Zenitel NV

04/06/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/07/2021 03:28

Five Ways Intercoms Can Secure Schools

Five Ways Intercoms Can Secure Schools

06.04.2021

Schools face a wide range of risks, particularly at their entrances. Hardening a school entrance is critical, but not always easy, as often criminals enter a school the same way most of us do - through the front door.

That front entrance can be hardened by controlling access by placing security officers at entrances, or by implementing security technology such as access control systems to control electronic door locks, and video surveillance cameras to monitor access and to deter crime.

The trouble with those methods is that they have weaknesses. And because of those weaknesses, there are limitations on how well they can mitigate security risks and keep students, staff, and visitors safe.

An access control system can manage who can open a door, but once it is open, people can usually freely enter or exit. Adding security cameras provides a visual on the entrance, but it doesn't tell the whole story of a situation. Trained security guards can react to a situation, but they also are human, and they can become distracted, misled, or overwhelmed. Those approaches alone are not enough to keep a school secure.

​Audio plays a critical role in school safety and security. The need for human intervention and interaction through voice and audio always remains. That can only be achieved with an IP intercom solution. Audio brings video and access control together, and the result is a well-rounded and responsive system that offers actionable insight into potential physical breaches.

Hardening a school's front entrance using intercom solutions, access control, and video surveillance should always be done. But increasingly, IP intercoms solutions are used in other areas, to provide safety and security, in addition to communication and messages, and to relay important information, to deal with more diverse and dynamic threat situations.

In addition to a front entrance, here are five areas that intercoms can be used in schools to increase security.

  1. In a classroom, an intercom can be used for room-to-room communication. Teachers usually cannot leave students unsupervised, but if they need emergency assistance, the intercom can help them to communicate with staff in another room or area.
  2. In hallways, a single intercom station is powerful enough to operate both as a paging speaker and as an intercom station. It can provide critical information to teachers and students for daily operations and during emergency situations.
  3. Throughout the school, security can use a PA system to page teachers and students or broadcast pre-recorded messages from any intercom, (mobile) phone or dedicated IP PA panels.
  4. In the school yard and play areas, IP PA speakers offer excellent IP paging in large areas to communicate important messages.
  5. On the entire school grounds, emergency call stations with an intercom solution can provide a wide view of a situation, but also enable anyone who needs assistance to be seen and be heard.

Learn more about how IP intercoms and speakers allow you to see and hear what's happening, control access to the front entrance, and provide a safer environment for everyone on campus.

Category: Zenitel Blog