The education sector is a gateway to the future for young people all over the world. But to assure this passage, schools must guarantee their students' safety as well as their education. In today's world, educators, administrators, and parents can all agree on one thing: the need to provide safe and secure learning environments for students is of paramount importance.
When any type or size of threat has been made evident to an educational institution, immediate security protocol nowadays typically involves securing the entire facility and taking all measures necessary to keep intruders out. But this is not always as easy as it sounds, as reaching all doors during the event promptly can prove to be challenging. Multiple buildings, community spaces, and the logistics of personnel having to physically lock doors increases the risk for both students and staff.
Intrusion detection platforms
The integration between both systems means security managers can have access to a single user interface to monitor
When determining which access control platforms to invest in, several factors have to be considered. This can include whether intrusion systems are also a critical component of the school’s security makeup. This is where Vanderbilt has the edge as the company possesses two award-winning products that also integrate with each other. These are the access control software ACT Enterprise and the intrusion detection system, SPC.
The integration between both systems means security managers can have access to a single user interface to monitor both their access control and intrusion detection platforms. This includes a real-time of their SPC zone status from within ACT Enterprise, as well as the ability to view SPC events within ACT Enterprise, and more importantly, send commands such as “set” or “unset” to SPC from within ACT Enterprise.
Access control fob
Overall, this is an excellent added layer of security for school managers who get the benefit of two award-winning security systems all from one interface. Of course, a standout feature of ACT Enterprise is the software’s intuitive rules mapping engine that can trigger pre-defined outcomes based on specific event outcomes. Therefore, this feature is a particularly useful and creative tool to have at the disposal of a security or facility manager.
Through the rules mapping feature, they can ensure not only the safety of the schools’ students and staff, but the smooth running of the building as well. For instance, an example of a rule that a security manager could create in the system, would be to receive an email notification anytime someone used their access control fob to enter into the school after hours.
Audio and video verification
Additionally, the integration between ACT Enterprise and SPC comes back into play here as the system user can also monitor their sites remotely through the SPC Connect app, which allows audio and video verification of any events that may take place on site. So, in essence, any security alerts can be immediately investigated and verified through video confirmation before taking the next appropriate steps to correct the situation.
Libraries are often open late or even 24/7 to accommodate student learning for assignments and exams
In addition to schools in general, when it comes to higher education, many universities are spread across a wide radius and contain popular student destinations such as bars, restaurants, gyms, and sporting facilities. One such popular student destination, the library, is a key example of the problematic issues that face the education sector. Libraries are often open late or even 24/7 to accommodate student learning for assignments and exams.
Recording fob activity
Libraries also house an abundance of valuable equipment such as state-of-the-art computers and printers. However, their opening hours and equipment makes them sensitive to theft, while the fact that they are focal gathering points for many students makes them a significant priority in securing students’ safety in the event of an active shooter on campus.
Thanks to ACT Enterprise’s muster reporting feature, security managers can, for example, keep an audit trail of who is in the library by monitoring and recording fob activity. The ACT Enterprise muster report gives security a real-time list of all students in the library, and when students exit the library and swipe out, the muster report will automatically update.
Access control systems
These are just some of the advantages that access control systems such as Vanderbilt’s ACT Enterprise can have in an educational environment. Vanderbilt understands that security in education is an essential issue, one that requires thoughtful attention and procedure while allowing room for agility, adaptability, and dependability. Vanderbilt’s ACT Enterprise respond to these expectations and enable practical safeguarding foundations to be laid.
