Inaugural School Security Solutions Symposium Hosted by Axis Communications
One-day event provided a forum for local
schools, law enforcement, industry consultants and leading technology vendors to
discuss proactive school safety and emergency response plans
CHELMSFORD,
Mass. – December 3, 2013 – Axis Communications, the market leader in network
video surveillance, hosted its first School Security Solutions Symposium to
discuss planning and technology trends in school security at the
Axis Experience Center in Chelmsford, Mass. on Nov. 8.
Nearly 30 local school practitioners, law enforcement professionals, industry
consultants and leading technology vendors participated in 10 sessions,
including a focus group discussion, technology expo and two keynote
presentations on implementing school safety and emergency response plans and an
overview of
Crime
Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Nicholas Pasquarosa, Jr., a Yarmouth Police school resource officer for the
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, spoke to attendees about the
importance of creating a plan and gaining support from faculty, IT, facilities
and first responders. “Don’t wait until an incident to bring your team
together,” Pasquarosa said. “We hope the unimaginable never happens, but if it
does, you need to be prepared. Every minute you spend planning and training now
could make the difference in an emergency situation.”
School safety plans are not one size fits all and must be adapted to changing
threats, Pasquarosa went on to explain. “You can’t copy and paste a security
plan because every school is different. Create a plan specifically for your
school, your faculty and your community,” he said.
James Smith, a security consultant and CPTED practitioner, discussed how drug
activity, community crime rate, the presence of gangs and outsiders and even
traffic patterns for vehicles and pedestrians can have significant impact on the
ability to establish and maintain a safe school.
“Schools can implement security procedures and equipment upgrades identified
through a CPTED audit on an incremental basis to reduce costs. Both existing and
new school facilities under development can greatly benefit from new, more
efficient lighting and other security technologies,” Smith said.
The forum agenda emphasized how planning and technology can address key areas of
school security, including awareness, proactive, action, reaction and recovery.
Attendees learned about some of the latest technologies for IP video
surveillance from Axis, video synopsis technology from
BriefCam,
smartphone alert applications from
ELERTS,
Genetec
video management software and outdoor lighting based physical security solutions
from
TOTUS Solutions.
“The unfortunate reality today is that schools are facing destruction of
property, theft, bullying and even violence. It’s more important than ever for
schools and local law enforcement to be proactive and develop school security
plans,” said Steve Surfaro, security industry liaison, Axis Communications, Inc.
“As schools continue to put measures in place, we felt it was important to
provide a platform for these discussions and the opportunity to share best
practices and learn from each other’s experiences.”
Axis plans to host similar educational symposiums in major U.S. cities
throughout 2014. To learn more about Axis’ product offering for education
facilities, please visit:
www.axis.com/education.
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