Are you prepared for “The When“?

Emergency Preparedness and Planning typically has 3 phases – the before (prevention), the during (when) and the after (analysis or forensics). The majority of K-12 budgets are spent on preventative efforts and analysis. Of the remaining dollars, less than 10% is spent on improving communication during the crisis. Preventative measures such as access control and video surveillance may be good deterrents but when there is a weather emergency or a threat in the nearby community, these systems may be ineffective. Even when the threat is on campus, will someone be monitoring the video cameras? How will they get the message out to those affected by the impending threat?

With over 13,000 school districts, over 129,000 schools, and a total K-12 enrollment of over 50 million in the United States…the responsibility of communicating effectively, especially in a crisis situation, is huge.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 65 percent of public schools reported that at least one violent incident occurred at school during the 2013-14 school year. Violent incidents were reported at 53 percent of elementary schools, 88 percent of middle schools, and 78 percent of high school/combined schools.

Diversifying your school security plan and budget, by integrating the before, during and after, will likely affect the outcome of a crisis. We can’t prevent all incidents from happening but we can be more prepared to communicate and respond effectively and efficiently when it does happen.

Lockdown drills and communication plans should be well rehearsed through situational drills. All parties involved should know exactly what to do. And, those in charge should be able to immediately review statistical data to see response times by classroom and instructional area—so weak areas can be addressed. Improving communication and response times during a campus threat will result in improved outcomes.

Communication is the key…and today’s technology allows for campus communication in an emergency to be seamless. When seconds count, it can’t take minutes. One click can not only alert those in charge of a possible threat – but one click can also trigger a lockdown and communication of the threat to multiple locations and devices both on- and off-site. Assurecom, by Telecor, ensures that emergency notifications can be sent to multiple devices simultaneously including audio, digital signage, mobile devices, and desktops. Whether the event is an impending weather threat, a missing child, a maintenance issue, an internal fight, an intruder, or a community threat – Assurecom removes any guesswork and seamlessly communicates to all parties involved on campus as well as first responders.

Assurecom can layer over existing systems already in place to help with dollar constraints in your security, IT, and facility budgets. Refreshing existing technology, ensuring timely and effective communication to multiple locations and devices, and measuring response times for training purposes is the key to being prepared for a crisis.

Telecor has been providing communication technology to schools for over 35 years and stands ready to work with your campus in managing “the when”. Contact us today for a free evaluation.

Visit Telecor for a live demo at CETPA Booth 235.

 

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