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Tag: School Safety

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ACEF, 2011

Vulnerability assessment is the ongoing process through which school districts and campuses identify and evaluate potential risks, and areas of weakness, capable of adversely impacting the campus or school system (The United States Department of Education, 2008). “Vulnerability assessment tools may vary from one school site to another, depending on variables such as location, environment, size, structure, and even student population and school culture” (p. 9). As a result of varying characteristics, assessments must be customized to fit the physical environment, culture, and resources of each educational facility.

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This manual presents recommendations on safe rooms used in cases of adversarial, incidental, and human-caused threats. School engineers, architects, and building officials may use this resource to inform the design, construction, or rehabilitation of safe rooms.

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This publication by Community Oriented Policing Services discusses how CPTED can be used to modify a physical environment and remove or reduce opportunities for crime. Schools, planners, and law enforcement may use this resource to prevent crime and other adversarial, incidental, and human-caused threats, as well as to inform the development of security annexes.

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This online tool developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides recommendations for exit routes within buildings. Schools may use this resource to inform the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of exit routes within school buildings and on school grounds, as well as the development of evacuation annexes.

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REMSExpress, Volume 5, Number 4: K–12 Six-Step Planning Process, Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center, Office of Safe and Healthy Students/U.S. Department of Education

The federal Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide) describes a practical six-step planning process for developing a high-quality school emergency operations plan. The resulting plan builds capacity in preparedness and its five mission areas: prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

For more than a century, public health practitioners have modified the environment to prevent disease and injury. For example, in the mid-1850s Dr. John Snow removed the pump handle from a contaminated well in London to stop a deadly cholera outbreak. Modern environmental modifications, such as seat belts and airbags in vehicles, have saved countless lives. Other environmental modifications, such as sidewalks and community parks, have increased physical activity while helping to reduce obesity.

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By T. R. Dunlap, April 17, 2015.

One very important feature of the EFC’s upcoming webinar, Designing Safe Schools, is the identification of low-cost and effective strategies to make schools safer. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), once called ‘defensible spaces’ (Jeffery, 1971; Newman, 1966), describes ways in which the design and modifications of facilities can help thwart criminal activity and deter violence. CPTED strategies derive from the best practices of architects, security consultants, law enforcement, city planners and management, educators and facility administrators (Angel, 1968; Atlas, 2008; Jeffery, 1989; University & NCPI, 2000), and many of these principles are easy to identify and cost very little (or nothing!) to implement. CPTED involves three principle components to manage exposure to crime and harm: natural surveillance, access control and territoriality. Let’s look at how we can make some small changes within each component to achieve greater levels of safety.

Natural surveillance is crucial to the security of a facility. Criminal activity thrives when there is a low expectation of getting caught. The best way to address this issue is to create a space in which there is no place to hide. Many new constructions have an open concept floor plan to better ensure natural surveillance; however, steps can be taken in older spaces to create better sightlines for supervision. Just look for some simple fixes. For example, make sure that landscapes do not obstruct natural surveillance; if so, you may need to cut back branches or relocate shrubs. Designate visitor parking and bike racks within the natural surveillance and make sure places where visitors enter are easily monitored. Keep hallways clear of obstructions and determine if classrooms and staircases can be used as hiding places—you’ll want to give extra attention to these spaces. Make sure supervisors are on the scene when utilizing common spaces like atriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias and auditoriums where natural surveillance is optimal. When we are careful to use natural surveillance, intruders and threats can be more quickly identified and addressed.

Think about the security of your facility’s entrances (Spicer, n.d.). Regulations and limitations imposed on entrances reduce the number of opportunities for intruders to enter the facility. Consider the inclusion of perimeter fencing to deter trespassers and limit the number of points of entry. Make sure to secure all unnecessary entrances so that intruders cannot just walk into the facility without being noticed. Install security window film to reinforce glass on main entrances. Some violent attackers have entered school building through unsecured windows. Also, locate dumpsters and other objects that could be used to climb onto or into the building at sufficient distance from the facility. Your school should also incorporate procedural directives to secure entrances. For example, have staff members conduct ID checks for all visitors. These are some simple ways to make sure that facility entrances pose as little risk as possible to your students and staff.

Finally, think about the territoriality of your space. Territoriality is the delineation of spaces that creates an environment where intruders are more likely to standout. Consider using generic, clear and concise signage at all hallway entrances, and use directional signage to gyms, cafeterias, library and other parts of the facility. The designated use of space creates a sense of ownership among staff and students. When all occupants have a clear idea of the space’s utility and function, they are more likely to recognize when a person does not belong or when something is amiss. The identification of spaces is a CPTED principle that is inexpensive and easy to employ.

The implementation of CPTED strategies is highly important in a safety-centered education facility, and all stakeholders should be made aware of these and other simple steps to develop a safe learning environment.

You can learn more about CPTED and other ways to secure education facilities in our Designing Safe Schools webinar April 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT. The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS), with its Education Facilities Clearinghouse (EFC) and Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, will celebrate National PrepareAthon! Day by hosting a webinar that provides insight on safety and security design and cost-effective features to consider for new construction of or retrofitting existing school buildings and grounds.

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Bibliography

Spicer, B. (n.d.). “11 Components of a Secure School Front Entrance." Retrieved March 24, 2015, from http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/article/11-components-of-a-secure-school-front-entrance/

Angel, S. (1968). Discouraging crime through city planning. Berkeley: Institute of Urban & Regional Development.

Atlas, R. (2008). 21st Century Security and CPTED: Designing for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Crime Prevention. Auerbach Publications. Retrieved from http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/book/10.1201/9781420068085

Jeffery, C. R. (1971). Crime prevention through environmental design. Sage Publications.

Jeffery, C. R. (1989). Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (Facsimile edition). Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall.

Newman, O. (1966). Creating Defensible Space. DIANE Publishing.

University, T. C. M. S. C.-F. S., & NCPI. (2000). Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, Second Edition (2 edition). Boston, Mass: Butterworth-Heinemann.

T. R. Dunlap is a research assistant at George Washington University in the Education Facilities Clearinghouse. After having worked as a foreign language educator, he now researches topics relevant to education facilities and their improvements.

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Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (2014).

Our nation’s schools and school districts are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. Families and communities expect schools and school districts to keep children and youths safe from threats, including human-caused emergencies such as crime and violence, as well as hazards like natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and accidents. Preparedness is a shared responsibility. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools and school districts can take steps to plan for these potential threats and hazards through the creation of an emergency operations plan (EOP).

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By Dr. Linda Lemasters, March 5, 2015.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about old cars or new cars and new school versus old schools.  Which were the safest?  The consensus of the discussion was new tended to be safer.  That being said, not all children can attend new schools or even schools, which have been remodeled or retrofitted.  We went on to discuss very low- or no-cost activities, plans, and processes that can make older schools safer.  (Please refer to the Blog of January 23, 2015.)

Let’s take this a step further and look at some low-cost retrofits, remodeling, and/or equipment changes that can provide greater safety.  It is difficult to have this discussion without including some safety and security procedures as well.

  • Provide training for your local fire, police, and emergency responders. They should understand the layout of your school facility, where the phones are located, where master controls are located, and how to operate the intercom and or bell system.
  • Design the outside school property with appropriate signage, vegetation, fencing, and clearly defined boundaries.
  • Assure there are no obstacles or landscaping obscuring the view of the entrances and exits; have periodical checks to ensure these areas have clear views.
  • Keep the outdoor lighting well maintained.
  • Place cameras in niches and blind spots around the school building indoors and outdoors.
  • Install faceplates on the exterior doors to prevent jimmying of locks.
  • Renumber all interior doors and floors of multilevel buildings so that the numbering makes sense and is sequential.
  • Develop two-way communication systems between all classrooms or rooms in which children may be served.
  • Work with the phone company for an easy-to-use caller ID system, which also enables call tracing.
  • Keep unoccupied spaces locked when not in use.
  • Ensure that unauthorized users cannot control restroom lighting.
  • Install automatic battery and/or portable generators to maintain emergency and communication equipment when there is no electricity. Make sure these batteries or generators are well maintained.
  • Install a panic button or alarm easily accessed by the front desk of the school. This alarm needs to be connected directly to the fire and police departments, on-site school security, as well as emergency services.
  • Hire a safety and security employee to maintain and provide professional development on security and safety plans and to keep them current. This person should have a calendar with periodic assessments of security systems, playgrounds, athletic facilities, portable classrooms, and any other area that needs continual maintenance and attention to mitigate school hazards and safety issues.
  • Install window safety film, if plexiglass windows are too expensive.
  • Know the natural disasters that are more likely to occur in your geographic area; have disaster and sheltering plans on the ready at all times.
  • Retrofit and remodel entryways to provide vestibules, along with revised floor plans that have school offices in the front of each building. This should be accompanied with visitor and parent sign-in practices.

While many of our current schools have not been designed with safety and security measure in mind, with thought, professional development, and relatively small financial investments, older schools can be made safe.   Be assured, we here at the EFC realize that the list we have shared in this blog is only the very tip of the iceberg.  For more information, please go to our website (efc-staging.edstudies.net) and read the many trusted and tried procedures used to make the older school more safe.

Back to the new car, old car . . . Do we buy a new Camaro, or retrofit and remodel the antique Mustang to improve its safety?  We can do a lot to make that old Mustang safer!! Watch the blog site in a few weeks:  the topic will be Safety by Design:  New Construction.

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References and resources:

efc-staging.edstudies.net
http://rems.ed.gov/

 

Linda Lemasters, Director, Education Facilities Clearinghouse

Linda is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University, where she teaches graduate level coursework, advises students, and directs student research.  Her areas of expertise and research include educational planning, facilities management, and women CEOs.  She actively conducts research concerning the effects of the facility on the student and teacher, publishes within her field, and has written or edited numerous books including School Maintenance & Renovation:  Administrator Policies, Practices, and Economics and book chapters including a recent chapter, Places Where Children Play, published July, 2014 in Marketing the Green School:  Form, Function, and the Future.

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