on inflicting pain on someone else.

There is, however, a way to mitigate and prepare for an active shooter. There are several security consultants in the industry that have first-hand knowledge of what works best to keep these types of people out of a school. It should be noted, though, that if a shooter has that much determination, they will likely try to fulfill their path of destruction.

I know two consultants who I lean on when it comes to campus security. First, there is Charlie Howell, president and CEO of Division 28. Howell is located in San Antonio, and when it comes to security, he has a wealth of knowledge.

The key to student, faculty, staff and visitor safety and security on a campus depends upon a security plan, Howell says. One of the most important topics in the security plan is policies that blend security into the organizational structure, while providing an achievable goal. The key component for doing something to provide security to students, faculty and staff is the ability to lock down a campus, or at least lock the campus buildings within 60 seconds.

The author of our cover story in this issue, Patrick Fiel, is an independent security consultant assisting Argus Protective School Solutions. Fiel spent many years as the chief of police in the Washington, D.C. schools.

Fiel’s thoughts are crystal clear: when an emergency strikes, seconds count.

He writes that K-12 administrators, teachers and staff need a rapid connection to first responders. They need that capability from virtually any part of a campus.

Both security consultants agree; one of the first decisions involving any security system is setting a protocol for its use. Once this has been set, it is important to work with school staff to make sure they understand how and when any given system works.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • 12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    Understanding crime statistics in your industry and area is crucial for making important decisions about your security budget. With so much information out there, how can you know which statistics to trust? Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles. 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3