Education Security: Managing major security-related incidents on campus

Major security incidents within education environments are nuanced and can have wide-ranging effects. It is critical that they are managed as part of a school’s security and emergency management strategies, writes Steve Sullivan, COO, FIRST Security.

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As far as security priorities go, the safety of students on school and tertiary campuses is paramount. When something happens that threatens student safety, families and local communities can be deeply affected, and an education provider’s reputation can be irreparably damaged. That’s why an integrated approach should be taken to managing security-related incidents and emergencies.

An integrated approach seeks to manage risks and responses across three areas:

1. Incident preparedness
2. Incident response
3. Post-incident management

By following this approach, you can?implement a ‘layered approach ’ to security, and ensure that your planning evolves in accordance with experience and the dynamic security environment.

The three principal elements of integrated education security

In a busy campus or school environment, security and safety incidents can come in many forms –?from medical emergencies and aggression/assaults to external events, such as fire and flood.

Security incident management is by nature specific to any given school or university, and should be aligned with a school’s broader (i) security planning and (ii) emergency management planning, and guidance in relation to these areas from the Ministry of Education (MoE).

It is important to note that the MoE provides a range of relevant online resources to assist schools with their planning. This includes guidance on?security management ,?Preparing for emergencies, traumatic incidents, evacuations and lockdowns , and?responding after a crisis , and it is specific to schools and the careful management of issues specific to younger people and how they can be impacted upon by incidents. As such, it is a must-read.

1.?Incident preparedness

Not every event can be prevented, which is why preparation and risk management is vital. FIRST Security provide institutions with integrated risk management strategies that can reduce the risk of security incidents and prepare them for when they occur.

This includes exploring what security control measures make sense in the context of a specific campus. Different security controls, including security procedures, security guarding and patrols, CCTV, access control, alarms, locks and other physical controls, perform different roles in terms of deterring, detecting, delaying, and denying potential criminal, violent, or anti-social activity.

In addition to MoE guidance, the New Zealand Police’s?crowded places guidance ?is also a useful incident preparedness resource.

2.?Incident response

There is an important human element involved in any incident response, especially when it comes to education environments. Responding to a large-scale or high-risk security incident involves everyone, from the Principal to the youngest student.

‘Escape, Hide, Tell’, for example, can mean different things to different people, particularly if it hasn’t been talked about and practised. Is everyone on the same sheet in relation to lockdown and evacuation procedures? Clear processes and policies – and strong awareness – are key.

No one school or university is the same. It’s important to have broad discussions and training around processes and policies for various people within the school or university. Security teams must also lead and learn during these sorts of planning sessions, to better understand the nuances of that environment.

3. Post-incident management review

Post-incident review is critical to recovery and to future preparedness. It’s about improving organisational/community resilience. Reviews should also be conducted periodically in the absence of an incident in order to assess ongoing processes. This creates an ever-evolving and transparent security solution.

Growing complexities require custom support

The security environment within our society and communities is constantly changing. By integrating strategies for preparedness, response and post-incident reviews, we’re able to provide educators with pathways that support their communities better during incidents and that potentially reduce their impact.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you to manage security incidents at your school or university,?get in touch ?with FIRST Security.