Navigating Emergency Response

How map-based integrations can help schools tighten security

In the face of increased violence in schools around the United States, one Northeast school district made a plan to upgrade their VMS to tighten security. With its ability to enact quick response using mobile and map-based functions during an event, Milestone’s surveillance system was at the top of the class.

Help Keep Kids Safe
For schools around the United States, increased violent crime and active shooter situations have brought a sharp focus on safety, and polls show the growing fears among American parents. In response, a Northeast school district planned an upgrade for their access control system and the deployment of new video security technology.

To ensure the safety of staff, students and the community as a whole, the district safety committee took a careful approach to school security by insisting that the upgrade teamwork closely with local emergency responders, including police, fire departments and local homeland security officials. Decisions made were that responding officers should be able to access the district's video from their squad cars and remote devices, in addition to the central dispatch office.

Because Milestone software enables integrations with countless third-party vendors, the XProtect VMS was the choice to set the new course.

Mapping Security Breaches

  • Milestone XProtect Expert VMS and Smart Client
  • Remote access and monitoring with Milestone Mobile
  • Entrance access control from LenelS2 Security
  • Network cameras from Axis Communications and MOBOTIX
  • Consulting and implementation by Digital Surveillance Solutions (DSS)

XProtect Expert is at the core of the surveillance system, controlling user access, camera and recording settings, viewing, searching, archiving and evidence sharing. The advanced mapping features and remote video access are key to the schools’ requirements for sharing video with authorities. The integrated surveillance solution works with the video intercom system for 2-way audio and access control at public entrances.

Situational Awareness when Seconds Count
Streaming, real-time video from the cameras is available at the police department, fire department and in mobile police units. In the event of an emergency, a map-based interface in the district's VMS lets responding officers navigate fast to see campus buildings and click on logically named camera locations to check what is happening.

The seamless integration of the access control system with the VMS has enabled the schools to keep track of any attempted entry by unauthorized people. School administrators can access camera views in their respective buildings, and district office staff can view video in all buildings.

In addition to dealing with potential or active external threats, the video security system delivers overall campus visibility and discourages vandalism, student conflicts and after-hours trespassers. A resource officer for the district noted that with the system in place, the incidence of crime dramatically decreased to almost nothing. If things do occur, video evidence is highly valued in criminal or liability investigations.

Conserving Operational Resources
School facility staff can access cameras remotely for more logistical uses, like viewing parking lots after a particularly snowy night to determine if school property should be snow plowed, or schools should close that day.

Overall, the increased real-time situational awareness has not only contributed to a peace of mind across the community, but recorded video evidence has saved the district resources in crime investigations and reporting. And, that means all stakeholders are able to focus more on the important task of educating the country’s youth.

About Crime in K-12 School Districts
According to the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) data from 2017-2018 showed that 66% of public schools recorded physical attacks or fights without a weapon, and 21% of schools reported at least one serious violent incident. From 2018 through 2020, Statista numbers K-12 shootings increased to circa 115 each year for incidents where guns were brandished, fired, or hit school property.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) also funded creation of a database to track shootings on K-12 school grounds. This research aims to uncover why multiple-victim homicide incidents have been increasing. In 2019, a Federal Data Strategy also began to examine data on school safety. Both efforts can help to better understand the nature and extent of violent crime that occurs in U.S. schools — and ultimately how best to prevent future incidents.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.