The staff members that will use the devices should also be given some basic training.

“In terms of the equipment, operators should be able to perform some basic troubleshooting and know what readouts mean,” Chris Dorn, senior security analyst at Safe Havens International, says. “There are also secondary screening processes they should understand, like how to watch people as they enter and what subtle questions to ask when someone looks suspicious. Then there’s visual weapons training and procedures to learn when operators actually find a weapon.”

When metal detectors are used at stadiums for athletic events, concerts and graduations, anticipating foot traffic becomes especially important because minimizing crowd formations and maintaining visibility is critical. Other challenges at stadiums include establishing weather protection for the devices and selecting a power supply.

Moore says many clients are investing in portable detectors that can be rolled to entrance points for events. Garrett and other vendors offer plugin or battery-powered portable devices for those situations. Renting is another option.

No matter what path school officials take, Vazquez says it’s crucial they test the devices out on their own campuses.

“It’s always a good idea for them to have the vendor leave the factory and bring a demo unit to the school,” Vazquez says. “That will help users figure out exactly what device settings and procedures to adopt.”

Metal Detector Operators Should be Trained

The complexities of metal detector systems don’t end with the planning stage. The type of detector and the follow up procedure (usually involving a hand wand) once something is detected also must be determined. Most of the new metal detectors have multizone LED alarms to indicate where metal was detected on the person that passed through it. That can save a lot of time for operators and mitigate crowd formation.

Vazquez says the operating procedures for the devices at schools and stadiums are similar. There are typically three people stationed with each metal detector, although some schools only use two people. The first person a visitor comes in contact with is known as the pacer. The pacer reminds people to remove metals from their pockets and announces other rules to prevent delays.

Then there’s usually a baggage check person who looks in bags for weapons or monitors a scanner. Finally, a third person can be used to monitor the detector and conduct secondary screenings if necessary. These are typically the people using wands to fol
low up on a detection. If nothing is found, the visitor is asked to walk through the detector again to ensure the first detection was a false alarm.

At least one of these three people should be an armed police officer if there is not an officer supervising the entrance. An officer can provide protection so the other operators aren’t attacked or subverted while attempting to recover a weapon. The training police possess can also be invaluable.

“I’ve seen plenty of examples where people miss weapons or fail to recover weapons when they search people,” Dorn says. “An old study from the International Association of Chiefs of Police found that most people carrying a weapon illegally are also carrying a second weapon. That’s something an untrained person might not be aware of.”

Then there’s the question of how often you want to use the devices. Should everyone in your school building or stadium be screened or would random screenings make more sense? Random screenings are popular with schools that don’t have the resources or manpower for permanent front entrance detection.

“The biggest trend we’re seeing is surprise detection,” Moore says. “Officials will pick a random classroom or school bus and search students, usually with handheld wands. This technique is used on military bases a lot.”

Moore cautioned against this approach, however, because it makes evasion easier for students. If someone is aware they are at risk of being screened, they may hide a weapon after entering a building and get it back following the screening period. Moore added that the technique can be disruptive to schools and be seen as invasive to students.

Work Towards Weapons-Free Campuses

There are obviously some potential drawbacks to consider, and administrators should think long and hard about how they will explain their decision to use metal detectors to the public, especially at the K-12 level.

To get the most out of metal detectors, school and college officials need to do their homework to select the device and screening strategies that are right for their campus. Operators also need to be adequately trained and given sufficient authority.

All this can add up to a lot of work for campus officials. That said, once they’re up and running, metal detectors can be a tremendous complement to an institution’s wider security strategy.

One less knife or gun on campus can mean one less tragedy. It’s hard to put a price on that.

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