As summer breaks end and students prepare to return for the new school year, school security has become a more prominent issue. In line with this, institutions across the country are debating the best way to secure their schools and students — while maintaining a quality learning environment.
While armed security guards, metal detectors, and security cameras are helpful, they don’t tell the whole story. An effective school security strategy is a layered one. With 27 school shootings in 2022 alone, several bomb threats, and more occurring in American schools, physical security companies need to implement effective measures on school campuses, so the next generation can learn without being in constant fear.
That being said, we’ll discuss below how to keep the next generation safe in schools with obtainable security improvements.
How To Approach Schools and School Boards
If you’re having trouble or are anxious about approaching schools or school boards to render your services, here are two effective strategies you can use:
The RFP Process
One dynamic option is the RFP (Request For Proposal) process — a document that outlines your security plans and techniques, as well as why you think your company is qualified to provide those services. Below, we included some key points when creating an RFP.
Making an RFP involves determining what safety improvements need to be made in a particular school. By identifying the needs of each school, you can create a customized proposal. For example, in Robb Elementary School in Texas, where the latest school shooting occurred, there could be some security lapses, so the shooter was able to enter the campus. In this case, you can include all possible solutions, such as having metal detectors at the entrance, automatically-locking doors or buzzer systems, Twitter-trawling bots looking for threats, or more video surveillance networks.
Another example is the Dunbar High School in D.C. which received a bomb threat. For this issue, you can include using metal detectors, an effective threat response plan, or training students and school personnel on what to do when they encounter bomb threats.
If there aren’t any immediate security threats but concerns about safety within the school district, it may be best to take a more long-term approach. For example, Centennial High School in Las Vegas had a bathroom fight where a student was injured and hospitalized. Your proposal may include increasing routine inspection or adding more surveillance. Overall, your RFP should focus on the school’s specific needs — while considering all options available for improving security measures over time.
In addition, you must provide a copy of your licenses and certifications. Doing this helps your potential clients recognize you as an authorized company for the job, with clear intentions.
Finally, don’t forget your capital and personnel requirements or resources, which will support your proposal. In the U.S., the average capital and personnel requirements for security companies are:
- Capital requirements: Depending on the size of your organization, you need at least half a million capital requirements.
- Personnel requirements: You need 40 employees depending on how many clients and projects your company has on its plate.
Standing Out
There are many ways that you can stand out for school security and rise above your competitors. Besides boosting your online presence, you can demonstrate your skills and abilities, make a compelling offer, and articulate how you can help solve problems, such as liability issues and how much money they can save by partnering with you rather than hiring their own staff members.
Updated School Safety Standards
If your company was chosen to manage the physical security of students in a particular school, it’s crucial to update school safety standards by imposing the following:
Teacher Training Opportunities
Teacher training opportunities for school security teach educators how to recognize warning signs and prevent an attack from happening in the first place. It also provides strategies for responding when such an event does occur, so everyone stays safe no matter what happens.
Grounds Patrol Techniques
The world is constantly changing, and your ground patrol strategy should reflect that change. If you don’t stay on top of new trends in technology, training, and tactics, you could find yourself behind the curve in protecting your clients’ premises.
Safety Without Fear
As a physical security company serving school children, you must take a comprehensive approach to school safety. This means that you must implement protection without sparking fear in students. This can be achieved if security staff:
- Hides their concealed weapons around students (especially the young)
- Knows the proper de-escalation techniques for school children
Conclusion
As we have seen, various aspects must be considered when identifying school security improvements. They all play an integral part in the big picture. Each piece must work together for the institution to run smoothly and effectively. We hope that the information we provided above can help you get more clients and serve better for the security of students, teachers, and staff.
