A Thank You To Our Great Customers

Normally, our blogs are filled with tips, tricks, and advice for all things locksmith related. We want to do something slightly different this time around. We wanted to personally thank all of our customers, past, present, and future for being their to support us. We know that locksmiths are not something that many people need often, but it feels good to know that you can trust us with your locksmith needs, and you often trust us because we stay busy.

As I mentioned earlier, future customers are important to us and we want to thank you too. You may have never needed a locksmith, but when that day comes when you do need one, be happy knowing that we can help you with your automotive, commercial, and residential locksmith needs. We're excited to offer these great services to you at fair and honest prices.

So, to end, thank you again. We appreciate all of you. Give us a call at 479-452-6161. We're ready for you call. Pop-A-Lock of Fort Smith is always ready!

School Security By Pop-A-Lock

School Security…The Basics

What are the risks?

Security personnel are trained to evaluate jobs in terms of threats, attacks, and countermeasures. Some threats are geographical in nature – tornados, hurricanes, floods, fire. While these threats to our schools are something to be concerned about, an unfortunate and even more devastating chain of events have taken over as the #1 threat to our students and faculty. The threat of someone walking onto a school campus with the intention of causing bodily harm to students and faculty is top of mind as these events continue to happen across the country. What can schools do to protect themselves in an active shooter scenario?

While there may not be a perfect solution, there are measures that can be taken to increase security on campuses everywhere – daycare centers, elementary through high schools, and colleges. The purpose is to minimize risk and focus on the types of security equipment that can be used to help protect against violent attacks.

Perimeter Envelope

The first step in securing a building is ensuring that only those people allowed inside are in fact inside. The process starts by ensuring that the exterior doors and windows are installed properly, of good quality and have automatic closing devices where appropriate. Once complete, the next step is the installation of a number of interconnected sensors and controls in a system which will indicate when any outside door is ajar (door position sensors), control when the main doors are allowed to be open (access control), and indicate that windows are closed when appropriate (window contacts).

Access Control

An electronic access control system can provide control of who enters the school during normal operating hours. A good system can minimize the annoyance of increasing security by allowing those who should have access to the school to do so in a normal manner, for example a proximity fob.

Identification Badges

In a large school environment a badge system can be used to print a badge providing visual confirmation and access control information for each visitor in the school. School administrators should look at their current security protocol and adapt these best practices if they are not already in place.

•Is an identification card or badge used to identify all personnel within the confines of the controlled areas? Does the identification and control system include arrangements for the following:

1. Protection of coded or printed components of badges and passes
2. Designation of the various areas requiring special control measures
3. Controlled issue of identification media

•Are there written procedures for the method of identification at time of entering and leaving controlled area, as applied to both employees and visitors?

1. Details of where, when, and how ID cards shall be carried
2. Procedures to be followed in case of loss or damage to identification media
3. Procedure for recovery and invalidation
4. Arrival/departure time in each case recorded on the employees/visitor’s register

•Are personnel who require infrequent access to a critical area and who have not been issued regular security identification for such areas treated as “visitors” and issued either -

1. A visitor’s badge or pass
2. A special pass

•If a badge exchange system is used for any controlled area, does the system provide for:

1. Comparison of badge, pass and personnel?
2. Physical exchange of pass for badge at time of entrance and exit?
3. Security of badges not in use?

•Are badges recorded and controlled by rigid accountability procedures?

•Are lost badges replaced with one bearing a different number or one that is otherwise not identical to the one lost?

•What are procedures relative to lost, damaged, and/or forgotten badges?

Restricted Keyway Locks

The basic mechanical locking hardware is very important in keeping unwanted visitors out of the school. A restricted keying system ensures that keys cannot be duplicated by unauthorized people at chain stores, hardware stores, or even at individual locksmith shops. This is accomplished through strict manufacturer control of key blanks and lock components and appropriate dealer licensing. Keys remain controlled and as long as the keys are collected from terminated employees, the key system remains secure. No unauthorized keys are ever produced. Additionally, because of the restricted nature of the keys they are not available for an experienced attacker to use in the creation of a master through reverse engineering or in the creation of a functional bump key.

High Security Locks

While the primary issue with keys is maintaining key control, and that is fully addressed by restricted keyway locks, these locks do not provide increased pick and drill resistance. Should the threat analysis conclude that there will be targeted attacks on the locks, then, high security locks should be installed. They provide the advantages of restricted keyways plus added pick resistance and increased drill resistance.

Master-Keyed Systems

A properly setup master key system provides a great deal of convenience and flexibility for users of the facility. It’s safe to say that most schools in this country use a master-keyed system, however, in the context of school security it is important to understand that master-keyed locks are somewhat easier to pick. Professional locksmiths refer to master-keying as the “controlled loss of security”. With that being said, master-keying is generally of such great value to the facility users that if a lock picking attack is a serious concern the recommendation would be to upgrade the cylinders to high security locks and master-key those. Consider these questions…

1. Has a key control official been appointed?
2. Are locks and keys to all buildings and entrances supervised and controlled by a key control official?
3. Does the key control official have overall authority and responsibility for issuance and replacement of locks and keys?
4. Are keys not in use maintained indicating:

-Buildings and/or entrances for which keys are issued?

-Number and identification of keys issued?

-Location and number of master keys?

-Location and number of duplicate keys?

-Issue and turn in of keys?

-Location of locks and keys held in reserve?

5. Are locks changed immediately upon loss or theft of keys?
6. If master keys are used, are they devoid of markings identifying them as such?
7. Are losses or thefts of keys promptly investigated by the key control personnel?
8. Must all requests for reproduction or duplication of keys be approved by the key control official?
9. Are locks on inactive gates and storage facilities under seal? Are they checked periodically by personnel?
10. Are padlocks rotated within the facility at least semiannually?

Door Position Sensors

A door position sensor can show an indication of a door opened when it shouldn’t be and a door propped open. These can be used in combination with an access control system or a burglar alarm system.

Burglar Alarms

Burglar alarms by themselves are an effective deterrent and should the building envelope be compromised, they will summon the police. This is a very effective way of preventing or minimizing theft.

Panic Buttons

All modern burglar alarms have the ability to send a panic signal if something were to happen during the daily operation of the school. Wireless panic buttons can be added anywhere within the school and can be used to summon the police in the event of an emergency. These buttons would be programmed to function whether the burglar alarm was armed or not.

Classroom Security

In the last 14 years, manufacturers have developed a new function of lock called “classroom/intruder”. This type of lock has a key on both the inside and outside. These locks are used throughout the school, anywhere children are present – classrooms, offices, gyms, and cafeterias. The interior locks on all doors are keyed in such a way that every teacher and administrator’s individual classroom or office key will lock any door from the inside. In the event of an active shooter attack, all classrooms would be locked down from the inside and the children would be moved to the safest part of the room. “Classroom/Intruder” is the only lock function we would recommend.

Video Surveillance

Visible video surveillance has a deterrent value and exposed obvious cameras are best for school systems. Cameras mounted outside the school can aid in providing perimeter security simply by increasing awareness of what is happening outside where windows do not allow visibility. Interior cameras provide deterrence as well and the very fact that they are seen means less vandalism and theft.

*Resolution – All modern video systems have high resolution cameras as an option and they can provide stunning pictures.

*Compression – The amount of raw video data in modern systems is very large, huge actually. Various compression methods are available to store the data with minimum degradation.

*Storage – All systems will provide some method of recording the video information and typically storage times are in the 2 week range. More is possible but would require increased storage capacity. In some systems the storage is in the camera, while others in a separate computer box.

*Event Triggers – Video surveillance can be initiated by a trigger such as a door contact in an area where no one should be. This provides advantages in allowing the quick review of the video after the discovery of a problem.

The threat of violence in our schools requires emergency lockdown or shelter-in-place procedures. Take the time to analyze your schools current security and take the necessary steps to make upgrades where they are most needed.

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