Lockdown Systems Provide an Additional Layer of Safety for Students and Staff

In today's times, it's more important than ever for schools and universities to have lockdown procedures in place. This includes a plan as well as the equipment necessary to secure buildings and keep students safe. Because this is a relatively new problem in America, many facilities aren't equipped to handle a threat. They may have thought schools were relatively safe places but the fact is an active shooting situation could arise anywhere and at any time. Schools need to be prepared and have equipment in place that will lock all the doors and ensure students are protected until law enforcement arrives.

Threats to Students and Staff

Although school security was almost nonexistent a couple of decades ago, more and more school systems are investing in hardware that will protect students and staff in case of an emergency. Lockdown drills are now just as common as fire drills in schools and for good reasons. Students and staff need to know what to do if their lives are in danger. Schools having lockdown systems that allow administrators to lock all the entry doors with the push of a button are significantly safer than those having to manually lock all the doors. Depending on the number of entrances to the building, the process could take half an hour or more. There just isn't that much time to waste when students are in danger.

Despite the media coverage of isolated incidents, an active shooter inside a school is still a rare occurrence. However, as everyone has seen, no school is really exempt from the possibility of it happening to them. The more common reason for school lockdowns is a crime in the school's immediate vicinity. When a person commits a violent crime near the school, there is always a chance they will try to seek refuge inside the building. Administrators can prevent this by quickly locking all the doors and protecting the students from the threat.

Lockdown Equipment Features

In addition to immediately locking all of the entry doors, some schools offer students and staff an additional layer of security by providing security for classroom, cafeteria, and gymnasium doors. While locking all the entry doors can keep an intruder out of the building, this type of system can keep students safe if a threat is already inside the school. This gives students and faculty the best chance of surviving the attack. The ideal equipment is easy for the teachers to use so if they ever need it, it can be activated quickly.

Children should also be safe while they play. A comprehensive school security system will provide secure locking mechanisms for outdoor gated areas as well. The world is a scary place, and there are criminals everywhere. It's the duty of schools to ensure the children who attend are able to live normal lives and, despite what might be happening outside of their campuses, kids should be able to play and have fun at recess every day. Secure access to outdoor areas will ensure unauthorized individuals will not enter the school property with the intention of harming the children.

Safe Schools are No Accident

Educational institutions are expected to do everything they can to keep students safe. The best way to achieve this is to have a secure building. The hardware needs to be fail-proof. This means the locks can't be broken and there are alarms in place to alert administrators to doors that might be propped open. The ideal system is also easy to maintain so school staff members don't have to worry about whether it will work when they need it. Administrators should choose hardware specifically designed for schools and the heavy usage entry doors in school buildings get.

Because the reliability of the lockdown system is so important, school systems must carefully choose the locksmith services they hire to install the system. Bradley's Safe and Lockworks has experienced and skilled professionals who understand how important it is to protect students of all ages while they are at school. Working with an experienced locksmith will ensure the school has access to all of the information they need to secure their building. The locksmiths will work directly with administrators to determine which areas of the school need additional security and design the system to meet individual building's needs.