Editor Introduction
Students deserve a safe and positive environment where they can learn and thrive. Teachers and administrators should be able to focus on their primary role of educating students because they feel supported and protected by a comprehensive security plan. Staff require a clear protocol for responding to emergencies. And parents deserve peace of mind that their children are safe during the school day. One of the tools for safer schools is physical security technology. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How can physical security systems make schools safer?
Today’s video management systems (VMS) are shifting school safety from reactive to proactive. Real-time alerts via SMS and email for events like line crossing and face detection allow for faster, informed responses. AI-driven analytics add further value with features such as firearm detection and license plate recognition (LPR), fulfilling long-standing requests from educators and security professionals. Schools can now maintain watchlists for individuals and vehicles, receiving alerts when predefined conditions are met. Integrated access control allows entire campuses to be secured remotely, while pairing each event with contextual video. Environmental sensors like Halo and Triton detect elevated noise levels or unusual air quality changes — indicators of distress or attempts to conceal substance use. When these systems work together, they provide a layered, intelligent safety solution that empowers schools to respond swiftly and effectively to incidents — creating a safer, more secure learning environment for students and staff.
Editor Summary
Our Expert Panelists listed a variety of ways that physical security systems can contribute to making schools safer. Notably, there is a trend toward school safety measures to be more proactive than reactive; that is, to identify possible threats before violence or other dangers enter the school premises. Technology provides a useful tool given the continuing security threats facing our education systems.
