Campus Protection Pros Tell Us About Their Access Control and Lockdown Technology Successes

We asked the 2022 Campus Safety Access Control and Lockdown Survey participants to tell us about the successes they’ve had with their programs. Here’s what some of them had to say.

• We use a variety of locking systems and are making active efforts to improve/streamline some of those systems. We have a solid and safe system in place for being a small, private school in the country with limited funds to work with.
• We finally converted to one system on campus.
• Card access badges have been added periodically to the system and work well.
• Building door proximity card readers restricts access to Administration building 24/7/365, and the academic buildings afterhours unless they are computer programmed for an afterhours event.
• The frequency of incidents has increased the likelihood staff takes it seriously and doesn’t blow the subject off.
• We had some police activity nearby and the playground supervisors decided to send the students in. It was nice to just use my card to open the doors and know that when all of the students we in the building and shut the door, it was already locked.
• Prevents unruly children from entering other classrooms.
• We have caught a visitor on the license scan. He came up as a molester.
• We recently conducted a “Secure” lockdown (not a full lockdown). All staff members conducted their duties perfectly.
• Maintenance personnel readily submit work orders on faulty doors and locking devices when prompted.
• The access control system has been great finding out who attempted to disarm a school but left before responders could get there. I can go back and find out who it was and ensure that does not happen again or we turn off their after-hours access.
• Trial tested some wireless locks that work with the system successfully. Looking at our next building project being 99% card access on all doors.
• Our campus has the ability to secure all exterior doors leading into the campus allowing us to lockdown the campus quickly.
• We have included the ability to remotely lock down each building individually as well as the entire campus with a quick procedure. Our newly acquired and remodeled areas have recently had a specification change in using classroom intruder locks on our classrooms.
• Visitors still sometimes think they can just enter the school and are surprised when the doors are locked and they are unable to enter. Some try to enter doors other than the main office out of confusion where the front doors are located even though the front office is clearly marked. Access control prevents this access. We are also able to speak to the visitor through some of our cameras and able to redirect them to the front office.
• Hardwired online access control that provides remote lockdown capability.
• DHS came and did assessment.
• Every new measure we put in place is a success! Security was understood/recognized but NOT an active priority. Owners/Directors taking a very active step in ensuring new safety measures established and followed on a daily basis. Security is on par with the importance of learning objectives/outcomes!!
• Students are clear on where they need to evacuate and how to lock down.
• Reducing the number of public entrances. Working to enhance lockdown capabilities.
• We have not had to lock down our campus in the past several years. Most of our academic buildings and all of our residence halls have card access control. Most buildings on campus have at least one exterior door that is on card access for after hour access so that we don’t have to issue keys for the buildings other than to those whose responsibility it is to unlock the building for regular business hours.
• Access control has been successful – ability to remote lockdown doors is nice feature, but doors are always locked down.
• We conduct many Lockdown drills at all of our High Schools with SRO’s in them which are 5 in our County. One school shooting has occurred at a school in Douglas County (Millard South High School, which ALL agencies and schools have learned from and have done better since then. I believe it was a big wake up call that it CAN happen. And will if we don’t PREVENT more from happening. We have highly trained SRO’s in Active Shooter Training here and are proud of that. We also have K-9’s that patrol the schools in our County for drugs. We have tested the control access and lockdown drills and everyone has done very well.
• All exterior doors are locked and accessible through control access systems.
• Video surveillance allows for quick determination of people trespassing.
• We were able to isolate an individual that made it into the building through an exterior door by having interior doors locked.
• We have made safety upgrades at our main entrances. Currently doing a construction project at the elementary to enhance door access control. Will be two sets of doors before actually in our main building.
• We recently upgraded our security vestibule to include double locking doors and separate entrance doors for staff and visitors. The upgrade also included the installation of a “bank drawer” for any materials that visitors may want to drop off. We have attempted to restrict visitor access as much as possible; no visitors are permitted beyond the vestibule without an appointment.
• Most of our schools are fenced. All staff and visitors are asked to come in through one point to sign in to the campus. All staff wears ID. Good working relationship with local police.
• Visitors don’t always find the front office and attempt to enter through other doors. Cameras and audio are available at these other doors so we are able to direct them. People are still surprised when they pull on a door and its locked.
• Our secretarial staff that regulates the flow into our 1 POE into the school does a excellent job.
• Recently added electronic access to exterior dormitory buildings.
• Recently we modified where our students could come in and out of the school. Limit the access points.
• We recently moved to every building having at least one electronic access control point.
• Adding and updating some access points in many of our buildings.
• Door found propped open, was reported in less than 90 seconds, by several staff.
• Recently added weapons detection systems for all of our secondary schools and will be working on the elementary schools as funds permit
• Access cards have decreased the possibility of exterior doors being left unlocked. All classroom doors are always locked and require a key to enter. All exterior doors are always locked and require a key or access card to enter.
• More secure, modern locking systems and campus safety practices/approaches over the last 3 years.
• We have immediate lockdown capabilities of all our emergency departments. This is conducted almost every day due to felonious traumas in our communities. This works well.
• We are located on the edge of our downtown area which is frequented by homeless/street people. Our magnetic door locks allow us to screen folks to make sure no one coming in is experiencing current mental health or substance abuse issues. If so, staff meets with them outside to assist the individual.
• We have not had any negative incidents, which are likely avoided by peripheral observation, digital video system and comprehensive intrusion alarm system
• Hard-wired, online management of electronic access control. Store-room function mechanical locks mean that no one can inadvertently leave a door unlocked.
• We are making progress on changing the mindset of our teachers. Some teachers still try to prop their classroom doors open, but our training and sweeps are minimizing that behavior.
• Code Red procedures are more proactive and reactive to secure students in the classrooms
• We are currently installing remote and electronic door locks.
• We have recently instituted that all departments must submit a list of expected Agency staff to security. If the visitor is not on the list they must be verified or denied access.
• We had an non-student on campus that was able to get into an unlocked side door, once we saw the individual we locked down the doors remotely then the doors that are manually locked we had an officer lock that door and escort the individual off campus.
• Each time we complete lockdowns, whether it be for a real situation or drilling we discover something that can be fixed or changed. Such as malfunctioning door locks.
• Staff response to unannounced intruder event. 95% responded in a proper manner to secure their area(s).
• We are adding panic buttons.
• Teachers are able to initiate a lockdown from their classroom.
• We are currently updating our locks. Key fobs will and individually wired doors with key pads will be replaced by access cards and interoperable door systems. Access can be programmed and controlled with the new systems.

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