Safe and Secure
Jun 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Mike Kennedy
Managing growing security concerns under current budget strains.
Some security measures can be a significant drain on the budgets of school districts and higher-education institutions, but administrators can take many low- or no-cost steps to boost campus safety. The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities offers numerous suggestions: •Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed, and remove obstacles so that there are clear lines of sight that enable school staff, neighbors and passing pedestrians and patrol cars to monitor school grounds. •Prevent access to roofs and windows by trimming trees and moving objects away from the building that can be used as climbing devices. •Secure roof hatches, operable skylights, and rooftop equipment doors and access panels—from the inside of the building, if possible. •Regularly inspect exterior lighting for damage and burned-out bulbs, and make immediate repairs. •Place traffic-calming devices, such as stop signs, pavement markings and speed bumps, in parking lots and driveways. •Limit the use of building entrances to one or as few as possible. Adjust locking hardware on all other entrances so they cannot be opened from the outside without a key or other entry device. •Number or re-number doors and rooms in a logical, sequential, floor-by-floor pattern so emergency responders can find them quickly.
•Ensure that all classrooms, including portables, have two-way communication with the office. Consider providing cell phones, two-way radios, or portable duress alarms to faculty and staff.Low-cost steps
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