According to a Wren Solutions study conducted in July 2007, only 28 percent of schools surveyed felt confident their emergency plan would be carried out effectively in a crisis. In a new "Bird's Eye View" advisory from Wren, "Using Video and Access Control to Maximum Advantage in an Emergency," experts offer school resource officers advice on how surveillance video and access control technologies can and should be used to their maximum advantage in an emergency. The results, according to Wren experts, are improved emergency response, search and rescue, and forensic investigations.
According to a Wren Solutions study conducted in July 2007, only 28 percent of schools surveyed felt confident their emergency plan would be carried out effectively in a crisis. In a new "Bird's Eye View" advisory from Wren, "Using Video and Access Control to Maximum Advantage in an Emergency," experts offer school resource officers advice on how surveillance video and access control technologies can and should be used to their maximum advantage in an emergency. The results, according to Wren experts, are improved emergency response, search and rescue, and forensic investigations.
"School emergency plans exist so that teachers, students and administrators are all prepared and informed ahead of time on how they should respond in the event of an emergency. However, what these plans-on-paper frequently fail to account for are how video and access control can help key personnel and rescue teams respond second-to-second as an emergency unfolds in real-time," said Jeff Floreno, Director of Operations and Security Strategy, Wren Solutions.
The article details how schools can use access control and video to contain and respond to a crisis such as an armed intruder or hostage situation, a fire, or a parking garage collapse on campus.
"For example, in the case of an armed intruder who has taken hostages in the cafeteria, law enforcement with real-time access via a Web browser into the video surveillance of that room can determine the condition of the hostages, monitor the shooter's every move, and ultimately plan on how they will make optimal entry without risking loss of life," Floreno said. "Access control plays a key role because it can help lock down areas near the cafeteria to safety personnel only, and bar students and staff from unknowingly entering the danger zone."