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:
- Protection of coded or printed components of badges and passes
- Designation of the various areas requiring special control measures
- 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?
- Details of where, when, and how ID cards shall be carried
- Procedures to be followed in case of loss or damage to identification media
- Procedure for recovery and invalidation
- 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 -
- A visitor’s badge or pass
- A special pass
•If a badge
exchange system is used for any controlled area, does the system
provide for:
- Comparison of badge, pass and personnel?
- Physical exchange of pass for badge at time of entrance and exit?
- 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…
- Has a key control official been appointed?
- Are locks and keys to all buildings and entrances supervised and controlled by a key control official?
- Does the key control official have overall authority and responsibility for issuance and replacement of locks and keys?
- 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?
- Are locks changed immediately upon loss or theft of keys?
- If master keys are used, are they devoid of markings identifying them as such?
- Are losses or thefts of keys promptly investigated by the key control personnel?
- Must all requests for reproduction or duplication of keys be approved by the key control official?
- Are locks on inactive gates and storage facilities under seal? Are they checked periodically by personnel?
- 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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