Let’s face it: today’s world feels more unsafe than ever before.

Our most vulnerable population—children—are constantly facing new and more harrowing threats. And as these threats evolve, so does the increasing demand for equally adaptive preventive security measures. Our school security systems used to suffice with a physical lock and key, but modern times call for modern solutions.

What security system is sophisticated enough to provide customized and effective surveillance, but is simple enough for students and teachers to use?

Access Control is the Smartest School Security System Available

Access control systems have seen an exponential growth in popularity for schools. With these systems, schools can personalize access privileges from user to user, making building entry easy for those who belong there and difficult for those who don’t. They also make it easy to provide different levels of security for different roles.

Take, for example, a substitute teacher, a cafeteria staff member, and an administrator. The substitute can be given a keycard which allows them to access the specific classroom they’re assigned and only for  the specific day(s) that they would be teaching, while  the school cook may be authorized to enter the lunch hall and kitchen. Meanwhile, the administrator would have unrestricted access to the entire school.

Such was the case for one of our clients, the PA College of Health Sciences. The design we installed not only accomplished the college’s intended goal of customized personnel access, it also resulted in a highly sophisticated, almost entirely keyless security system that was able to monitor activity campus wide.  This also greatly benefited their Facilities Team by eliminating the burdensome task of managing thousands of keys and reducing them down to just a handful of master keys.

While access privileges are impressive, the most important features of any access control systems are its reliability and precision. That’s one of the reasons we use RS2 Technologies as our go-to system for access control and security.

Manage Building Access Remotely

Managing these systems remotely is a cinch. Schools and campuses cover vast amounts of space and navigating them is no easy task. Whether an emergency is underway or a less immediate situation needs addressed, it pays to be able to have a school security system managed from anywhere at any time.

If a teacher locks themselves out of their classroom during lunch, for instance, the door can easily be unlocked from the main office. If there’s a menace afoot, however, the school can be locked down in zones, isolating the threat.

In Case of Emergency, Lock Down the Campus Within Seconds

It’s certainly not pleasant to think about, but should an intruder begin committing acts of violence, a school security system should be able to identify and react to the incident without fail. With an access control system, there’s no need to manually lock every single door on campus. With a simple command, all locks can be universally activated at once. This may be the most important feature of access control systems in today’s world.

Combine Forces with Existing Systems

There’s no need to scrap an entire existing access control system when integrating a new one. Video surveillance cameras have been used in schools effectively for years, and there’s no substitute for visual feedback. Luckily, we can link these existing systems to access control, which allows us to double up on visual information and data by providing camera images for each door event.

A Sound Investment Beyond Security

Safety is obviously the priority when it comes to choosing a school access control system. But there are additional benefits to choosing access control that are simply the icing on the cake!

First, schools are able to minimize security staff (which they often struggle to find funding for). With a system so dependable that it’s literally able to be several places at once, personnel can be reduced, since they’re able to manage multiple buildings at once.

Access control systems are also significantly more convenient for teachers, students, and other staff members. Gone are the days of carrying unwieldy keyrings laden with dozens of mysterious keys. Modern situations demand more efficient solutions. And key cards are easily replaceable, should they be lost. Re-keying a lock? Not so easy. Re-keying an entire building if a master key was stolen or lost? Definitely not so easy!

Finally, and perhaps most impactfully, the feeling of safety is one that maximizes the potential of educators and students. The stress of today’s world is taking its toll on just about everybody. Feeling secure is one of the most critical elements to success, and just knowing there are reliable systems in place can bring peace of mind. This allows our attention to focus on areas that help us move forward and grow, a benefit that, in itself, is priceless.

Choosing, installing, and maintaining a school access control system can be a daunting task. Let the experts at Heritage Communications help by contacting us today.