M E P T D ES I G N A N D
THE FUTURE OF
SCHOOL SECURIT Y
To state that K-12 campus security is at the top
of mind for school administrators and parents
would be a gross understatement. At the time of
this writing, 12 weeks into 2018, there have been 17
school shootings where someone was hurt or killed,
an average of 1.4 shooting per week.1 How is the
technology design of security systems for campuses,
as well as MEP design, creating safer schools?
How are education design and security technology
changing already? What will it look like in the future?
The answers to these questions are slowly emerging,
but the truth is, even with the most elaborate and
advanced security systems, the human factor—the
acts that aren’t planned for, will happen. Innovation
in education technology design is pushed forward
by the desire to overcome or even anticipate that
human factor.
Today, the primary types of security systems
designed for K-12 schools are:
• Surveillance systems: visual, security cameras
• Access controls: card readers at doors & gates
• Intrusion detection: motion detectors, burglar
alarms
• E mergency communications: blue light phones
In addition to traditional security systems, CPTED
(Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)
is a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring
criminal behavior through environmental design.
CPTED strategies rely upon the ability to influence
offender decisions that precede criminal acts and
it is one design proposal that is gaining traction
as communities think about the best way to secure
schools.
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IP surveillance systems replaced analog systems
over 20 years ago. While we do see older campuses
that do not yet have IP converged technology
infrastructure, as these facilities undergo campus
modernizations, they will adopt current IP standards.
During campus renovations, the infrastructure
enabling IP convergence is designed and
implemented in a phased approach. The building
out of the technology backbone accommodates all
security systems onto the IP network. New buildings
are all designed with IP convergence, but older
buildings will be converted over in steps, first with
phones, then access controls and so on.
Access control systems are a hot-ticket item on
every school administrators budget at the moment.
It’s become essential that schools can be securely
locked down in the case of any incident. These
centralized systems initiate a rapid and complete
lockdown of all facilities within a campus and can
be easily engaged by trained school personnel.
The P2S Technology Group recently completed an
assessment for Anaheim Elementary School District
to provide costs for implementing a lockdown system
for each school in the district. We expect many more
schools to follow that path and we also expect that
manufactures will improve access control system
security features and lockdown procedures.
One inescapable trend that is seeping into all
aspects of design and indeed, everywhere else,
is automation. The integration between security
systems and the rest of the building management
systems (BMS) will become greater and feature more
automation. For example, if a door is propped open,
and that affects the HVAC system, the security