School Security in a Post-9/11 World

In a few short months, we will reflect on an event that changed the way that we define safety as we travel to and from work, at our workplaces and even as we recreate with our families.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 also affected how K-12 schools across the country prepare for disasters or emergencies on campus. With eight schools within blocks of the former World Trade Center towers, split-second decisions were made to evacuate — a decision that would affect the lives of more than nine thousand students and staff, all of whom were evacuated without injury.

Communication with the principals of these schools was difficult, so these decisions were made with little information about what was happening around them. I have related this story to thousands of educators and law enforcement officials across the country to help them recognize the importance of properly preparing for and responding to large-scale emergencies.

Budget constraints and ongoing pressures to improve student achievement have forced educators to “race to the top,” while endeavoring to “leave no child behind.” The results? Policies that increase class sizes and teacher layoffs. In spite of these challenges, school administrators are also expected to maintain a safe campus and prepare their staff to respond to a school or community emergency.

The post-9/11 world is full with the possibility that we will be attacked again on our soil, but planning solely for the possibility that your school will be directly or indirectly affected by a terrorist attack is shortsighted. Unless your school is thought by law enforcement officials to be a terrorist target or is located close to a government building or a national icon or landmark, it is much more likely that it will be subject to what have come to be seen as “normal events” in schools, like medical emergencies involving students and staff, student fights, students possessing weapons or armed and unwelcomed intruders on campus.

With limited resources, it is important that practical decisions are made when investing in security equipment designed to alert staff about untoward events on campus. Fortunately, responding to an emergency in a classroom or on campus has been made easier and more affordable through recent technological innovations that provides school staff with a non-intrusive means of contacting first responders in case of an emergency.

One example is the Safe (Security Alert For Education) System, developed by Panasonic and its partners at Audio Enhancement Inc. At the core of system are the elements of classroom sound enhancement technology, providing the teacher with a lightweight pendant microphone that distributes their voice evenly throughout the classroom.  This system adds one key component: a panic button that when depressed, initiates a comprehensive chain of security responses that provides school administrators and designated first responders with real time access to audio and visual feeds of unfolding events. 

While these types of systems cannot prevent untoward events from happening in school, they do allow educators to be quickly notified of an incident when it occurs, helping them to make decisions when seconds count and providing them with peace of mind.

Gregory Thomas
is a school safety and planning expert and the managing director of Campus Safety Initiatives for the SAFE System Classroom. He is the former Deputy director of Planning and Response at the Columbia University National Center for Disaster Preparedness and has also worked with the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the U.S., as the executive director of the Office of School Safety and Planning.


Featured

  • StarRez Releases 2025 State of Student Housing Report

    Student housing software solutions provider StarRez recently released its second State of the Student Housing Industry Report, according to a news release. The report is based on the results of survey data from more than 400 higher education institutions around the world, both StarRez clients and not.

  • AP Construction Breaks Ground on Two Projects for Austin ISD

    Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) recently announced that it has broken ground on two renovation projects for the Austin Independent School District, according to a news release. The work at McCallum and Anderson High Schools totals 97,350 square feet and is scheduled for completion in January 2027.

  • New Kent State Academic Building Earns LEED Silver Certification

    Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently announced that its newest academic building, Crawford Hall, has earned a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The facility was recognized for its innovative design, water conservation technologies, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable construction materials, among other features.

  • Anderson Brulé Architects Rebrands as ABA Studios

    Anderson Brulé Architects, based in San Jose, Calif., recently announced that it is celebrating 40 years of service by rebranding under a new name, according to a news release. The architectural, interior design, and planning firm will now be known as ABA Studios to refresh its identity underneath a new generation of leadership.

Digital Edition