The University of Tennessee Health Science Center will undergo an $8 million security upgrade designed to improve its video surveillance, access control and emergency operations systems.
The pricey upgrade could be matched with an additional $8 million by the State Building Commission if necessary, according to bizjournals.com.
The plans include the addition of surveillance cameras around the campus and wireless or keyless access to rooms. The security upgrades will be run through an emergency operations center in the school’s General Education building.
The new features will be retrofitted in existing buildings on campus and built into numerous buildings the university is planning to construct in the next few years.
Executive Vice Chancellor Kennard Brown said the school has come a long way since it had a completely open campus and didn’t use ID cards. Brown said the university is better prepared to handle an active shooter and theft has decreased significantly since the implementation of the school’s security measures.
