Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Trend Toward Product Implementation

  • By Rodney Chatman
  • 01/01/17

Product ImplementationWhat are on everybody’s minds in 2017 are events like what occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007 and, more recently, at Ohio State. Our campus communities are very concerned about the ability to prevent those types of events, train them on what to do should they occur and what technology is available to assist us.

What I’m seeing as a trend is installation of products and policies related to integrated notification systems so that, when an event occurs, we are able to respond to it from all angles and notify our communities as to what we need them to do, such as evacuate or take shelter in place. I’m also seeing a trend toward installation of electronic access control systems, which offer benefits that physical keys cannot, such as reporting when and by whom a door was accessed and offering immediate ability to disable lost cards or change a user’s access level.

The result of implementing these products is that students can be about the business of learning and not be worried about the police department’s strength and ability to respond to an event.

Implementing these products allows administrators to proactively market to prospective students and their parents with the message, “We are as prepared as we can be, and we are engaged in a living and breathing method of keeping our campus safe in terms of adding technology and methods as it makes sense to our community.”

About the Author

Rodney Chatman is executive director of Public Safety and chief of Police at University of Dayton, OH.

Featured

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.