Summer is a great opportunity for school districts to improve their emergency plans, perform security upgrades and engage in maintenance management of their entire facility.
As part of our mission to reduce your risk of school violence, we at the Soteria Group believe that the summer months (while the students are away) is the prime time for necessary school safety and security upgrades including:
- Have a vulnerability assessment done by qualified school safety professionals.
- Customize their Emergency Management Plan in collaboration with first responders and utility managers.
- Update the Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) Safety Plan (SP) Contingency of Operation Plan (COOP).
- Conduct a truancy analysis on the recently completed school year.
- Ensure emergency drill charts or documentation for emergency drills are present in each room throughout the facility.
- Conduct safety training with all staff prior to the beginning of the new school year.
- Create emergency kits for each classroom.
- Conduct training on the use of such kits before the beginning of the new school year.
- Create lockdown safety/comfort boxes or kits.
- Identify a primary and secondary evacuation site and prepare evacuation plans for both sites.
- Ensure the entrance and egress points are clearly marked by way finding signage.
- Upgrade your access management system to incorporate a digital/electronic system.
- Upgrade visitor badges to include a digital image of the visitor and clear identification information.
- Test your notification and fire drill systems.
- Ensure all notification systems can be heard from every area of the campus.
- Upgrade intercom systems to two-way communication systems with a system other than a simple hardline telephone.
- Check batteries in notification systems and detection systems such as fire and carbon dioxide detectors.
- Add mirrors on interior halls that have 90 degree or otherwise obstructed corners or angles.
- Replace door hardware as to not be able to chain or otherwise secure the door.
- Upgrade door locking systems to allow for doors to be secured from the inside and provide for security assess such as card key access where necessary.
- Mark classroom and other rooms on the exterior to match the markings on the interior.
- Preform landscaping to provide for clear line of sight such as trimming trees and vegetation as so trees branches are no lower than 6 feet from the ground and vegetation is no higher than 2 feet high.
- Repair or replace damaged fencing and upgrade to a fencing type that is designed to not be easily jumped.
- Upgrade or conduct maintenance on lighting systems to provide for proper lighting around the entire campus.
- Install, upgrade or perform maintenance on camera systems to provide for clarity and eliminate any blind spots around campus.
- Test, upgrade or replace security monitoring systems and monitor viewing locations.
- Install a duress or panic type notification system at the point of entry and other location as deemed necessary.
- Bus and other transportation employees should receive a driver’s safety course prior to the beginning of the new school year.
- Transportation employees should be given a basic first aid class.
- Provide a means for students, staff and the public who use the school during the summer report items of concern or things in need of repair.
The Soteria Group provides Security Assessments, Safety Design, Crisis & Emergency Training, and Funding Assistance. Let Us Help.
P: 505-263-7059
Toll free: 844-295-5091
E: info@SoteriaSafetyByDesign.com