Keeping Schools Safe With A School Visitor Check-In System
It was a call that no parent wants to get – even a parent who is a seasoned retired policeman who also happens to lead a national safety company. But the call came through.
There was an intruder alert at my son’s school – just two weeks into the new school year. However, much to my relief, it ended up being a “safe” person after-all.
Yet, the alert jarred me. And, to be completely honest, it upset me.
I was mad that my child, as well as all the other students and teachers, had to be frightened and go through lockdown procedures (not knowing immediately that it would end up being a “safe” person).
I was mad about something else too – my son’s school had an old “buzzer” entry system that didn’t even have a camera!
The Lack Of School Visitor Check-In Systems
Out of curiosity, I investigated if any other schools had an intruder alert in this, the beginning of the school year.
I was shocked to see that ALL but five states in our country had either an intruder alert or a threat of school violence in the first two weeks of the new school year!
And, just as troubling, I found out that the majority of public schools in our nation have nothing more than an antiquated “buzzer” entry system – some with a camera and some without.
This is unacceptable in a nation that has the most technologically advanced security systems available in the world.
The Importance Of A School Visitor Check-In System
The fact that a school visitor check-in system is missing in most schools today in our nation is profoundly alarming.
The right visitor management system (VMS) and school visitor check-in system serve as a preventative tool to identify threats of potential danger and violence and to help ensure school security.
In fact, a full-service school visitor check-in system can integrate with student information systems for a primary goal of safety while also streamlining and improving front-office efficiency.
Click here to join us for one of our SafeVisitor weekly demos.
As a 25-year veteran policeman and specialist in violent crime prevention, I started SafeVisitor Solutions to create SAFE PUBLIC SPACES – especially ensuring that our schools would have the best security systems that technology and experience could provide.
How School Visitor Check-In Systems Work
While our political parties argue about how to keep our schools safe, my company continues to encourage school administrations to make sure they have prioritized the safety of their students, teachers, and staff by replacing antiquated entry systems to school check-in kiosks that are:
Reducing unexpected/unknown visitors
Providing a comprehensive background check/screening process and system
Initiating pre-registration for low-risk visitors for conducting business meetings
Instituting geofencing
Excluding parties
Conducting national sex offender searches
Deploying school check-in kiosks with a scanner
We must all work together to keep our schools, our children, our teachers, and our system of education safe and secure.
If you would like to learn more about how to use a visitor management system, like a school visitor check-in system, join us for one of our SafeVisitor weekly demos or set up a personal demo.